A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5-foot-8, 170-pound, 43-year-old Sportswriter Plays in the NFL

Drawing on rare access to an NFL team's players, coaches, and facilities, the author of the New York Times bestseller Word Freak trains to become a professional-caliber placekicker. As he sharpens his skills, he gains surprising insight into the daunting challenges---physical, psychological, and intellectual---that pro athletes must master.