A Gift for Ron; Friendship and Sacrifice On and Off the Gridiron

by Everson Walls with Kevin B. Blackistone; Foreword by Frank Deford

• ISBN13: 9780762763757
• ISBN10: 0762763752
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2010-09-01
• Publisher: Lyons Press

Summary

ABrian's Songfor a new generation, featuring two pro football stars known to millions of fans "Everson Walls's display of unselfishness was theultimateexample of teamwork. A life lesson for us all." James Brown, CBS Sports/Showtime "[This] moving story of courage, sacrifice, and offering the ultimate gift to save a friend's life is truly inspiring." Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay, legislative sponsor of the Everson Walls and Ron Springs Gift of Life Act of 2009 After fourteen seasons as an NFL star, Everson Walls retired to his hometown of Dallas, Texas. He and former Cowboys teammate Ron Springs worked together on charities, and their families became close. But, as time passed, Ron could no longer conceal the ravaging effects of his diabetes. Before Walls knew it, his friend's life was on the line. InA Gift for Ron, Walls tells the moving story of how he witnessed the suffering of his former mentor and his family and, on hearing that a potential kidney donor had fallen through, learned that he and Ron shared something truly precious: a blood type. Walls knew his only optionto donate a kidney to save his friend's life.

Author Biography

Everson Walls is a four-time Pro Bowl NFL cornerback who played thirteen seasons and recorded fifty-seven interceptions, the tenth most in NFL history. He played his first nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys before joining the New York Giants in 1990 and starring on its Super Bowl–winning team. He retired in 1993 with the Cleveland Browns and returned to his hometown. Walls is the cofounder of the Ron Springs and Everson Walls Gift for Life Foundation (www.GiftforLifeFoundation.org), which educates the public on the dangers of kidney disease and the need for organ donation.

 

Kevin B. Blackistone is a national columnist for AOL Sports’ FanHouse (www.FanHouse.com), a regular panelist on ESPN’s Around the Horn, and the Shirley Povich Chair in Sports Journalism at the University of Maryland. A former award-winning sports columnist for the Dallas Morning News, he has covered sports across the United States and around the world.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vi
How Lucky We Are	p. 1
Family First	p. 16
Friendships	p. 30
Coach Rob's Team	p. 45
You Can Make It	p. 60
Lesson from Landry	p. 75
Shreill and Adriane	p. 90
Erasing Defeat	p. 96
The Doctor's Plan	p. 112
Walking the Line	p. 129
Ron at the Reins	p. 144
My Father's Hand	p. 161
God's Body	p. 169
Somebody's Got to Do It	p. 175
It's about the Others	p. 193
Ron Lives	p. 206
Index	p. 219
About the Foundation	p. 231
About the Authors	p. 232
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.