Born in Washington D.C., former NFL tight end Vernon Davis went to school at the University of Maryland but started his pro football career on the other side of the country with the San Francisco 49ers and wouldn’t return until his 11th season.

As with every NFL Draft pick, the pundits and analysts pick through a player’s abilities as they prepare to turn pro and discuss the transition from college as the biggest hurdle in their new life.

What they may not have known was that Davis had already cleared more hurdles before landing in the NFL than some do their entire lives. Of course, that didn’t make him immune from needing to clear more, like when he was publicly criticized to legendary levels by then 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. The same man who wrote the introduction to Davis’ memoir titled, Playing Ball.

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“Playing Ball delves into Davis’s astonishing career – from his difficult teenage years as a headstrong athlete to NFL Coach Mike Singletary’s infamous “me-myself-and-I attitude” press conference – to share the hard-won lessons that forged his path to success, and how his new role as a Hollywood star, entrepreneur, and philanthropist is to inspire the value of teamwork in others,” says a press release announcing the book.

It’s a neatly summarized sentence that tells the reader a bit of what to expect when turning the pages. But it’s really just a surface look of the in-depth access Davis allows his readers, and the chance to really get behind the curtain into one NFL player’s existence.

“Weaving personal reflections with frank, real-world advice, this book is more than a memoir. It’s an eye-opening exploration of what winning – on the field and beyond – really means,” said Davis. “In the book, I rewind the tape to reflect on my difficult upbringing, my career and competitive spirit – and the insights about teamwork, leadership, and responsibility that came in the aftermath of Coach Singletary’s press conference, spurring me to transform my life for the better.”

We hear coaches and players talking about facing adversity head-on, and accepting every lesson as a chance to grow. That’s what Davis does here. The introduction of the book starts the story off with his most embarassing professional moment – a key sign of the honesty that’s about to be delivered from there.

And he hopes his own honesty will help others.

“After such a long journey and football career, I learned that life is about much more than me. It’s about helping others and inspiring people to be the best versions of themselves. I did that by showing resilience, determination, stamina, and by giving everything I had to give to challenge myself to succeed,” Davis writes in the book.

In his post-NFL life Davis is acting and producing feature films working with the likes of Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Bruce Willis, and more. He’s also founded two production companies – Reel 85 and Between the Linez Production.

You can read Playing Ball by purchasing it in hardcover or digitally through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart, and other locations.

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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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