Takeo Spikes Presents: Behind the Mask

Takeo Spikes Presents: Behind the Mask by Takeo Spikes. thread_bound edition. ISBN: 9780692758984.

Behind the Mask goes inside the minds of 12 of the NFL’s all-time best linebackers, with unique and intimate images and original, never-before-published content. Former NFL All-Pro linebacker Takeo Spikes takes you inside the game of football with profiles that are deeper and more insightful than anything that has been published before and beautiful photos that show the grace and strength of these incredible players. In Behind the Mask, these 12 best-ever NFL players share with Spikes – an elite-class football player in his own right – what they only say to each other. This exclusive group of players was carefully chosen to include the greatest names with the most unique stories both on and off the field. The players’ insights are focused on one greatness. What made these players outliers? What motivated and led them to achieve more than their peers? Where does their drive come from? Spikes chose to focus on his linebacker predecessors because they are football’s fiercest gridiron warriors. Linebackers are to the defense what the quarterback is to the the on-field coach, the team leader, the heartbeat. Linebackers make impact plays in every facet of a defensive call, stopping both runs and passes. Good linebackers require the trifecta of strength, speed and smarts. But good linebackers are beyond talented; they feel the pulse of the game. Spikes, a talented photographer, turned the lens on these 12 all-time greats - including Hall of Famers Chuck Bednarik, Ted Hendricks and Mike Singletary - and conducted the interviews that tell their stories. About the Takeo Spikes is a 15-year veteran of the NFL, a first-round draft pick, two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl selection. One of only seven linebackers with more than 200 career starts in the NFL, Spikes is a graduate of Auburn University and holds an MBA from the University of Miami. Behind the Mask is his first book.