Running for My Life: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond - Paperback

by Warrick Dunn (Author), Don Yaeger (Author)

Pro Bowl star running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, Warrick Dunn tells his extraordinary story in Running for My Life, a poignant and inspirational true tale of tragedy, success, depression, denial, and ultimately, hope. One of the most gifted players in the NFL, Dunn talks about his remarkable career and accomplishments while sharing the pain of his lifelong battle with depression, a result of losing his mother--a police officer killed while off-duty--when Dunn was 18 Thought-provoking and uplifting, Running for My Life is the story of an exceptional athlete's secret torment and inspiring courage.

His journey on the field is only half the story.

• A Hidden Battle with Depression: For years, Warrick Dunn hid his secret torment, grappling with depression even as he reached the pinnacle of the NFL.
• An Unthinkable Family Tragedy: At eighteen, Dunn was forced to become the head of his household, raising his five younger siblings after his mother, a police officer, was tragically killed.
• A Journey to Forgiveness: In an extraordinary act of courage, Dunn travels to Angola State Prison to meet his mother's killer face to face on Death Row, seeking answers and a path to peace.
• An NFL Star's True Story: With a foreword by legendary coach Tony Dungy, this memoir chronicles Dunn's celebrated career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons, and the quiet strength that defined him.

Back Jacket

Warrick Dunn was only eighteen when his mother, a Baton Rouge police officer, was shot and killed. Yet somehow he managed to enroll at Florida State University and help his team to a national championship during his freshman year--while also caring for his five brothers and sisters. Despite his modest size, Dunn went on to a storied NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons, becoming one of only twenty-three running backs in NFL history to exceed the 10,000-yard career rushing mark. Off the field, he created the Warrick Dunn Foundation and its Homes for the Holidays program, helping single parents achieve first-time home ownership. But in his drive to help others, the one person Dunn neglected was himself, as the pain of his mother's loss led to a spiraling depression that went untreated for years.

Running for My Life details Dunn's struggle to confront his past and face the grief that consumed him for far too long. Thought-provoking and uplifting, it is the story of an exceptional athlete's secret torment and inspiring courage.