We'll Always Be Pals by Tom McManus

"We'll Always Be Pals" are the last words my father said to me before he died. The youngest of his six children, he taught me everything there is to know about how to be a man in this world. He should know, after the life he lived.

Born in 1920, Gene McManus witnessed some of the most historic events in our country’s history. A product of the Great Depression, he was a football star, a boxer, a B-24 Liberator pilot, and POW during World War II.

My story is a small one. Out of football for two full seasons after a glorified college career, I left my football dreams behind me until I got a call out of the clear blue sky. The man who taught me how to play the game was all the inspiration I ever needed to realize a life-long dream.

My Review:
In a day where absentee fathers are no longer the exception, it's nice to see the effect a loving father can have on his son.This exciting autobiography is really of two men--a father and a son. They share a love of football, an ability to handle the trying times, and an uncommon love; they are best pals. Both of their colorful lives grab the attention of the reader from the first page and hold it until the end of the book.

Every father hopes to be a positive influence on his child, but here we read how dramatically one father can sway a son. Geno, as he was commonly called, was a hard man, sharpened by some dramatically tough times, and that toughness rubbed off onto his son, Tom McManus, linebacker #55 for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars. The son gives his father credit for being his inspiration. Geno encourages Tom to stick to his dream of making it into the NFL.

Father and son are fifty years apart in age, yet end up best friends. I admit to shedding a couple of tears. The story is not in chronological order as some chapters go back in time. There is a good bit of profanity throughout, and the work needs some editing. However, if you love football, this is one that you will really enjoy.

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