Coach Gordon Nehls is the narrator and protagonist of Fourth Down in Texas, but Eric “Mosey” Posey is the heart of the novel. He’s also the character I enjoyed writing the most, partly because he’s inspired by a former high school football player that I covered as a reporter for The Dallas Morning News (more on that in a minute). Coach Nehls describes Mosey -- a nickname shortened to “Mose” by those who know him best – as a once-in-a-generation player. Mose was a kid who could launch a thousand coaching headaches, but he could also do it with a smile and a charm, and his immense competitiveness and ability made him a high school star. That comes across when Coach Nehls talks about the final touchdown Mose scored in high school:          One thing that has stuck with me from Mose’s last touchdown is the sound. Players and coaches around me were cheering, of course, but I could still hear the cracking and creaking of pads as the defenders cha...

If you're reading this, you probably already know that my novel Fourth Down in Texas is now available at -- ta-dah! -- www.fourthdownintexas.com . The novel is available exclusively at that website until the publisher gives it widespread release. Chapter 1 of the novel is below as a sample. This is a book I worked on for a couple of years while I was a sports writer and columnist for The Dallas Morning News , and the characters are inspired by coaches and players that I have known (and still know, because I'm not losing my memory that fast). Before the sample chapter, here's some info about it from the news release: Football, with both a rich history and a history of making people rich, might seem to big too die. But in FOURTH DOWN IN TEXAS, a novel set amid the simmering debate of football safety, the dominoes are falling on a cultural cornerstone of America. Evidence is mounting regarding the lasting effects of concussions, the NFL and NCAA are targets of neglige...

I'm excited to announce that my novel, Fourth Down In Texas , is now available. It will go into wide release this summer, but for now, it's available exclusively through the  FourthDowninTexas.com . Early copies will also, in all likelihood, be signed. (I signed a lot of them before the official release date, but since I don't do the shipping, I can't guarantee every one is signed.) Details about the book are below, and there's more at -- echo, echo -- FourthDowninTexas.com . From the news release: Football, with both a rich history and a history of making people rich, might seem to big too die. But in FOURTH DOWN IN TEXAS, a novel set amid the simmering debate of football safety, the dominoes are falling on a cultural cornerstone of America. Evidence is mounting regarding the lasting effects of concussions, the NFL and NCAA are targets of negligence lawsuits, and the rare-but-wrenching stories of high school player deaths have put football on the firing ...

When I was offered a job at The Dallas Morning News in the summer of 1999 , I knew that I was done moving around. I had somehow projected enough competence to get my foot in the door, and if I didn’t get thrown out, I planned to be there a long time. A long time turned out to be more than 18 years. As I finish my last week of work at the DMN, I’m thankful for all the people who have helped me along the way. It’s a long list of writers, editors, photographers, designers, readers, coaches, players, parents and a bunch of others I don't mean to leave out. There were also the occasional heroes who helped in unusual ways, such as helping me find an unlocked door or gate at a dark stadium. One time after a high school playoff game, I thought I might end up sleeping at Texas Stadium, the Cowboys’ old home, because I got stuck on a level where the elevator door wouldn’t open. It was on a level with stained gray carpet in the hallway, which I think described almost every level of T...

As I walked out the door a final time, I tried to recall my earliest memories from my childhood home. Nothing really came to me.   I was only 5 years old when my family moved in, so my sketchy recollection is to be expected. Moving day is probably one of those shiny memories of my childhood that is covered in a muck of outdated passwords, old locker combinations and things like “negative b plus or minus radical b squared minus 4ac all over 2a.” That’s the quadratic formula. It has really come in handy over the years. The front yard. We once had a massive slip-and-slide out there that attracted kids from all over, and I'm not sure the grass ever recovered. Whatever the reason, I don’t remember a lot about my first few years at the house. But at least my last few days there are fresh memories. They’re from a few weeks ago, when I flew to Arizona to get a final look at the old digs and help my parents move into a retirement community. My parents don’t seem to ...