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Rating: 
Summary: Must read for Sooners fans!
Review: "Prelude to Greatness" finally tells the inside story of the mess that was Oklahoma football under head coaches Howard Schnellenberger and John Blake. Coach Blake's regime gets a surprisingly favorable review, while Smith puts the overwhelming share of the blame for OU's decline on Schnellenberger's shoulders. Those dark days, however, are behind us and I particularly enjoyed reading about the winning coaching style of current head coach Bob Stoops and his staff. Smith tells how an unfocused and unmotivated program filled with individuals is transformed into one unit, working to a common purpose and the book's most valuable lesson, for fans, students, businessmen or would-be athletes, is to be found here. The last chapter is written specifically for high school students considering an athletic career at the major college level, and Smith outlines the sacrifices that must be made to both play sports and succeed in the classroom. While football hindered his academic efforts, Smith is still solidly in favor of big-time athletics for the right student-athletes. Sports minded youth should be encouraged to read this important book.
Rating: 
Summary: Prelude to Greatness
Review: Great read! Tremendous insight into college football from a players perspective. A must for any Sooner fan and for all high school football players considering playing for any NCAA Division IA football program. This is a book that will be discussed on the sports talk shows for some time to come, particularly if the Sooners continue at #1 in the college football rankings.
Rating: 
Summary: Players are not coaches!
Review: I have been around football my entire life, being that my dad is a coach, and has been for 18 years. I was amazed to read the perspective of this player who did not live up to "his" potential. He sounds like a bitter young man. Obviously he had more confidence in himself, than coaches who have been in the game for much longer than he has even been alive. Sometimes players don't understand the processing that coaches go through to put together a game plan, and then to carry it out. Yes, it is unfortunate that he had to have four coaches throughout his career, but at least he had the oppurtunity to play the game. There are many other young men who would have loved to at least get to play at the University of Oklahoma, or anywere else. So sometimes people should be greatful for their oppurtunities.
Rating:
Summary: Players are not coaches!
Review: I have been around football my entire life, being that my dad is a coach, and has been for 18 years. I was amazed to read the perspective of this player who did not live up to "his" potential. He sounds like a bitter young man. Obviously he had more confidence in himself, than coaches who have been in the game for much longer than he has even been alive. Sometimes players don't understand the processing that coaches go through to put together a game plan, and then to carry it out. Yes, it is unfortunate that he had to have four coaches throughout his career, but at least he had the oppurtunity to play the game. There are many other young men who would have loved to at least get to play at the University of Oklahoma, or anywere else. So sometimes people should be greatful for their oppurtunities.
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