Monster of the Midway
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group
The story of football’s fiercest competitor—the legendary Bronko Nagurski—from the New York Times–bestselling author of The Junction Boys.
Monster of the Midway recounts Bronko Nagurski’s unparalleled triumphs during the 1930s and ‘40s, when the Chicago Bears were the kings of professional football. From 1930, the Bronk’s first year, through 1943, his last, the Bears won five NFL titles and played in four other NFL Championship Games. Focusing on Nagurski’s 1943 comeback season, Jim Dent uncovers the stuff of legend: how Bronko miraculously led the Bears to their fourth NFL championship in spite of a battered frame, worn-out knees, multiple cracked ribs, and a broken bone in his lower back.
While chronicling the drama of the ‘43 championship chase, Dent also tells of both the Bears’ colorful early years and Bronko’s improbable rise to fame from the backwoods of northern Minnesota. And laced through it all are stories of legend: Bronko rubbing shoulders with colorful characters like George Halas, Red Grange, Sid Luckman, and Sammy Baugh; Bronko running into (and breaking) the brick wall at Wrigley Field; Bronko winning All-American spots for two positions; Bronko knocking scores of opponents unconscious; and Bronko reaching the heights of football glory and, with rare grace, turning his back on the game after winning his last championship.
Rich in unforgettable stories and scenes, this is Jim Dent’s account of arguably the greatest football player who ever lived—and the roughest, toughest, rowdiest group of players ever to don leather helmets, the original Monsters of the Midway.
“A fascinating chapter in early pro football history.” —Booklist
Monster of the Midway recounts Bronko Nagurski’s unparalleled triumphs during the 1930s and ‘40s, when the Chicago Bears were the kings of professional football. From 1930, the Bronk’s first year, through 1943, his last, the Bears won five NFL titles and played in four other NFL Championship Games. Focusing on Nagurski’s 1943 comeback season, Jim Dent uncovers the stuff of legend: how Bronko miraculously led the Bears to their fourth NFL championship in spite of a battered frame, worn-out knees, multiple cracked ribs, and a broken bone in his lower back.
While chronicling the drama of the ‘43 championship chase, Dent also tells of both the Bears’ colorful early years and Bronko’s improbable rise to fame from the backwoods of northern Minnesota. And laced through it all are stories of legend: Bronko rubbing shoulders with colorful characters like George Halas, Red Grange, Sid Luckman, and Sammy Baugh; Bronko running into (and breaking) the brick wall at Wrigley Field; Bronko winning All-American spots for two positions; Bronko knocking scores of opponents unconscious; and Bronko reaching the heights of football glory and, with rare grace, turning his back on the game after winning his last championship.
Rich in unforgettable stories and scenes, this is Jim Dent’s account of arguably the greatest football player who ever lived—and the roughest, toughest, rowdiest group of players ever to don leather helmets, the original Monsters of the Midway.
“A fascinating chapter in early pro football history.” —Booklist
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