1st and Forever ― Making the Case for the Future of Football

Part memoir and part homage to the game he loves, former National Football Foundation president Bob Casciola mounts a persuasive case in support of football’s relevance to life.

Against a backdrop of increasing pressures and criticism of the game itself, 1st and Forever takes a stand to contend that football is vital by showcasing the inner character of those who’ve played the game. From European refugees who carved out their legacies between yard markers, to life-changing humanitarians inspired by their on-field experiences, to Hall of Fame players whose positive influence has extended far beyond the close of their careers, 1st and Forever stitches a tale of lives bettered, defined, and enriched by a sport that is like no other.

As a long-time coach and former president of the National Football Foundation, Bob Casciola has served the game he loves for decades. In 1st and Forever, he takes that service to a new level by laying out his case for why, and how, football must be saved. Through a series of inspiring tales of his own experiences and interactions with many of those—both big names and not—with whom he’s crossed paths, Bob makes a case that the future for football can be as bright as its past.

1st and Forever illuminates that the experience of the game itself is too positive and beneficial to cast aside—especially for today’s youth, who deserve the same opportunity to shine on the field as well as off it.

Bob Casciola is the former president of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame, a 14-year tenure in which he oversaw the Play It Smart program and the implementation of the NFL/NFF Coaching Academy, which annually educates more than 10,000 youth coaches. A member of that Hall of Fame himself, Bob had previously served as head coach both of Princeton University and the University of Connecticut, and served for 3 years as assistant coach to Hall of Fame head coach Bob Blackman at Dartmouth, in addition to a stint broadcasting college football games. In 2004, the NFF honored Bob with its Distinguished American Award, previously given to Vince Lombardi and Pete Rozelle. Bob Casciola currently lives in the Scottsdale, Arizona, area.

Jon Land is the award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of 44 books, including nine titles in the critically acclaimed Caitlin Strong series, and has taken over writing as Jessica Fletcher in the MURDER SHE WROTE series. He is also the author of three acclaimed works of nonfiction, Takedown (2016), the bestsellerBetrayal (2011), both of which won the International Book Award for True Crime, and No Surrender (2017) which won the American Book Fest Award in the Christian Inspirational category. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island, and can be reached at jonlandbooks.com or on Twitter @jondland.