The players and coaches who dominate the football field regularly capture the attention and hearts of fans, but their insight into the sport and life in general doesn’t end when the game does. From stories of gridiron leaders to accounts of unbelievable bravery to stinging indictments of the industry’s dark side, our list of the best football audiobooks includes selections for veteran fans and casual viewers alike. Altogether, these selections paint a complex picture of one of our nation’s most beloved games.
From one of the most trusted names in sports journalism comes this labor of love, a volume that seeks to rank the 100 best players to ever grace the gridiron. Full of analysis and heart, this one is a veritable who’s who of football history. The fun of it also lies in the conversations it'll spark among football fans, with its rankings sure to spur debate and discourse aplenty. Written by The Athletic staff with an unquestionable love for the game and exclusive access to some of the biggest names in sports, this journalistic feat is an ode to the wonder of football and the inimitable athletes who play it.
Bill Belichick cemented himself as one of the greatest coaches of all time long ago. Winning six Super Bowls as the coach of the New England Patriots before his tenure ended in 2024, Belichick is the winningest playoff coach ever—no small feat. In The Art of Winning, he outlines his philosophy on growth and success, reflecting on his high-stakes years on the sidelines. Football fans and ambitious listeners of all stripes will find much to love here: a volume on strategy and competition that lays bare the secrets to ideal performance with actionable, hard-won advice.
This number one New York Times bestseller is H.G. Bissinger’s account of his year in Odessa, Texas, spent observing the ways in which one local football team—the Permian Panthers—impacted its community. The basis for the hit TV series by the same name, Friday Night Lights is a captivating account of not just high school football but also of one town’s struggles with poverty, racism, and the pressures of scrutiny. In this 25th anniversary edition, listeners hear from the author in a special afterword about the book's influence that adds even more depth and nuance to this emotional portrait.
Pop culture essayist and culture critic Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, The Nineties) turns his trademark wit and incisive style to the topic of football. Klosterman, an obsessive fan himself, writes sharply about the sport as a "hyperobject," a phenomenon with a reach so expansive that it can never quite be fully understood. He explores the myriad ways in which football has permeated and defined American culture, intertwining his personal history with the sport and philosophical musings on the game's more controversial elements. The result is a fresh audiobook suited for football fanatics, skeptics, and critics alike.
There is perhaps no position in the entire world of team sports more critical, more powerful, more influential than that of the quarterback. In this listen from ESPN writer and author of It's Better to Be Feared Seth Wickersham, the QB is examined as a kind of American royalty. From their earliest dreams and pure love of the game to national renown and robust contracts, QBs must be singularly focused to make their mark. Through glimpses into the lives of greats including Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes, and John Elway, Wickersham paints a vivid portrait of the incredible demands and strain felt by some of sports' most analytical, ambitious, high-achieving performers.
Though most know the story of baseball's Jackie Robinson and his historic shattering of the MLB color barrier, few are familiar with an event that took place a year prior. In March 1946, running back Kenny Washington signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams, breaking the NFL's shameful history of segregation. The Forgotten First chronicles the story of the courageous, trailblazing players who broke the league's color barriers, including Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis. These four remarkable men rewrote history, fighting for equality and opportunity in an era when racism plagued professional sports and America at large. Former NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson immortalizes their legacy with this audiobook, co-written with Newsday's Bob Glauber.
Few expected legendary quarterback Steve Young would reach the heights he did. A Mormon, straight-A student with an incredible memory, Young did not fit the mold of what a "traditional" quarterback looked like in the '80s and '90s. Nevertheless, he would go on to prove doubters and detractors very, very wrong. QB is a tell-all story from one of the most recognizable personalities in NFL history. Young reveals the issues and insecurities that plagued him growing up, as well as his time in San Francisco and the massive hurdles he had to overcome throughout his career.
It wasn’t until fairly recently that we discovered not only how dangerous but how truly life altering contact sports can be. League of Denial is the story of how that limited public awareness regarding the dangers of football came to be. Based on investigations from ESPN reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru, this nonfiction audiobook is a scathing indictment of the complicity surrounding CTE—chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain condition caused by repeated head trauma.
Pat Tillman is more famous for leaving professional football than for playing it. When he walked away from his multi-million dollar contract to enlist in the military, his decision reflected the troubled American conscience born from the events of September 11, 2001. His choice shocked fans, but it was Tillman’s death by friendly fire two years later (and the subsequent cover up of those events by the US Army) that captured headlines. Nonfiction great Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven, brings nuance to the story of Tillman's life and death, incorporating journals, letters, and interviews to present a dynamic, comprehensive portrait.
The Why Is Everything follows the new generation of coaches and coordinators who are changing the game entirely. Examining young leaders like Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Mike McDaniel, Raheem Morris, and Matt LaFleur, this audiobook zeroes in on revolutionary outlooks and approaches that eschew tradition and rigid systems in favor of innovation. Sportswriter Mike Silver brings in-depth reporting and thoughtful analysis to this look at the brightest young minds in football, their impact on fandom and viewership, and the innovative future of the game.
Jim Thorpe, a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, led an extraordinary—and difficult—life. In this compassionate biography, David Maraniss paints a deeply human portrait of a complex man with a remarkable talent. Thorpe won gold in the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 Olympic Games, then went on to play both football and baseball. His time as an All-American with the Carlisle Indian School was the stuff of legend. Thorpe was a one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime type of athlete. Despite his skill and success, he also faced great struggles, battling the sting of racism, assimilationist policies, and addiction in the later years of his life.
Despite how integral the NFL feels to American life these days, taking football to the national stage seemed an awfully shaky endeavor at the start. The League tells the story of founders Art Rooney, George Halas, Tim Mara, George Preston Marshall, and Bert Bell, the incredible risks they took, and the ingenious ways they utilized rivalry to garner attention through the league's early years. The audiobook's commanding narration from Daniel Thomas May shines with the same intrepid spirit the NFL founders embodied when they took a leap of faith over one century ago.
The name Bill Parcells will always be in the conversation as one of the greatest NFL coaches to ever do it. His ability to transform struggling franchises into perennial contenders made him a household name. From the New York Giants to the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys, Parcells made an indelible mark across the NFL during his more than 40-year coaching and operations career. This introspective memoir from the Big Tuna himself takes listeners behind the scenes, covering the ins-and-outs of his time on the gridiron.
NCAA and NFL football coach Pete Carroll has long stressed that for him, success is not about winning, but about competing. In Win Forever, Carroll shares how he fostered a true competitor's mindset—both on the field and within himself—during his time on both college and pro stages. His insights are made all the more compelling thanks to his narration, which is as energizing and authentic as a locker room pep talk. Don't miss this listen's sage advice on recruiting, team culture-shaping, and training strategies that will keep you afloat during a hot streak and a rut alike.
College football is not merely the little sibling to pro football; it’s a multi-billion dollar industry in its own right, driven by many of the same dynamics that power the NFL. In The System, investigative journalists Jeff Benedict and Armen Keteyian pull back the curtain on the light and dark of the college sports complex, examining everything from the extreme pressure younger players are under to the sometimes-illicit way cash flows into team organizations. At once a celebration of the NCAA's power and glory and a sharp exposé of its shortcomings and overindulgences, this listen is a fascinating deep dive into college football culture at large.
Drawing on rich interviews between journalist Steve Jamison and legendary 49ers coach Bill Walsh and further colored by reflections from Bill's son, Craig, The Score Takes Care of Itself is a poignant lesson in discipline, motivation, and principle. Where this listen really shines is the audio—behind the microphone is multi-Audie Award winner Dick Hill, who brings a warmth and nostalgia to this moving underdog story. Hill does a remarkable job of balancing football anecdotes and business acumen with an undercurrent of heart and humanity as he recites the story of how Walsh brought the 49ers from the bottom of the NFL heap to Super Bowl champions.
When Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, he changed the world of contact sports forever. Caused by repeated blows to the head over time, CTE can cause premature memory loss, instability, depression, and erratic behavior. With sensitivity and urgency, Dr. Omalu presents an essential, paradigm-shifting glimpse at CTE in Truth Doesn't Have a Side, outlining how contact sports, particularly football, are inextricably linked to contracting the disease.
