When the Game Stands Tall

The Story of the De La Salle Spartans and Football's Longest Winning Streak

De: Neil Hayes

Narrado por: J. P. Linton

The book that inspired the ESPN documentary 151: The Greatest Streak is now revised and updated!

By 2002, The Streak - a historic 13-year run of consecutive wins by the Spartans, a high-school football team from Concord, California, that couldn't be beat - was still going strong. In this revised edition of When the Game Stands Tall, author Neil Hayes, who had unrestricted access to the De La Salle team, writes from the inside about the games, the players, and their visionary coach, Bob Ladouceur, who managed to amass the highest winning percentage in football history (.995) through standing for something greater than winning. The book, which also features interviews with major sports figures like Bill Walsh and John Gruden, is a revealing portrait of the coach who believed above all in instilling basic life skills where winning is not the goal, but merely the byproduct of playing the game.

The Streak had become a national story long before it ended in September 2004. In this revised paperback, Neil Hayes catches up on the lives of the main characters and takes readers through the final tumultuous year. What results is a timeless and inspirational story of struggle, tragedy, and triumph.

©2003, 2005 Neil Hayes (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

One of the most inspiring stories!!!

When the Game Stands Tall is definitely worth five stars in every category and a recommended read for all teenage boys.

I saw the movie and then loved the book

What did you love best about When the Game Stands Tall?

The story off learning how to win and then having each class of players believe in the coach and each other while almost never losing is in a fictional story something you would expect. In the real world for it to actually happen was really interesting.

What did you like best about this story?

Winning like 195 out of 196 sounds impossible but it happened. I am not amazed that since the 1994 season the coach has kept up the nearly impossible winning percentage.

What about J. P. Linton’s performance did you like?

It was steady and kept me involved. I was able to listen to the book in two days which meant his work kept my interest.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the opposing coach had taken lead and was saying a prayer that his team would hold on. De la Salle started it's final drive and scored with 11 seconds left to beat him. After the game when he was asked what he was doing he said he was praying. He should have known not to say a prayer asking for the Catholic school to lose.

Any additional comments?

I would like a follow up book for the 10 seasons that have passed since the book ended.

great book

book was great. very sports oriented. may be hard for someone who doesn't follow or understand football to follow along.

High School Football at its Best

What made the experience of listening to When the Game Stands Tall the most enjoyable?

One of the best things I got out of his book was the comraderie between the athletes. They were truly brothers on and off the field.

Good story

This book shows what believing in people, supporting one another and hard work can do. I am not a football fan, but this book is not really about football. I recommend it.

I only gave 4 stars because I did not like how the author jumped back and forth in time with virtually every chapter.