Running for My LIfe: My Journey in the Game of Football and Beyond

by Warrick Dunn and Don Yaeger

with foreward by Tony Dungy

Hennepin County Library hardcover 272 pages with color photos

Published: 2008

Genre: non-fiction, biography

 

I don't remember where I heard about this book. I'm not a football fan so "Warrick Dunn" didn't mean anything to me. I think I read a reference to his philanthropic work and was curious.  The personal aspects of the book were more interesting to me than the football stuff (no surprise). It was interesting but not captivating. I'm glad I read it, but it's not one I would highly recommend to others.

Dunn's mother was murdered when he was 18 years old. She was a single mother with six children, a police officer who worked side jobs as security. She and a store manager were ambushed and shot when they were making a bank deposit. The manager survived. The robbers didn't get the money. It's a tragic, tragic story.

This was a huge defining moment in Dunn's life. His success in football (to me) is overpowered by his success at setting up a charitable foundation that helps single moms attain home ownership. I looked him up online after reading this, but there isn't much information about him after his football career ended.

Page 35 - "... there were many people locally who believed I should have stayed home and signed with LSU, too. I was criticized by those who said I owed the community for the help and appreciation it showed following my mom's murder. Mom gave her life to our community; wasn't that enough?"

Wow. People are entitled to their opinions, but to insinuate that an 18 year old should make his college decision based on what others think he "should" do? To imply that because the community helped him and his siblings after their mother's horrific murder that he somehow "owes" them? What is wrong with people?!?!?!

Page 49 - Ugh. This was the only page I marked, but I found so many typos that I felt like crying. Why is proofreading a lost art? Why are books published with so many errors? Here's the gem on this page:

"The last house we lived in with my mother was on in the corner of Bradley Street and Addison Street in East Baton Rouge."

I read "on in the corner" about five times, assuming I had misread it before I realized it actually said that. And there were more . . . but I refused to spend any more time on typos. Grrr!

Page 68 - "But Charlie respected people. I kept thinking, Wow, you can still be a superstar and a class act, too? You didn't have to be an A-hole. That taught me a valuable lesson."

I think sometimes we forget the impact we can have on people when we live out a good example. I'm so glad his coach suggested they room together and that Charlie (a senior) was willing to be a mentor to young Warrick.

Page 183 - "And she knew right away what she would be doing with her old furniture. In the spirit of Homes for the Holidays, 'I gave it away. I knew a family that was in need and I gave all of our stuff to them.' She was determined to share the blessings."

Throughout the latter half of the book, personal stories of the families that were blessed by Dunn's foundation are featured. This part came in chapter 12 and was "Sonja's Story." These were honestly my favorite parts of the entire book.

Page 211 - "I think it is essential that we teach children early on that there is a responsible way to handle money, and that is to take care of paying bills, making ends meet, and saving for the future rather than spending every check as soon as it comes - or even going into debt - for luxury items."

Amen! I love that he joked about having the oldest car of all NFL players, but it's easy for young athletes to splurge when they have the money for expensive cars. Dunn grew up with good lessons. 

Page 228 - "It was something I had been terrified of doing for so long, but once I realized not only that I could do it but that I was going it, it was incredibly freeing."

He's referring to when he was able to talk publicly about seeking help and getting therapy to deal with the trauma in his past. It makes me think of the Scripture about truth setting you free. I'm so glad that he was able to get help for his hurt and his burdens. I'm glad he knows the Lord.