by Nate Jackson
First published 2016
Nate Jackson lies flat on his back, recovering from ankle surgery to remove bone fragments. Six years have passed since the former Denver Broncos tight end last wore a helmet. Every day takes him further from his NFL identity, the violence-sanctioned player who crashed into other players for money. But Jackson cannot leave football behind. From his bed, he defends his championship in Bunny 5-Ball, his fantasy football league. The stakes feel higher than any game he played professionally. Fantasy football has evolved from simple rotisserie leagues into the massive gambling industry powered by FanDuel and DraftKings. Jackson finds himself caught in this world where millions of Americans play interactive human poker with real players' statistics. No 300-pound lineman threatens to crush his spine now. This opponent proves more dangerous. Jackson must confront what football means when you can no longer play it, when your body has failed but your mind remains trapped in the game's grip.
Genres: american-fiction, contemporary, sports, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Denver, Broncos
Period: 2010s
229 pages · Kindle Edition · Harper