First published 1960
Frank Gifford sits in his apartment, staring at a calendar marked 1970. He tries to picture himself ten years from now. Will he still be playing football? The question haunts his daily routines as he moves between practice sessions and team meetings. His teammates joke about retirement, but Frank takes the speculation seriously. He sketches possible futures in a notebook he keeps hidden. Some versions show him as a coach, others as a broadcaster, still others as a businessman who left sports entirely. His wife notices his distraction during dinner conversations. She asks what troubles him, but Frank struggles to explain his growing anxiety about time passing. The present feels urgent and fleeting. Each game might be among his last, yet he cannot imagine life without the stadium crowds and locker room camaraderie. Frank begins making small decisions differently, as if preparing for an unknown transition. The story captures a man caught between who he is and who he might become.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, american, sports
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, coming-of-age
Period: 1970
Paperback · Signet