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Closing the Gap

Lombardi, the Packers Dynasty, and the Pursuit of Excellence
By Willie Davis, By Jim Martyka, By Andrea Erickson Davis, Foreword by Bart Starr

SPORTS & RECREATION

416 Pages, 6 x 9

Formats: Cloth, Mobipocket, EPUB, PDF

Cloth, $25.95 (US $25.95) (CA $28.95)

ISBN 9781600787263

Rights: WOR

Triumph Books (Sep 2012)

eBook Editions Available

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Price:	$25.95

9781600787263

Media Copy

Overview

From gridiron to boardroom, an eye-opening look at a Green Bay and NFL icon

Describing how NFL great Willie Davis helped define the hard-nosed, in-your-face defense of the original football dynasty, the 1960s Green Bay Packers, this revealing autobiography also illustrates his persona off the field—humble yet ambitious, with an infectious smile and a reputation of strict discipline that matched his leadership mentality. The book recounts the competitor as one of the game’s strongest, quickest, and most agile defensive linemen in his time, showcasing a team captain who led the Green and Gold to five championships and earned a bust in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Distinguished from many other athletes of his generation, Davis's success continued well after he took off his pads. His reputation as one of the most respected businessmen in America is discussed, including his time serving on the board of directors for Fortune 500 companies, taking part in various foundations, and speaking to audiences of all ages about his experiences. From growing up in a poor, segregated small town in the South to the intense pressure he endured as a college athlete contemplating his future, this evocation pays homage to a man who has worked hard to achieve all that he has, always appreciating the fruits of his labors with care, respect, and devout passion.

Author Biography

See Author

Willie Davis is a businessman and a former NFL football star who played with the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. He was ranked by the Sporting News as one of the top 100 greatest football players. He lives in Los Angeles. Jim Martyka is a professional freelance writer, a ghostwriter, and an editor. He lives in Los Angeles. Andrea Erickson Davis is a professional freelance writer, editor, artist, and community activist based in Southern California. Bart Starr is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to five championships in the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

Media

Read a Q&A with Willie Davis, author of Closing the Gap, on The Big Lead.

Willie Davis, author of Closing the Gap, was a guest on "The Larry Meiller Show" on Wisconsin Public Radio.

Read a Q&A with Willie Davis on MLive.com.

Closing the Gap was excerpted with cover image on The Post Game, a Yahoo! Sports blog.

Willie Davis, author of Closing the Gap, interviewed on "Sports Byline USA."

Closing the Gap was featured in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Listen as Willie Davis, author of Closing the Gap, interviews on "The Bill Michaels Show."

Willie Davis, author of Closing the Gap, interviewed with "WTMJ-TV," Milwaukee's NBC affiliate.

Book Signings

Green Bay, WI
7:00pm

Press Releases

Closing the Gap: Lombardi, The Packers Dynasty, and The Pursuit of Excellence
By Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Willie Davis
with Jim Martyka and Andrea Erickson Davis
Foreword by Bart Starr

When NFL great Willie Davis was traded to the Green Bay Packers after only one year with the Cleveland Browns, he feared the worst. "[At that time] everyone looked at Green Bay as a last resort, a place of desperation, horrible weather, and even worse-bad football." But under the leadership of famed Packers coach Vince Lombardi, Davis would begin a decades-long, momentous journey of friendship, discipline, and football that would end up with Davis as one of the greatest defensive linemen in NFL history.

In his honest and candid autobiography, Closing the Gap: Lombardi, The Packers Dynasty, and the Pursuit of Excellence (Triumph Books, October 2012), foreword by Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Bart Starr, Davis recounts his glory days as one of the game's strongest, quickest and most agile linemen. A humble, yet ambitious man, Davis led the Green and Gold to five championships, earning a much-deserved spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and along the way, breaking barriers both on and off the field. Davis was one of the league's first black team captains.

An inspirational story, Closing the Gap also speaks to Davis' philosophies on goal-setting and on having a strong work ethic. After retiring from football, his entrepreneurship ventures rivaled the success of his athletic career. A respected businessman, Davis became one of the first African Americans to own a beverage distributorship. Later he went on to own radio stations, serve on the boards of several Fortune 500 companies, and to selflessly dedicate his time and energies to various foundations.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Willie Davis is a businessman and a former NFL football star who played with the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. He was ranked by the Sporting News as one of the Top 100 Greatest Football Players. He lives in Los Angeles. Jim Martyka is a professional freelance writer, ghostwriter, and editor. He lives in Los Angeles. Andrea Erickson Davis is a professional freelance writer, editor, artist, and community activist based in Southern California. Bart Starr is a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who led the Green Bay Packers to five championships in the 1960s under head coach Vince Lombardi. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama.

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Closing the Gap

From gridiron to boardroom, an eye-opening look at a Green Bay and NFL icon

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