Walk On: My Unlikely Story of Football, Purpose and Following an Amazing God by Ben Malcolmson was a great read. It is an inspiring true story of how Ben pursued his dreams and passions, and how God honored that pursuit with even better things than Ben could have imagined.
Ben, a journalism major at the University of Southern California, decided to write a newspaper story about open tryouts for the USC Trojans. His angle is that he himself would try out to be a walk on player, even though he was thin, scrawny and hadn't played football since fifth grade. By some miracle, he made the team and actually ended up playing in a game. He went on to become a personal assistant for the Trojan's head coach, Pete Carroll and eventually followed Coach Carroll to the Seattle Seahawks.
Walk On is a memoir but it could also be used as a devotional. Each chapter ends with a Scripture verse and a short thought by Ben along with several questions to ask yourself about your own experiences/life/faith walk. I think it would be especially good for teens or young adults. You definitely don't need to be a football fan to enjoy this book.
Ben's story is indeed unlikely and amazing. He has led such an interesting life and had some almost unbelievable experiences. Walk On is a quick and easy read, enjoyable all around. The only thing that I didn't like about it is the way he disparages his parents, especially his mother. I understand that it is difficult to grow up with a mom who is an alcoholic and a dad who travels extensively, but I'm sure his parents did the best they could and he was not abused or mistreated. I hope that he finds a more gracious perspective someday, perhaps if he becomes a father himself.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
