Do you want to dive into the life story of the 2nd black quarterback in NFL history? Breaking The Line, By Samuel G. Freedman, was published in 2014, and takes place between the 1940s and 1970, at the height of the civil rights movement. The book follows the story of two coaches and two quarterbacks from Grambling State University and Florida A&M University. James Harris and Eddie Robinson of Grambling State were going to face Ken Riley and Jake Gaither of FAMU in the Orange Classic in the 1967 season. These two black college teams would go on to change the course of pro football. James Harris went on to have several starts as the 2nd black quarterback in NFL history; a position very rare during the civil rights era. He earned many high-caliber titles for the LA Rams and SD Chargers. Ken Riley also went on to the NFL but switched his position to cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals. He went on to boast many Pro Bowl seasons. Eddie Robinson and Jake Gaither would also be inducted into the Hall of Fame as historic coaches. All Hall of Fame caliber players and coaches, but who would win this historic college game that would change the course of football forever? I feel like this book was able to follow the lives of the players very well. They also were very accurate on the details, however, it seemed a little slow. A lot of the information seemed to be unnecessary and the build-up to the game felt way too slow. Overall, I think this book is amazing if you have a lot of time to spend getting through the rising action.
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