Texas is a diverse state. But the one thing that binds Texans more than their state pride, even more than religion, is football. For the many towns and cities of Texas, high school football is more than a sport or an extracurricular activity—it’s the glue of their community. Author Gray Levy, a high school football coach for more than two decades, became disillusioned with the state of the education system nationwide and traveled to Texas, a place where high school football still matters, to see just what schools and communities were doing right. What he found will both confirm and debunk common presumptions about high school football in Texas, a complex phenomenon that varies by region, school size, and the ethnic diversity of the Lone Star State.
Big and Bright has captured what Texas High School Football means—not only to the players and coaches, but entire communities. There is nothing better than a Friday night in Texas—watching a high school football game and being a part of the passion that exists in this state—and Levy does a great job depicting what it’s like in many Texas communities. This book is a must-read for anybody that is a high school football fan!
Big and Bright is a Texas-sized tour of high school football in the Lone Star state. It will take you from the locker rooms to the sidelines and into the hearts and minds of coaches, players, and fans.
I love this book. In it, Levy shows the world what football in the state of Texas is all about: the bonds between the town, the school, and the community members. Big and Bright is a great read and makes me love football in this state even more. I am proud to coach in Texas.
Gray Levy accomplishes something that not many people can: capturing the true essence of the Texas high school football experience. Levy’s dispatches from across the Lone Star State transport readers to the sidelines, the bleachers, and the chain link fences alongside football fields across Texas on Friday night.
