Tempo Books series on the NFL

Did anyone else read these books from the late 1970s and early 1980s? They were written by Bill Gutman. They featured four biographies of NFL stars at the time (Winslow, Dorsett, Montana, Theismann, Campbell, Haden, etc,) They appear to have been things you would have purchased off the Weekly Reader series in grade school. I have a small collection of them (aka three) that I got from my older brother.

Google diving shows he also did similar series for the NBA and MLB.

 

No but in the 70's my favorite books were "Star Running Backs" or "Greatest Quarterbacks" or "Star Players of the MLB" etc that were fabric covered "hardbacks (cardboard)". Loved those books, how I learned of Johnny U, Otto Graham, Jerry Kramer, Stan Musiel, Hank Greenberg, Mickey Mantle, Duke Snider, etc.

 

@qtlaw, I still have those football books. Even have another book on Earl Campbell. They're about as good as you'd imagine.

 

If it's what I'm thinking of, I had a couple. One of them featured Joe Ferguson, Ron Jaworski, Steve Bartkowski and someone else who I can't recall.

 

Gutman's apparently still cranking them out. Did one recently on Aaron Judge:

 

My favorite sports books were where they gave you a scenario from a game in the past and you had to decide if you were the coach or manager what you'd do. I read and re-read the same scenarios over and over like the dullard that I was at nine years old.

DO YOU:

A. BRING IN ED ROEBUCK?

B. BRING IN KARL SPOONER?

C. LEAVE JOHNNY PODRES IN THE GAME?

D. HAVE DON DRYSDALE RUSH THE OTHER DUGOUT AND KICK MICKEY MANTLE'S ARTHRITIC KNEES?

 

The ol' Punt, Pass and Kick Library. Still in my mother's basement until a flood (followed by asbestos abatement that required a hasty cleanout) claimed them a few years ago.

 

Bummer. I've still got some on my bookcases, boys sadly never were interested.

 

I think I had those too. One was called"The Big Play."

I think it's buried up in my parents' attic somewhere.

 

I read a bunch of those NFL quad bios.

 

Wow, that is a hell of a foursome. Going to guess this came out after 1972 because that was lamonica’s last year as a starter and bradshaw’s first blush with greatness.

Also, kind of rare to see a pic of Bradshaw getting a snap from Mansfield and not Webster. Yes, he spent five seasons with Mansfield, but he and Webster are sort of attached at the hip in nfl lore.

 

Have one of those for the Super Bowls, one through 14, I need to read it again to see if I can choose the best plays. Because like you, I only did the same plays over and over again.