4th & Goal
One Man’s Quest to Recapture His Dream
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Quotes
“Coach Joe Moglia dared to chase his dreams, and his inspiring true story is both gripping and unforgettable.”
—Jim Nantz, CBS Sports
“No one should ever be ashamed of letting practicality and responsibility take their dreams away. But what an inspiration Joe is to never let his dream die. After reading his story, I remind myself I still have my own unfulfilled dreams to pursue.”
—Steve Young, NFL Hall of Famer
“Usually it takes a game to get us cheering and rooting out loud, but Joe’s story will inspire you to do exactly that. I know I did!”
—Chris Berman, ESPN
“For many of us, coaching football is more than a way of life. It’s a calling. Joe Moglia clearly understands this, and his story is both powerful and inspiring. If you’re a football fan, this is a book you must read.”
—Bill Cowher, legendary coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers
“The story of Joe Moglia is equal parts sports, business, and family. In 4TH AND GOAL, we clearly see that the common denominator is passion, and we end up rooting for Joe as he gets one last shot at his dream.”
—Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Season of Life
“Captivating . . . Burke combines snappy magazine prose with the natural drama of Joe Moglia’s unlikely career arc.”
—Publishers Weekly
Book Description
This is a true story.
As a kid growing up in a rough-and-tumble neighborhood in New York City, Joe Moglia dreamed of someday becoming the head coach of a college football team-not of becoming a corporate titan.
But sometimes, life gets in the way of our dreams. By the time Joe was in his early 30s, he had risen through the high school and college football ranks to become the defensive coordinator at Dartmouth. His dream was very much within reach. Problem was, Joe wasn’t making enough money to support his growing family. Faced with the hard choice between chasing his lifelong dream and supporting his wife and four young kids, Joe did the honorable thing: He walked away from football and went to Wall Street to try to find a job that would foot the bills at home. Joe had no training in finance. He had no MBA. His resume reflected his coaching accomplishments and his teaching jobs. And yet, somehow, through grit and determination, he was able to land an entry-level position at Merrill Lynch.
Fast forward 25 years later. Joe had reached the business world’s mountaintop. He was the CEO of TD Ameritrade, one of the country’s most successful financial firms. He was recognized as one of the most respected corporate chiefs in America.
But over all those years, Joe never shook his passion for coaching football. In 2008, he made a fateful and stunning decision: He voluntarily walked away from his high-paying corporate job to do the one thing he’d left undone in his life. He decided to pursue his original passion for becoming a college football head coach. Getting hired as a college coach proved incredibly difficult. College athletic directors told him it was an impossible feat. He’d been out of football for nearly three decades. Undaunted, and at age 60, Joe became an unpaid intern with the University of Nebraska’s football team in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, he was named the head coach of the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League, a professional league teetering on the brink of financial collapse. It was a risky proposition, but one he felt he needed to take to prove to his naysayers that he could coach a college team. Failure would mean the death of a dream that refused to die. As told by Forbes writer, Monte Burke, 4th & Goal is a detailed account of Joe Moglia’s amazing and uplifting life story, his quest for his ultimate dream and its stunning conclusion. It’s a tale of overcoming adversity…of never giving up…of never losing sight of one’s true goals in life. It is a story, quite literally, of a dream deferred, but never forgotten.
Sowbelly
The Obsessive Quest for the World-Record Largemouth Bass
Accolades
• Named one of the best books of the year by Sports Illustrated and Amazon.com.
• Chosen for Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers program.
Reviews
“An absorbing chronicle.” —The New York Times
“An artful narrative.” —The Wall Street Journal
“Worthy of attention not only of fisherpeople, but anyone intrigued by the extremes of human behavior…Monte Burke is a good and cheerful storyteller.” —National Public Radio
“An epic journey filled with great drama and colorful characters.” —Tom Brokaw
“What Seabiscuit did for thoroughbred racing, Burke’s masterpiece does for the noble art of fishing…Burke has penned an American classic.” —The Tucson Citizen
“It is funny, profane, intuitive, entertaining, and sad…a marvelous snapshot of some intense anglers and a glimpse into the psyche that drives a human being to the extreme.” —The Courier-Journal (Louisville)
“Any sort of passionate and obsessive activity makes for an interesting story and this one is especially brilliant. I read it in one sitting between San Francisco and London.” —Yvon Chouinard, owner, Patagonia, Inc.
Leaper
The Wonderful World of Atlantic Salmon Fishing
Edited by Charles Gaines & Monte Burke
» Buy It on Amazon.com
Accolades
Named one of the best sports books of the year by The (London) Times.
Reviews
“This book will give much pleasure in hours away from the river.” —The Irish Times
