The First Authorized Biography of the Young Football Legend Whose Spirit Captivated Our Country: Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football
New York, New York, July 21, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Lucinda Literary is pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football (University of Texas Press; September 1st, 2015; $24.95; ISBN: 978-1477308219) the first authorized biography of the legendary University of Texas star, Freddie Steinmark. In 1969, two days after “The Game of The Century,” a come-from-behind victory against Arkansas that ensured Texas and Coach Darrell Royal the national championship, Freddie went to the doctor concerned about a pain in his left thigh. A biopsy revealed it to be osteosarcoma. Freddie’s leg was urgently amputated.
What Freddie endured during the Longhorns’ memorable 1969 season, and what he encountered afterward, captivated not only Texans but the country at large. Americans watched closely as Steinmark confronted life’s ultimate challenge, and his openness during his battle against savage odds helped reframe the national conversation surrounding cancer and the ongoing race for a cure.
"When we measure by the passion and purpose displayed on the pages of this book, the story of Freddie Steinmark will never go away."
Jeffrey Marx,, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the New York Times Bestseller Season of Life
Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football is the first authorized account of Freddie’s life written with complete access to the Steinmark family and their archives. Biographers Thomas Cryan and Bower Yousse, Freddie’s close friend, have crafted a compelling, insider’s account of Freddie’s life and the enormous challenges he faced. Yousse and Cryan weave a journalistic fabric rich with history and insight, taking the reader through Freddie’s world of family, faith, and athletics, his tenure as a patient, and eventually his role as spokesperson for the American Cancer Society, during which time he inspired President Nixon to promote and sign into Law the National Cancer Act and begin our nation’s “War on Cancer.”
Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football coincides with the major motion picture, “My All American,” starring Aaron Eckhart and Finn Wittrock. The film, presented by Anthem Productions and Executive Producer Ben “Bud” Brigham in conjunction with Paul Schiff Productions will receive a wide national release on October 9, 2015. Said Brigham: “We entered into a set of agreements between our subsidiary, My All American, LLC, and Yousse, Cryan, and the Steinmark Family, where the family granted their life rights and created the authorized biography while we produced the movie.” Brigham continued, “We are extremely excited to tell the world Freddie’s story. Freddie’s selfless commitment, his faith, his grace under fire, and his heart are attributes every individual can aspire to achieve.”
Both the book and the movie will offer audiences the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in Freddie’s powerful story: on the page in September, and on the big screen in October. In total, readers and viewers will be offered an unprecedented understanding of a young man as he faced his own mortality with integrity and dignity.
Christine Plonsky, Texas women's athletics director and executive senior associate director, said "Freddie and his courageous story are part of the tradition of the University and Texas Athletics. Freddie is part of the very heart of our institution. For the nation to now more fully understand his significance and essence, through this book and this movie, is exciting. We appreciate the Steinmark family allowing everyone to learn of Freddie's personal story -- and his legacy.”
For more information about the biography or Bower Yousse and Thomas Cryan, or for press inquiries for the Steinmark family and the authors, please contact Melissa Golebiowski, Lucinda Literary at (732) 977-7827 / (646) 844-2161. For more information about the film My All American, please contact Claire Heath at (310) 691-8155.
About the Authors
Bower Yousse is the co-author of Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football. A close friend and teammate of Freddie Steinmark as a young boy and teenager, Bower Yousse is a former award-winning creative executive with Young & Rubicam and other advertising agencies. Outside of the advertising industry, Bower is a successful freelance copywriter and producer. He has written several screenplays, magazine articles, and novel-to-screenplay adaptations.
Thomas J. Cryan is the co-author of Freddie Steinmark: Faith, Family, Football and the author of The Next Paradigm: Common Sense for this Generation and 3 Principles. Cryan is a media executive and entrepreneur who has founded, invested in, and served on numerous boards within multimedia content.
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Contact: Melissa Golebiowski
(732) 977-7827 / (646) 844-2161