Winning in the Trenches: A Lifetime of Football

by Forrest Gregg, Andrew O'Toole

Winning in the Trenches is a fascinating glimpse of a bygone era in professional football from one of the players who epitomized it. With candor, insight, and love for the game, Forrest Gregg takes the reader through a playing career that began in 1956 with the Green Bay Packers and ended, 188 consecutive games later, with the Dallas Cowboys in 1971. Colorful stories of the Lombardi years show how the famed coach turned the dismal Packers into the most dominant team in the sport, despite playing in the toughest division in football. Later chapters chronicle Gregg’s coaching career, including his four tumultuous years as the Packers' head coach, and offer candid yet fair assessments of controversial owners Art Modell and Paul Brown. Gregg covers it all with the directness, honesty, and fairness that make him one of the most admired men ever to play the game.

Genres: Football, Sports, Biography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Forrest Gregg played in the NFL from 1956 to 1971, mostly for the Green Bay Packers, under Vince Lombardi, who called him The finest player I ever coached. He played on three Super Bowl teams, two at Green Bay, one with Dallas. As a head coach, he led the Cincinnati Bengals to a Super Bowl in 1981 and was named the NFL Coach of the Year.

He also coached the NFLs Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers, the Southern Methodist University Mustangs (1989-1990), and the Toronto Argonauts and Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League.

A nine-time Pro Bowl and All-Pro selection, he was selected for the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team. He is well-known for playing in 188 consecutive games from 1956 until 1971, then a league record. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Andrew OToole is the author of seven books, most recently, Paul Brown: the Rise and Fall and Rise Again of Footballs Most Innovative Coach (now available in trade paperback from Clerisy Press) and the acclaimed Sweet William: the Life of Billy Conn. A native of Pittsburgh, OToole resides in Lebanon, Ohio, with his wife, Mickie."

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a world of compromise....Gregg never did...from a hard scrabble youth all the way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame....with a complete cast of legendary characters....Answers the question WHY Coach Lombardi described this Iconic Legend as "THE FINEST PLAYER I EVER COACHED." A winner both on and off the field!!!!

[Luke Hilgers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read of a Packer great. Soft spot in my heart for stories from the teams in the 50-60’s. Also get some insight into the struggles in the 80’s. The book wouldn’t be for everyone but if you love football this sports biography is a solid one and even better if you’re a fan of the Green and Gold.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book that details Forrest's time as a player and coach without hyper focusing on any particular season. Although a Bengals fan, I appreciated learning about his CFL and college coaching experiences. Coach Gregg wasn't ashamed to admit his coaching mistakes. When relaying a successful anecdote, he does so without appearing to be full of himself.

[Chuck Van Horne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of choppy. Easy Read.