After guiding his UCLA Bruins to an upset victory over Ohio State in the 1975 Rose Bowl, Dick Vermeil accepted the challenge of a lifetime: turning around the moribund Philadelphia Eagles, an NFL franchise that hadn't reached the playoffs since 1960. He was determined to succeed the only way he knew how: by working longer and harder than any of his competitors.

In Vermeil's fifth season, the Eagles reached the Super Bowl. Two years later he was out of football, overcome by a grueling, self-imposed work schedule that wreaked havoc on his emotions.

Had Dick Vermeil's career ended there, his life would still be remarkable. The fact that it was only just beginning has made him a legend to millions of football fans across the country.

In Dick Vermeil: Whistle in His Mouth, Heart on His Sleeve, longtime sports columnist and reporter Gordon Forbes has written the first comprehensive biography of this coaching legend. From his days as a star athlete at Calistoga High School in California, Vermeil was driven to succeed, a trait that helped him turn around the Eagles, win his first elusive Super Bowl years later with the St. Louis Rams, and compelled him to come out of a retirement for a second time to lead the Kansas City Chiefs. All the accolades and success came at a price, however, as the 20-hour workdays often left Vermeil exhausted both physically and mentally.

Dick Vermeil is an inspiring, enlightening, and often poignant look back at the life of one of the game's greatest coaches.