Adam Jones, Author of Rose Bowl Dreams: a Memoir of Faith, Family, and Football

A Conversation with Adam Jones, Author of Rose Bowl Dreams: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Football

ose Bowl Dreams: A Memoir R of Faith, Family, and Foot- ball, by Adam Jones, hit bookshelves throughout the country in summer 2008, just before the start of the football season—a season with great promise for the many Texas Longhorn fans who have been hoping for a repeat of their journey to the national championship title led by Vince Young in 2005-06. Rose Bowl Dreams, with game-day details of some of the most memorable, and some not-so-memorable games, captures the emotion surrounding the Texas Longhorns and their loyal fans. As the title implies, however, Rose Bowl Dreams is more than a jour- nalistic recounting of the victories and defeats that the 'Horns have endured over the many years that Jones has followed them. ose Bowl Dreams describes an R intergenerational phenomenon— how a common thread, in this case the love Adam Jones of football, unites a family from generation to generation, through thick and thin, Photo by Chris Carson through illness and good health. I laughed out loud when I read some of the author’s descriptions of his reactions to the bad games, the almost-wons, and the great

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games played by the Longhorns. At the other end of the emotional continuum, his descriptions of difficult family issues such as dealing with the death of loved ones, were poignant and brilliantly written. dam Jones took time to discuss football and Rose Bowl Dreams with A“The Report.” RHL.

ROBERT LEOS: Adam, let’s get about 6’3” and 210-215 pounds, very to the really important stuff good speed, adequate arm strength; first: How about those McCoy is a legit NFL prospect. He is Longhorns? Can they make it to not the physical genius of Young (no the national championship one is), but he has the same leader- game this season? ship qualities; McCoy, like VY, never seems to know when he is beaten. ADAM JONES: It will be a long time before Texas fans get over this ROBERT LEOS: I’m really inter- one. To beat the Oklahoma Sooners ested in knowing about the head-to-head and be denied a shot process of writing Rose Bowl at the conference title doesn’t sit well Dreams. Do you literally watch with anyone. The result is that we every game with a notepad and will sit at home and watch a Big 12 pen in hand? The book includes title game between two teams Texas so much detail about so many defeated—both by double digits. A games, Longhorns as well as Missouri upset, of course, might well others, that it would seem in- put Texas right into the national credible to be able to recall such championship game, so hope detail. Tell me about the re- springs eternal in college football! In search that went into the writ- any case, this has been a magical ing. season for a Longhorn squad that ADAM JONES: You have to be most football people thought would vigilant about getting your facts lose three or four games when the straight. College football fans will year began. remind you if it was 3rd and seven ROBERT LEOS: How would you and you wrote that it was 2nd and compare Colt McCoy and Vince nine—they are a tough lot. I have a Young if you were forced to do remarkable memory for football so? games, but I back all of it up with ADAM JONES: I wrote in my col- research. The best original source umn earlier this year that McCoy is documents are the drive charts that the Texas fan ideal: almost a perfect UT keeps for every football game. amalgamation of Vince Young and The internet also allows you to dial Major Applewhite. He has the up almost any play you want, in re- “coach’s kid,” field general, intangi- cent history anyway. I watched and ble qualities of Applewhite, but he’s re-watched, at various speeds, the th and 18 es- a far better athlete. For starters, he’s famous Vince Young 4

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cape at Kansas in 2004; it’s still one Education Agency allowed me of the most stunning displays of to use the Internet)? athleticism anyone has ever pulled ADAM JONES: It started in 1995 off. as an e-mail among five graduate ROBERT LEOS: At what point school friends. We were from di- did you begin to see how faith, verse areas of the country and had family, and football were so gone to school in different places. intertwined in your life? And, When we scattered after gradua- when did you say to yourself, tion, Jones Top Ten was my “Adam, I think there’s a book means to kick it around with friends here”? about the college football season. Five friends became a dozen, a ADAM JONES: Football and fam- dozen became a hundred, then, as ily were interwined immediately: as the internet took off, the weekly soon as I was old enough to go to piece found its way to message games with my mom and dad and boards and I bought my own do- my grandparents to see the West main name. It’s always been free Texas State (now A&M) Buffaloes and it’s always been fun. When it play. The faith angle comes over quits being fun, I’ll stop! time. People put their faith in all kinds of things and college football ROBERT LEOS: You obviously has an emotional hold that other have some incredible time sports don’t have. I say in the book management skills: You’ve that if you lose a heartbreaker in written Rose Bowl Dreams, you college football, your heart really maintain the Internet site: breaks. Probably in about 2003, af- www.jonestopten.com, you go ter my mom died, I started to think to football games, have speak- about a fan’s memoir, using college ing and book signing engage- football as a frame to talk about ments, you are raising a family, other things: joy, loss, redemption all while effectively serving as and, as I grew older, being a dad. Deputy Commissioner for the Texas Education Agency, an in- ROBERT LEOS: You created credibly important position. and maintain “Jones Top Ten. With the 2009 legislative ses- The Truth About College Foot- sion almost on us, I see you ei- ball Since 1995.” (Readers see ther curtailing some of the ac- www.jonestopten.com). Sounds like you’re having fun with it tivities or living on a lot less but I note that you occasionally sleep. Which will it be? veer outside of the realm of Oh, if you will continue all ac- college football. Did you create tivities during the session, this site at the time Internet use when will you be offering exploded or has it been around “Jones Time Management since before then (I can’t re- Seminars” so that I can partici- member when the Texas pate?

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ADAM JONES: The fall is always ment on? tougher than the spring. People ask ADAM JONES: No. I think the next why I don’t write about college bas- project will come to me. The writing ketball and I always say “too many is the easy part, actually getting the games.” Once the college football work to market is much more tax- season ends, the Legislature will ing, to me, anyway. It wouldn’t sur- have my full attention. I don’t ever prise me if I mined some of the same think of it as time management as literary territory about the inter- much as I think of it as pursuing section between sports and faith. I’d passions. I had to write Rose Bowl love to write about basketball, a Dreams; it was part of who I am. sport I actually played, someday. That meant late nights and early mornings and two full weeks I took ROBERT LEOS: Thanks so off from work to write—lots of much for agreeing to this Q and missed family vacations. It also A. Best wishes for great success takes an incredibly supportive wife! with the book and your many other activities. ROBERT LEOS: Are there other books in the works at this time that you would care to com-

Rose Bowl Dreams: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Football By Adam Jones was published in 2008 by St. Martin’s Press. New York, New York.

Contact your local or online bookseller.