A Few Seconds of Panic

A Few Seconds of Panic
AuthorStefan Fatsis
LanguageEnglish
GenreSportswriting
Published2008
Publication placeUnited States

A Few Seconds of Panic is a nonfiction first-person narrative by Stefan Fatsis, published in 2008. The book chronicles Fatsis, a professional 43-year-old sportswriter working for The Wall Street Journal, and his attempt to play in the National Football League.[1] Along the way, he relates the personal stories and struggles that professional football players face in the league.[2] After some setbacks, Fatsis eventually finds some success as a backup placekicker for the Denver Broncos.[3][4][5] The book's title comes from Jason Elam's description of being a kicker as "hours and hours of boredom surrounded by a few seconds of panic."[6]

A Few Seconds of Panic has been compared to George Plimpton's Paper Lion, a 1966 book wherein the author joins the Detroit Lions as a backup quarterback.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "Sportswriter Puts NFL Dream Into Action". NPR. 2008-07-15. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  2. ^ Elejalde, Alexia. "Featured Articles From The Chicago Tribune". Archives.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  3. ^ "Dove Valley Days: Aug. 8". The Denver Post. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  4. ^ "Uprights Citizen – ESPN The Magazine". ESPN. 2011-04-04. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  5. ^ "Chat with author Stefan Fatsis". SportsNation – ESPN. Espn.go.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  6. ^ Contact Leitch: Comment (2007-09-10). "Inside Jason Elam's Incredible Kick". Deadspin.com. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  7. ^ "Stefan Fatsis: Inside a Player's Mind | People & Politics". Washingtonian. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  8. ^ "A few seconds of panic: a journalist's experience of high-performance sport". The Sports Factor – ABC Radio National (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Abc.net.au. 2009-01-23. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
  9. ^ Watson, Tom (2008-07-03). "A Few Seconds of Panic: A 5-foot-8, 170-pound, 43-year-old Sportswriter Plays in the NFL". Bookreporter.com. Retrieved 2012-08-16.