NFL football star Vernon Davis delves into his astonishing career, from winning Super Bowl 50 in 2016 with the Denver Broncos to reinventing himself as an actor and producer, and recalls the hard-won lessons—including that infamous press conference—that paved his path to success.
INCLUDES AN INTRODUCTION FROM COACH MIKE SINGLETARY
In October 2008, after a San Francisco loss to Seattle, Vernon Davis was put on blast by Coach Mike Singletary in a fiery speech criticizing his “me-myself-and-I attitude.” It proved to be the turning point in Davis’s career, and the inspiration for him to change his mind set and his game plan, as well as his perspective on life and family.
At the time, Davis was a young, talented player drafted by the San Franscisco 49ers in 2006 at number six, one of the highest drafted tight ends in NFL history. He played ten years for the 49ers, including a 2013 Super Bowl loss to the Baltimore Ravens in a 34–31 heartbreaker, where Davis recorded six catches for 104 yards. He later won a Super Bowl in 2016 with Peyton Manning and the Broncos, after nailing a crucial downfield block that sprung teammate C. L. Anderson for a key 34-yard run that helped the Broncos defeat the Carolina Panthers 24–10 for the ring.
Davis retired in 2019 after four final years of playing for his hometown team in Washington, DC. He’s now deeply involved in his new passion for acting and producing. Here, he rewinds his real-life tape to reflect on his youthful beginnings, his career and competitive spirit—and the insights on teamwork, leadership, and responsibility that came in the aftermath of Coach Singletary’s press conference that prompted Davis to transform his football career and his life for the better.
Weaving personal reflections with frank, real-world advice, Playing Ball is an eye-opening story of what winning—on the field and off—is all about.

- 304 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Print ISBN
9781496746573
Subtopic
Personal SuccessTable of contents
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- Introduction - I Was Just Trying to Help Vernon . . .
- Chapter 1 - Jacqueline & Otis
- Chapter 2 - Adaline & Lynwood
- Chapter 3 - Truesdell & Paul
- Chapter 4 - Dunbar Senior High School
- Chapter 5 - University of Maryland
- Chapter 6 - I’m a 49er
- Chapter 7 - “I’m Pregnant”
- Chapter 8 - Coach Said What?
- Chapter 9 - Winning Time in Football and Business
- Chapter 10 - Back at Home
- Chapter 11 - New Passions
- Chapter 12 - The Football Hall of Fame and Beyond
- Acknowledgments
- Notes
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Playing Ball by Vernon Davis in PDF and/or ePUB format. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.