I recently ran into an old friend, Gary D’Amato of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. In catching up, he told me about a book he did last fall with Chester Marcol.

Marcol was a former Green Bay Packers kicker. He was excellent in his prime, but his career ended abruptly at the age of 31. Turns out there was a reason: Marcol abused drugs and alcohol.

In fact, reading Alive and Kicking: My Journey through Football, Addiction and Life, you wonder how Marcol managed to survive to help write the book. It truly is a harrowing tale about his struggle to overcome his addiction.

Powerful stuff.

Here’s a link that features an interview with Marcol.