Woodlawn : One Hope. One Dream. One Way. : [the true story that inspired the movie

Now a major motion picture starring Jon Voight, Nic Bishop, and C. Thomas Howell. This riveting true story of courage, strength, and football at the height of racial tension in Birmingham, Alabama tells the story of Coach Tandy Gerelds, his running back Tony Nathan, and a high school football game that healed a city. In the midst of violent, impassioned racial tensions in Birmingham, Alabama, new football coach, Tandy Gerelds, was struggling to create a winning football team at Woodlawn High School—one of the last schools in Birmingham to integrate. The team he was handed did not have the caliber of players he needed to win—until he saw Tony Nathan run. But Tony was African American and Coach Gerelds knew that putting him in as running back would be like drawing a target on his own back and the back of his soon-to-be star player. But Coach Gerelds saw something in Tony, and he knew that his decision to let him play was about more than football. It was about doing what was right for the school—and the city. And soon, the only place in the city where blacks and whites got along was on Coach Gerelds's football team. With the help of a new school chaplain, Tony learned to look beyond himself and realized that there was more at stake than winning a game. In 1974, Coach Gerelds's interracial team made Alabama history drawing 42,000 fans into the stadium to watch them play. It was this game that triggered the unity and support of the Woodlawn High School Colonels and that finally allowed a city to heal and taught its citizens how to love. This riveting true story of courage, strength, and football at the height of racial tension in Birmingham, Alabama, inspired the motion picture Woodlawn, and tells the story of Coach Tandy Gerelds, his running back Tony Nathan, and a high school football game that healed a city. Woodlawn is soon to be a major motion picture starring Jon Voight, Nic Bishop, and C. Thomas Howell. In the midst of violent, impassioned racial tensions in Birmingham, Alabama, new football coach, Tandy Gerelds, was struggling to create a winning football team at Woodlawn High School'one of the last schools in Birmingham to integrate. The team he was handed did not have the caliber of players he needed to win'until he saw Tony Nathan run. But Tony was African American and Coach Gerelds knew that putting him in as running back would be like drawing a target on his own back and the back of his soon-to-be star player. But Coach Gerelds saw something in Tony, and he knew that his decision to let him play was about more than football. It was about doing what was right for the school'and the city. And soon, the only place in the city where blacks and whites got along was on Coach Gerelds's football team. With the help of a new school chaplain, Tony learned to look beyond himself and realized that there was more at stake than winning a game. In 1974, Coach Gerelds's interracial team made Alabama history drawing 42,000 fans into the stadium to watch them play. It was this game that triggered the unity and support of the Woodlawn High School Colonels and that finally allowed a city to heal and taught its citizens how to love In the midst of violent racial tensions in Birmingham, Alabama, new football coach Tandy Gerelds was struggling to create a winning football team at Woodlawn High School-- one of the last schools in Birmingham to integrate. The team did not have the caliber of players he needed to win-- until he saw Tony Nathan run. Tony was African American, and putting him in would be like drawing a target on both their backs. But Gerelds knew his decision was about more than football-- it was about doing what was right for the school ... and the city Foreword by Bobby Bowden Preface by Todd Gerelds 1. Bombingham 2. Integration 3. The Coach 4. The Evangelist 5. The Revival 6. The Chaplain 7. "Chicken Big" 8. 1973 Season 9. 1974 Season 10. Tony vs. Jeff 11. The Voice 12. Champions Epilogue. Inspirational and uplifting this is the behind-the-scenes look at the life and career of Tandy Gerelds, it is a story of how faith, teamwork, and purpose can heal a divided community "The true story of high school football coach Tandy Gerelds, a star running back, and the healing of a city"--Page 4 of cover "The true story of high school football coach Tandy Gerelds, a star running back, and the healing of a city"--Back cover