We Took Names by Jeffrey G Rooney

We Took Names by Jeffrey G Rooney

The true story of friends and football, and how the two made them the best.

Follow the real five-year journey of a football player and the bond he developed with his teammates and coaches. This inspiring story details the wild times they shared in their quest to be the best and how they became one of the top football teams in California and in the country. They were from a small Air Force school, and the bond they had as brothers made them unstoppable as teammates.

From ages 13 to 18 they ruled the gridiron as No Names. They won 45 games, lost 4, and tied 2. They had three undefeated seasons.

A revealing, emotional, fun-filled memoir gives a firsthand account and a behind the facemask visual how they became champions; and a heartwarming comeback of a high school football player who wanted to share the field with his friends one last time.

Football is a violent sport. The author, Jeff Rooney, learned that the hard way after being knocked unconscious, for three hours, from a hit during a game. He returned the next season, wearing a special helmet, to co-lead his team in their quest for the championship.

Pictures throughout this 512 page book give life to their incredible journey.

Thirty years after our championship season we returned to Vanden High School for our first reunion. Photos from that reunion are in the book. The book also contains quotes from some coaches and players and 'Where are they now?' There are 300 plus images: consisting of newspaper article photos, headlines, and quotes, plus personal and game photos and more.

Jeff Rooney was a passionate football fan who formed lifelong friendships with his teammates and coaches. He was knocked unconscious for three hours during a game and suffered a significant concussion. That season, he was unable to play again. In his final season, he returned to co-lead the 1984 Vanden Vikings to a 12-0 record and the Sac-Joaquin Section title. In five years, the teams he was a part of had 45 wins, four losses, and two draws, with three undefeated seasons. He chose to write the book We Took Names: The Time of Vikings, Friends, and Family, three decades after he last stepped off the field, to relate the journey that made them champions and to rescue their narrative from the dustbin of history, so his friends and coaches would never be forgotten.