American Kings

About American Kings

Seth Wickersham, ESPN Senior Writer and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Better to be Feared, pulls back the curtain on the most powerful position in all of sports: the Quarterback.

Quarterbacks are the American equivalent of royalty, long glamorized, mythologized and worshiped. But before the Super Bowl trophies, massive contracts, brand deals, and millions of social media followers comes the dream. From the backyard to Pop Warner to high school to college, becoming the ultimate American idol requires single-minded focus while navigating a maze of bad breaks, insecurities, jealousy, pressure, and fame.

Wickersham’s fresh reporting goes deep into that journey — and beyond, measuring the distance between what the men who have done it expected and what they found. Through unprecedented access into the lives of generational greats such as Johnny Unitas, John Elway, Peyton Manning, Warren Moon, Steve Young, Patrick Mahomes, and others, as well as those striving to be remembered, like Caleb Williams and Arch Manning, Wickersham reveals how this one position has become emblematic of success in American life.

An inside look at the drama, demands, sacrifice and glory that comes with playing quarterback, American Kings is a must-read not just for sports fans but for anyone who wants to understand what the quest for achievement and status tells us about the price of ambition.