Ocho Cinco
What Football and Life Have Thrown My Way
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
The moment I walked out of that tunnel that first time I was in the NFL and saw that 70,000 people, I said, "This is me, this is mine, this is what I was meant to do." Some people get scared that first time. Me? Scared my ass. I was loving it.
NFL superstar Chad Ochocinco is one of the most feared weapons in football, having amassed six consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons and made it to five straight Pro Bowls. And he does things his way–always big, always fun, always outrageous.
Take Ochocinco’s extravagant touchdown celebrations: performing the Riverdance jig, mock-proposing to a cheerleader, tossing presents into the crowd on Christmas Eve, performing CPR on the football, putting on a gold sport coat that says "Future Hall of Famer." Or his sense of style: the blond Mohawk, the gold teeth, the nude photo shoot for a sports magazine. Or his trash-talking: People tell me I have to tone it down. Man, do you know what I’ve been through to get here? You’re going to tell me to stop having fun? Sorry, it’s not happening. Or his unabashed self-confidence: I got six paintings of myself in the living room of my town house in Cincinnati. Why? Because I love me. I’m great and I know it.
In Ocho Cinco, Chad offers his blunt take on his life and career and on the bizarre game–and business–of football. He takes us back to his days growing up in a poor, dangerous section of Miami, where he was raised by his stern grandmother: You want to know how I turned out like this? Don’t talk to me, talk to my grandmom. A high school quarterback, he went to two junior colleges before landing for a single year at Oregon State. From there he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals, a team he eventually helped lead to the playoffs for the first time in fifteen years.
Ochocinco reveals what really goes on in the locker room, on the field, and in the clubs where so many of his fellow athletes get in trouble. He talks about fights with teammates, coaches, and owners. He offers his honest observations on drugs, cheating, and women: You get all this money and you get all these women at your disposal. . . . You’re going to do your thing, trust me. You’re going to do it. And he deals frankly with his reputation as a malcontent and drama king: People want to be entertained, but the minute you open up about it and have some fun, they bash you for it. They want you to play inside this little box, and if you ever dare step outside this little box you’re in trouble. Well, there is no box for me. I am completely out of the box.
Ocho Cinco gives fans a rare inside look at pro football, presented by a singular athlete who’s not afraid to speak his mind: What I do may be funny, but nothing I do is a joke.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cincinnati Bengals' Johnson has been one of the most successful and popular receivers in the NFL this decade, and he's not shy about letting anyone know in this brash autobiography. In the first few pages, Johnson who legally changed his name to Ocho Cinco says the NFL isn't going to hear what he has to say in his book, and with his pull-no-punches style, he's probably right. Johnson does talk about his tough upbringing in South Florida and living much of his life without his parents, but most of the space is used for opinions on any and all football-related subjects. Among them, Johnson says that his team's owner doesn't know what it takes to win, and relates his admiration of other coaches in the league. But of course, the main topic throughout is Johnson, who boasts that he can't be stopped on the football field, could beat Michael Phelps in a swimming race and would be involved in illegal activities if not for the NFL. Old-school football fans are certain to be turned off by Johnson's self-promotion and braggadocio in one of the book's chapters he refers to himself as a "marketing genius." But much like his extensive touchdown celebrations (which he is all too happy to recap in great detail), the receiver insists "it's about having fun, entertaining people." For those fans who enjoy a good mix of style and substance, Johnson provides it in abundance.
Customer Reviews
Love this book
Great book. I love how he just writes his thoughts like this. It's an amazing book and has many good quotes! I'm not a Bengals fan so I'm not picking favorites as a fan of the team. I'm a fan of his ability to play and makes the game fun which is what he writes about in here. The NFL just needs to understand he isnt hurting anybody with the things he's gotten fined for. I respect him a lot as a athlete but even more now for his ability to be a Good writer he has proved to be!