From Homeless to Hero, My Journeys on and off the Field

I’m a huge Packer fan. No matter where I am in the world, I try to watch every game live—even if that means waking up at 2am and finding some Russian sports-streaming service that doesn’t promise not to infect my computer with bugs.

My growing up years were spent with the likes of Don Majkowski and sadness, but then came Brett Favre, and the new, seemingly endless era of top-notch football began. In 1999, Donald Driver was drafted onto the squad, and he would become one of Green Bay’s all-time greatest receivers, bridging the gap between Favre and Rodgers and taking part in the 2010 Super Bowl Season.

This book is about that run and those dreams-come-true, but football is only part of what drives Donald Driver. His story is bookended with other, hard-to-believe realities that make this guy’s story all the more interesting.

Donald Driver’s childhood was (according the notes I wrote in the margins of the early chapters) “atrocious.” His father, absent from very early on, was deeply involved in the drug-infested underbelly of Houston, TX, and Donald was quick to join in the trade. Starting out as just a scout for his drug-dealing buddies, he soon invested his time and finances in the same dirty business, though like any wise dealer, he never partook of the goods himself.

His mother longed for stability in the home, and she had men come and go. Sam, the only real father-figure Donald ever knew, wasn’t all that gentle himself, and their relationship (and growing family) soon fell apart. Then Tom entered the picture, a liar and con artist who feigned wealth and prestige all for Mrs. Driver’s bed and home. His failed promises and dishonesty soon landed the whole family in the back of a U-Haul truck, homeless and confused.

Donald eventually moved in with his grandparents and began to excel in both school and sports. His grandfather couldn’t have cared less about his physical abilities but forced the boy to study for better grades. Donald eventually landed a scholarship in college, but never quit studying—and also never quite left the drug-dealing scene…that is, until he met Tina, his future wife, whose love came with an ultimatum.

Fast forwarding through their marriage, Donald’s draft into the NFL, and his long carrier as a star wide receiver, the book ends with his next stage of stardom which came when he and his dance partner won the season-long contest, Dancing with the Stars. Of that moment (which I watched on YouTube…and laughed), Donald said it was more exciting even than winning the 2010 Super Bowl. This section was interesting, but I’ve gotta say, there were some passages where I just had to laugh. For example:

When I did the waltz, I was sexy as h—, and we scored very well. When I did the cha-cha, I took off my vest and threw it to Carrie Ann, giving Bruno just what he wanted. I danced bare-chested, showing off my tattoos, and he was smitten. (240)

I wrote in my notes: “What the heck am I reading!?”

Driver speaks often about his belief in God and he said early on during his drug days, “I am a Baptist” (46), yet he never goes into depth about his faith in the book. He’s a family man, for sure. The guy shares all his financial earnings with family (siblings included), which is exemplary, and while he may not be a great writer, he certainly seems like he’s got a lot to offer. By the end of the book, though, he seems so drunk on stardom that he’s not sure where his great talents will take him next. In all honesty, the book somehow felt like one of those quick memoirs someone writes before running for political office. (Has he done that yet?)

I enjoyed the book for its drive down Green Bay’s memory lane and for what Driver shared about his difficult childhood. At one point he writes that he “never felt the sting of racism” (10), which is awesome and something our CRT-loving society needs to hear today. Even if the racism was present, Donald Driver never noticed it, never let it sink in or weigh him down.

He’s a role model as an athlete, father and husband—and speaking of which, if you want to read a powerful love letter from Donald to his wife, read pages 231-232 and his promise never to cheat on her! Pretty heavy stuff! I can’t see this book getting much traction outside the world Packer fans (or the far-lesser fans of Dancing with the Stars). Still it was a pretty informative read.

©2021 E.T.

Read More Football Books:

• In the Trenches: The Autobiography by Reggie White (1997)
• The LeRoy Butler Story by LeRoy Butler and James J. Keller (2003)
• Playing for Pizza by John Grisham (2007)
• The Two-Minute Drill to Manhood by John Croyle (2013)
• Driven by Donald Driver (2013)
• Gunslinger by Jeff Pearlman (2016)