Turf Wars

A scathing exposé of how NFL owners and coaches protect their brand by keeping secrets, manipulating the truth, and bullying their own workforce-based on the firsthand experience of the former executive director of the NFL Players Association

"The NFL isn't a break from the realities of America's ills. It's a reflection of them." As the former executive director of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith has advocated for football players through some of the most tumultuous crises in league history. From the 2011 lockout to the fallout of Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem, from the pandemic to the league's response to the widespread uprisings after the police killing of George Floyd, Smith navigated through a series of legal and political battles. It wasn't until October 2021, when former coach John Gruden's leaked racist emails mentioned Smith by name, that he decided it was time to burn it down. With unprecedented access and unparalleled knowledge of players, coaches, and owners, DeMaurice Smith documents his twelve years leading the NFLPA, explaining how the National Football League manipulates its workforce, tells partial stories and protects its own brand at the expense of players and consumers.

DeMaurice Smith is the former executive director of the National Football League Players Association. Prior to the NFLPA, Smith was an assistant United States attorney, counsel to the US deputy attorney general, and a partner in major law firms. Smith is currently a law and business professor in residence.

• Publisher: Random House
  
• Publish Date: June 10, 2025
  
• Pages: 320
  
• Dimensions: 1.25 pounds
  
• Language: English
  
• Type: Hardcover
  
• EAN/UPC: 9780593729427
  
• BISAC Categories: Industries - Entertainment, Football, Labor - Unions