Stefan Fatsis was three months old when George Plimpton trained with the Detroit Lions and wrote about his experience. Football is big business now, so when Fatsis decides to update Plimpton's story, he knows current teams will not allow him to try quarterbacking. Having played soccer, he trains as a field goal kicker with the Denver Broncos.

Fatsis discusses his training, as well as the physical fitness, training, and conditioning of players. With access to owners and manages, he writes in depth about the operation of a modern football team, from coaching to slaries to the draft. He also examines the life of the players around him. The joy of playing evidenced in Plimpton's "Paper Lion" has been replaced by massive anxiety in "A Few Seconds of Panic." The socializing of players has been replaced by vedeogames and headsets. Only for a handful of defensive players is playing football still "fun."

Buzz Bissiner, author of Friday Night Lights, calls this book "a hilarious romp." I felt this was a more accurate description for "Paper Lion" than for this book. "A Few Seconds of Panic" has its amusing moments, but it is a longer, more difficult read than "Paper Lion."

This was a great look at the behind the scenes world of the NFL. The Broncos let Stefan Fatsis behind the scenes as a kicker (he's actually not half bad). It gives a realistic view of what really goes on in the world of football. And by the end, you're really rooting for him to play! ( )

Like George Plimpton, Fatsis puts you in the locker room and on the field with the N.F.L. gladiators. He's a wry and sensitive guide to the rigors of the gladiator culture. His on-field goal is modest - to behave as a professional. He succeeds, but he's even better on the page because he makes you care about these young men who often wilt under the pressure but all the more human for doing so. ( )

This story is in line with George Plimpton’s 1963 book called Paper Lion, where Plimpton was allowed to join the Detroit Lions in training camp. I must say that Fatsis is on point with the aptly named first chapter of his book “I’m No Plimpton”. Although I have yet to read Paper Lion, I have read and enjoyed other Plimpton works. But I digress, A few Seconds of Panic wasn’t all bad. It was a nice behind the scenes view of a football team during its most transitional period; training camp. When he approached the NFL with his idea of a player/reporter they said yes, provided he could find a team willing to bring him onboard. After plenty of rejections, the Denver Bronco’s finally agreed to have Fatsis join their club.

I applaud Fatsis for his fortitude and stay-with-it-ness in preparing himself as a reporter disguised as a genuine place kicker. His attitude and dedication to the kicking craft allowed him to bond with the players around him as if he were just another player vying for a roster spot. This attitude and determination helped bring down the protective barrier of skepticism players usually have towards the media and allowed for some very candid moments with some of the Bronco Players.

The book had its interesting moments but I can’t claim it as a page turner. I think he could have said what he needed to say in about 200 pages, yet the book lingered on for nearly 140 too many. ( )

A few years ago, Stefan Fatsis set out to become a Scrabble champion. Now he is trying to be a player in the National Football League. In A Few Seconds of Panic, Fatsis sets out to be an active participant in a National Football League training camp. Given his physical size, athletic prowess and reconstructed knee, he sees the role of kicker as one that may work for him. Fatsis quotes Jason Elam, the Denver Broncos incumbent kicker during that training camp, describing the role of kicker as "hours and hours of boredom surrounded by a few seconds of panic."

The book is far from boring. If you enjoyed Wordfreak, Fatsis' book on Scrabble, you will also enjoy this book. Even if you are not a football fan. When Fatsis is not competing at Scrabble or football, Fatsis is a sports writer for the Wall Street Journal.
Fatsis convinces the National Football League to let him join a team in training camp as long as he can find a team willing to let him in. This is not an easy task in the very controlling NFL. He finally convinces the Denver Broncos to let him participate in training camp. Fatsis participates in training camp and even suits up for a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the NFL refuses to allow him to participate in the game.

Fatsis tries to make some comparisons between football and Scrabble:

Both great football players and great Scrabble players say that when they're in the proverbial zone, the game decelerates and the instantly see the answer. I, for one, think that's easier to accomplish without the continual threat of being steamrolled by a charging goliath, which is not a major concern in Scrabble.

A Few Seconds of Panic is full of insight to the psyche of a football and football players. It is a great exploration of the psychology of competitive athletes. ( )