Tampa Bay Bucs coach John Gruden will sign copies of his recently published book at the Carrollwood Barnes & Noble on Sunday.
By STEPHANIE HAYES
Published September 26, 2003
CARROLLWOOD - Macedonia had Alexander. England had Churchill. Tampa Bay has Gruden.
The fair-haired leader of Tampa's pigskin battalion will make an appearance at Barnes & Noble in Carrollwood on Sunday to sign copies of his recent literary foray, Do You Love Football? Winning with Heart, Passion & Not Much Sleep.
"We are expecting a pretty big crowd. There are a lot of fans out there," said Barnes & Noble Carrollwood general manager Dominique Kersey.
Gruden's book was co-written with NFL.com national editor Vic Carucci, who has also written alongside NFL members including Jim Kelly, Wayne Chrebet and Conrad Dobler, according to Amazon.com.
Do You Love Football?, released Sept. 16, chronicles Gruden's journey to become the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. Gruden recounts his athletic upbringing, his transition to coaching, his experiences with the Oakland Raiders and victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"I have already purchased my copy," said Kersey.
Barnes & Noble Carrollwood, close to Gruden's home, is the only scheduled stop for book promotion.
Starting at 9 a.m., associates will distribute wristbands to guests, who will then join the line. Guests are encouraged to come in pairs, so that one person can hold the line and the other can move about. Guests are also warned that coming too late might mean missing out, due to the length of the lines. Security guards will be on hand to keep prohibited memorabilia autograph seekers at bay, as Gruden will only have time to sign his book.
Kersey says that response to Gruden's appearance has been "tremendous."
"The community and staff are very excited," she said.
Jon Gruden will sign copies of Do You Love Football? Winning with Heart, Passion, & Not Much Sleep from 1-3 p.m. Sunday at Barnes and Noble Carrollwood, 11802 N Dale Mabry Highway. Employees will hand out wristbands to get in line starting at 9 a.m. The book is available for purchase at the store, $24.95. Call 962-6446.
