Turf Wars

The Fight for the Soul of America's Game

By: DeMaurice Smith

Narrated by: DeMaurice Smith

An NFL insider’s explosive account of the ruthless power struggles between owners and players over the future of football.

During his fourteen years as the head of the NFL Players Association, DeMaurice Smith was a front line advocate for football players through some of the most tumultuous crises in NFL history: Colin Kaepernick’s protests, Deflategate, a lockout, two collective bargaining agreements, and more. But after witnessing the league’s troubling response to discrimination and racial unrest, both within the league and beyond, Smith realized it was time to pull back the curtain and speak truth to power.

Drawing from his years of unprecedented access and unparalleled knowledge of America’s favorite sport, Smith documents his years leading the NFLPA and explains how the NFL distorts the truth, telling partial stories to insulate itself and grow its $20-billion-a-year brand—and the players’ battles to protect themselves.

From contract negotiations to battles over suspensions, Smith shows us how the union fought to protect players from the greed, racism, and dishonesty the league is built on. He also takes readers inside closed-door meetings and unreported conversations and confrontations with the industry’s most powerful figures such as Robert Kraft, Jerry Jones, Tom Brady, and Roger Goodell.

Turf Wars puts every NFL crisis—both familiar and lesser known—within a broader cultural and historical context, framing the league’s extraordinary rise as a mirror to America’s own history. Revelatory and profound, Turf Wars is a book about the soul of football: its degradation, and how to save it.

Critic reviews

“A no-holds-barred look at [Smith’s] tenure at the helm of the labor union . . . Heartlessness was typical, in Smith’s telling, and caused him to view the ‘greedy billionaires’ running the league as ‘the same kinds of people who have traditionally accumulated power in the United States: rich, narcissistic, insecure.’ This insider account hits hard.”—Publishers Weekly

“Depicts an industry awash in bad blood . . . Smith took the job in what looked like a hopeful new era epitomized by Barack Obama’s presidency, but his ‘idealism’ was destroyed by his dealings with the powerful men who run the game. . . . Smith includes memorable glimpses of star players . . . [and] shares fascinating anecdotes about the intrigue surrounding union votes and how some influential players are increasingly susceptible to ‘the misinformation virus.’”—Kirkus Reviews

“With obvious appeal to football fans interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the battles between players and ownership, Smith’s story would benefit anyone looking to work (or play) in the professional sports arena.”—Booklist

Family Legacy, Vulnerability, and Diplomatic Strategy

This was an honor to read. You are a beacon of hope and no doubt have made an impact that will shake the world of leverage, business, and sports for years to come. The Ancestors are more than proud of what you represent every day and thank you for showing what’s behind the scenes of the elite NFL workings

Tales of Survival

Smith's passion is evident in his narration. He is shows great understanding of the machinations of the various forces at work within the NFL. His protection of million dollar players from billion dollar owners takes him on a neverending rollercoaster hell-bent on destroying anyone foolish enough to be the NFLPA's Executive Director.

It's a great read/ listen!

Turf Wars

Brilliant, truthful and timely. De speaks truth to power in this personal account. Read it!

Very insightful

Great book, touched on a lot of personal situations within NFL management , that goes on behind the scenes

Exposing the power elite!

After watching the Shadeur Sanders debacle I wondered how the NFL justified allowing a first round talent fall to the fifth round. Now I see how?