Game Changer

 Greenwald, Tommy. Game Changer. 2018. 304p. ISBN 9781419731433. Available at FIC GRE on the library shelves.

As an incoming freshman, Edward Youngblood is the best football player his age. Teddy plays the tailback position, and is big and quick. He looks forward to joining the Wildcats, the town's football team. On the last day of the summer training camp, freshmen do a full scrimmage coached by the seniors, and during that event, they participate in the hit parade. The goal is simple. Each freshman must lay waste to another player, and the longer it takes for them to get up the field, the higher they will rank. The best hit will earn the hit parade champion Wildcat helmet.

During the hit parade, Teddy is blasted by a direct helmet to helmet hit, and he collapses on the ground. After managing to get back up, Teddy passes out on his way to the exit, and is taken to the hospital. He finds himself in a coma, while his whole team and the town cheers for him to get better. However, what really happened on that Friday remains shady. 

Told through text messages, social media posts, conversations transcript records, and medical files, Teddy's tragedy is explored and examined. The violence that plagues football, hazing, and a male code of silence pervades this story. Though there is actually no sports game detailed in Game Changer, fans of sports will enjoy this dark side of football and will appreciate Teddy's road to recovery.