Ex-Football Great Still a Giant Off the Gridiron

Bookends in Ridgewood has had no shortage of celebrity athlete book signings over the years, but Leonard Marshall may have just sacked them all.

Marshall, the author of "When the Cheering Stops: Bill Parcels, the 1990 Giants, and the Price of Greatness," certainly discussed the Giants' banner 1990 championship season and for many players, its aftermath in a recent appearance. But he spent just as much time pushing another idea: there's far more to life than football.

Marshall has dedicated much of his time to philanthropy, charity and teaching since hanging up the cleats in the mid 1990s. He now coaches the Hudson Catholic High School football team in Jersey City and helps inner-city youth get the kind of experience that he was fortunate enough to have as a young man growing up in Louisiana.

At Bookends, fans from near and far came out to greet the former Giants defensive end, and they caught a sneak preview of some of the book if they hadn't had the chance to read it all themselves. 

"This was a unique opportunity to write a book," said Marshall.  "It really is a story to be told."

The smiling giant told the crowd that his book chronicles the things he saw as a Giant, though the angle may be a bit different than you'd expect. It's not about the statistics, per se. According to Marshall, there's yet to be a story about the Giants like the one he's written. The book, 2½ years in the making, is a first-hand account about the human element of sport. They may have been Giants, but they were still mere men.

"This story focuses on when a player goes into transition and gets out of the game," said Marshall. "Players perform at such a high level that they become glorified heroes. But this book reminds us all that they are still humans."

"When the Cheering Stops" chronicles the player afterlife, so to speak. Marshall explains that the book covers many "issues that are usually swept under the rug for a long time." The book delves into how the players struggle to adjust to a life without specific direction and guidance, a life they're unfamiliar with.

What does a man do after he's worked his entire life toward the one goal of playing professional football? What happens when that's over? What else is he qualified to do? Beyond that, players' bodies are battered by the extreme physical toll and have poor medical benefits. Worse, many are also unable to stay afloat financially after years of making six-to-seven figures.

Marshall has avoided many of the usual pitfalls. In addition to his philanthropy and coaching, the former Pro Bowl defensive end is a successful entrepreneur, as well. He's developed an apparel company, works as a financial consultant, ran a mortgage business and has taught sports management at Seton Hall.

But for fans, most were just excited to see the gridiron great in person, to share an obvious camaraderie in reading and of course, football.

"I love the Giants," said Ryan Smith, 12, of Paterson. "I really like to read, and one of my favorite hobbies is drawing Giants players."

Smith's mother drove him all the way to the signing so that he could get a signed book and present Marshall with a drawing he has made of the athlete.  

Others came from even further. Phil Carrino made the journey from Hershey, Pa., with his own pictures. Carrino brimmed with excitement to see the Giants player he had once known some 20 years earlier. Back in the 1980s they had worked together at a promotion, and Carrino planned on showing him a few photos as a reminder. 

When it was Carrino's turn to talk with Marshall, the mammoth man gave him a big smile and thanked Carrino for bringing him a piece of memorabilia of his own.  

"Giving back is much deeper than anything else you can do," Marshall said.