| Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey to Integration at Auburn University 10-Year Anniver Edition Contributor(s): Gossom, Thom, Jr. (Author) |
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ISBN: 0989086518 ISBN-13: 9780989086516 Publisher: Best Gurl, Inc OUR PRICE: $19.80 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 2008 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Cultural, Ethnic & Regional - African American & Black - Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs - Biography & Autobiography | Sports |
| Physical Information: 0.81" H x 6" W x 9" (1.31 lbs) 290 pages |
| Themes: - Ethnic Orientation - African American |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: What are the odds of... ...a high school athlete playing his first organized football game in 11th grade and walking-on to a Southeastern conference collegiate program and earning a scholarship in his first year... becoming one of two African Americans on the team... and a three-year starter... ... that same young man enduring the trials of being a racial pioneer and the first black athlete to graduate from Auburn University in the deep south, so that he does not go back for 18 years... ...that little black boy who grew up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama becoming the Chairman of the Auburn University Foundation Board and leading the campaign to raise $1 billion for his alma mater... Thom Gossom Jr. is that man and Walk-On is his story. A journey that began in segregated Birmingham, Alabama in 1952 and is still being written today. |
Contributor Bio(s): Gossom, Jr. Thom: - Thomas (Thom) Gossom, Jr. is a renaissance man in love with life. "I make the most of every day." Gossom is an actor, writer, speaker, and communications consultant. He received his Bachelor of Arts in communication from Auburn University in 1975. A starting wide receiver for the Tigers, from 1972-1974, Gossom was the first black athlete to graduate from Auburn University and is featured in the HBO special, Breaking the Huddle, about the integration of Southern College Football. Gossom received his MA in Communications from the University of Montevallo and began his career with AT&T/BellSouth where he served on the staff of the President of BellSouth Services. He and his wife joyce are owners of Best Gurl, inc. a unique multi-platform company committed to all forms of effective communication. They are supporters of higher education, libraries and literacy. Through 2016, Gossom served as the Chair of the Auburn University Foundation Board where he oversaw the successful Billion Dollar Campaign. He currently serves as a Director on the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation. As an actor, Gossom has starred in films including Fight Club, and Jeepers Creepers 2 and Miss Ever's Boys. On television he has been seen in The Quad, Love Is..., CSI, Boston Legal, and In the Heat Of The Night. Gossom's writing credits include his published memoir, Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey to Integration at Auburn University and his, Slice Of Life, short story collection. Motivational, funny, and insightful, Gossom is a frequent speaker for businesses, universities, corporations, and civic organizations. |