Keeping the Faith: In the Trenches with College Football's Worst Team

by Shawn Fury

Book Overview

An account of a year in the life of the 2004 Trinity Bible College Lions, the worst college football team in the United States. Off to an atrocious start, losing the first game of the year the Lions... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592287646
• ISBN13: 9781592287642
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 211 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Interesting look at the anatomy of a losing program

Ellendale, North Dakota, is a tiny, rural town just north of the South Dakota border that is home to Trinity Bible College. Trinity Bible College has just a tad over 300 students, making it the smallest 4-year institution of higher learning that fields a collegiate football team. Predictably, the Lions have found success on the field highly elusive. Coming into the 2004 season, the Lions are trying to improve on a winless 2003 campaign that included a 105-0 pasting at the hands of the Rockford Regents. The Lions are so outmanned that many of their players are forced to play both offense and defense in a game, and many of the players have never even played high school football. The head coach's main qualification is that he's a devout Christian who is a huge football fan. He has never been a head coach of any program at any level, and his inexperience shows on every level. Worse, he openly admits he "wasn't brought to the school to win football games.(!)" It's a recipe for disaster, and disaster is what ensues - in epic proportions. The 2004 Lions, while marginally better than their 2003 edition, are still woefully outclassed, outmanned, and outcoached at virtually every facet of the game of football. They routinely lose games by 40 and 50 point margins. They consider it a victory if they escape a game without injury or if they manage to score a touchdown or even get a first down. Throughout the season, the Trinity Lions are lucky to be able to put more than 25 healthy players in uniform, and injuries inevitably take their vicious toll. Personnel problems, however, are the least of the Lions' worries. The head coach, Rusty Bentley, is a loud-talking Texan whose aptitude for coaching (or even leading) is highly suspect. His practices are inconsistent, have no apparent direction, and his instruction to the players is nearly non-existent. The players all look up to assistant coach Slivoskey for their real leadership. This understandably causes tension in the locker room, since few of the players respect Bentley. Some of the players who have played successfully in high school are incredulous at the utter lack of discipline in the squad. Players who miss practice or team meetings are rarely, if ever punished, and Bentley simultaneously shifts blame for the blowout losses and maintains that the players shouldn't be looking to win games but rather preach God's word. While every student and player at Trinity hopes to go on a Christian mission someday, most of the players are astounded that a football coach, any football coach, even a football coach where religion takes priority over everything else, could be so blase about the team's execution and performance on the field. Lack of manpower, lack of talent, lack of coaching, lack of leadership, and lack of discipline. Those are the hallmarks of a losing program, and Trinity had these in spades. This book is a very interesting dissection of just such a season for one unfortunate team.

Mr. J.T.

This book was found by me through a recommendation off this sight. Shawn Fury captures the perseverance provided by coaches and players in trying to achieve "victory" on the field and in life itself. I devour books about sports every year; however, I find this literary work to be one of the better ones I have read. To feel the emotions of these players and coaches fighting a constant state of adversity is admired. The book needs to be publicized more, because it is an extremely interesting and well written book.

Better Than a Quarterback Keeper (Originally Posted September 29, 2005)

Let us pray... Shawn Fury's Keeping the Faith, a fantastic account of a college football team's woes and whines, its victories and values will have you caught up in the characters quicker than a five-yard slant pattern. While Odessa, Texas glitters beneath Friday Night Lights, Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, North Dakota prepares for what will probably be another merciless clubbing by an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference opponent. Challenged by "method-to-the-madness" coaching, "AWOL footballs," and a losing streak as long as the North Dakota horizon, the Lions' football program is a recipe for disaster of epic proportions. But, hallelujah, like Noah trusting God to save him from the Great Flood, the Lions have some semblance of faith, a sense that some good will come from simply staying on board with the program. Encouraged by the team's small (and expanding, thanks to Shawn Fury) fan base, which has the patience of Job, the Lions just may win a game-or at least a shred of dignity-even if it's against a struggling Christian Scientist team. Buy the book, today. Amen!

"Moral victories amidst defeat"

As a resident of Ellendale, ND, the home of the college football team that's been ranked 697th out of 697 for years, I can attest that the picture painted in "Keeping the Faith" is so accurate, it's frightening. Most sports novels focus on a team's rise to championships or the heartache after losing the big game. This takes the opposite perspective, looking at the team that's struggling to score 30 points a season, let alone win a championship, and the only victories they can find are the "moral victories." Yet somehow, in a season in which every single player on the team suffered an injury, each game averaging a 0-50 loss, they manage to keep fighting and trying their hardest despite. Highly recommended.

Keeping the Faith

This is more than a book about football - it is a character study. It tells the in-week struggle of the Trinity Bible College football team, as well as their struggles on Saturdays. The author does an excellent job of telling the players stories; their lives away from the game as well as some of their inner conflicts. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.