The Golden Gladiator

As the subtitle of The Golden Gladiator by Michael Lynch aptly suggests, this memoir is the true story of the oldest American Football player's return to the gridiron and glory. The story follows sixty-eight-year old retiree, Michael Lynch, who returns to play Football after many years. Seeing his nephew play in in a high School All-Star game on Long Island in 2012, Michael's passion for the game begins to haunt him and he is buoyed up by the desire to rekindle that passion and experience the thrill of playing a sport he once enjoyed in the 60s and 70s. When he returns to the pitch, will he recover the spirit he once had, playing in high school, college, and semi-professionally? This memoir documents his incredible journey with Southwest Florida Gladiators as they go on to win the Florida Football Alliance Championship in 2015 and 2018.

The Golden Gladiator is the spellbinding tale of the oldest American Football player, and it is surprising to follow this author play football as a senior citizen. In turn engaging and inspiring, the author allows his lifelong passion for the game to shine through these pages, offering wonderful lessons on courage, the human spirit, teamwork, self-transcendence, grit, and the perseverance that leads to success and personal transformation. Football buffs will not want to miss this mesmerizing story. The author writes in beautiful prose and while he describes his journey in a voice that is irresistible, he narrates episodes that are filled with humor, informing readers about the ins and outs of Football while introducing a cast of fully drawn, likeable characters.  The Golden Gladiator by Michael Lynch is a beautiful story that is intelligently written, one that will move readers to beat the odds and do the one thing they have always wanted to do and been held back by fear and self-limiting beliefs.