BoTW: Pop

Pop by Gordon Korman is the story of a young high school football player who moves to a new town with his Mom after his parents get divorced. Marcus Jordan is a talented quarterback, but when he tries to join the school’s football team, he discovers they won the championship the before, only graduated four seniors, and don’t want anything to do with Marcus. Ultimately, Marcus perseveres and earns a spot on the team through hard work, determination, and skill.

However, Pop isn’t really about Marcus having a hard time joining the team. Instead, it’s about a very special man that Marcus meets while practicing football drills at the local park. Charlie seems to come out of no where and tackle Marcus. That’s right! Marcus has never met Charlie in his life and one of his first interactions with the fifty-ish year old man is a total blindside tackle.

Marcus instantly infers that Charlie knows football. Despite being a middle-aged man, Charlie moves with an athletic grace that belies his years. And Charlie loves to tackle people. He loves the “pop,” the sound and physical crush of bringing an opposing football player down. After more than a few days of practicing with Charlie at the park, Marcus finds out that Charlie is no ordinary man, but a former NFL defensive player nicknamed “The King of Pop.” Before Marcus meets Charlie, he is afraid of being tackled. He’s skittish at the idea of an opposing player hitting him. But after days and days of drilling with Charlie, Marcus learns how to absorb a hit, even relish the physical pain of taking a “pop.” Marcus loses his fear of being tackled and becomes a better player for it.

Marcus also senses that something is not quite right with Charlie. Marcus knows that Charlie has a wife and children, but he doesn’t seem to acknowledge them. Marcus sets meeting times for them to drill and Charlie often shows up late or not at all. Charlie also thoroughly enjoys playing pranks on a local store-owner, often at the expense of Marcus taking the blame.

Marcus eventually discovers the source of Charlie’s issue and spends much of the story doing all he can to help him. The book, however, ends on a decidedly sad note. In my opinion, the startling ending doesn’t match the rest of the book in tone or theme. Despite an uneven ending, Pop is an outstanding book. If you’re a football player, this book is a must read, if only for the important message the book delivers about a controversial football issue.