
A View from Two Benches
Bob Thomas in Football and the Law
Doug Feldmann(Author)
Northern Illinois University Press
Published on 15. May 2020
Book
Hardback
264 pages
978-1-5017-4998-8 (ISBN)
Description
Whether in football or in the law, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas has always had the "best view from the bench."
Bob Thomas got his start in football at the University of Notre Dame, kicking for the famed "Fighting Irish" in the early 1970s. Claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in 1975, Thomas helped to take the franchise from their darkest days to their brightest. Yet, on the cusp of the team's greatest moment, he was struck with a shocking blow that challenged his fortitude.
In this dramatic retelling of Bob Thomas's fascinating life, renowned sports writer Doug Feldmann shows how neither football nor the law was part of Thomas's dreams while growing up the son of Italian immigrants in Rochester, New York, in the 1960s. Chasing excellence on both the gridiron and in the courtroom, however, would require resilience in ways he could not have imagined.
As A View from Two Benches shows us, Bob Thomas reached the top of two separate and distinct professions, guided by a bedrock of faith that has impacted his decisions and actions as both a football player and a judge, helping him navigate the peaks and valleys of life. As Doug Feldmann reveals, Bob Thomas has always stayed true to the values he learned in his earliest days.
Doug Feldmann's rich biography of an accomplished kicker and a proud justice of the law shows us that determination and resilience go a long way to a successful and impactful life.
Bob Thomas got his start in football at the University of Notre Dame, kicking for the famed "Fighting Irish" in the early 1970s. Claimed off waivers by the Chicago Bears in 1975, Thomas helped to take the franchise from their darkest days to their brightest. Yet, on the cusp of the team's greatest moment, he was struck with a shocking blow that challenged his fortitude.
In this dramatic retelling of Bob Thomas's fascinating life, renowned sports writer Doug Feldmann shows how neither football nor the law was part of Thomas's dreams while growing up the son of Italian immigrants in Rochester, New York, in the 1960s. Chasing excellence on both the gridiron and in the courtroom, however, would require resilience in ways he could not have imagined.
As A View from Two Benches shows us, Bob Thomas reached the top of two separate and distinct professions, guided by a bedrock of faith that has impacted his decisions and actions as both a football player and a judge, helping him navigate the peaks and valleys of life. As Doug Feldmann reveals, Bob Thomas has always stayed true to the values he learned in his earliest days.
Doug Feldmann's rich biography of an accomplished kicker and a proud justice of the law shows us that determination and resilience go a long way to a successful and impactful life.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Cornell University Press
Product notice
Paper over boards
Illustrations
15 b&w halftones - 15 Halftones, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
476 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5017-4998-8 (9781501749988)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2020
Northern Illinois University Press
€18.49
Available for download
Persons
Doug Feldmann is a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and a former baseball scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres. He is the author of eleven other books on a variety of sports topics. More information is available at dougfeldmannbooks.com. Follow him on X @D_FeldmannBooks.
Content
1. A Ride to Freedom
2. South Bend
3. Claimed on Waivers
4. The Medowlands
5. Maggie
6. Cut
7. Resilience
8. Comeback
9. Hitting New Heights
10. Faith Rewarded
11. Boot Camp-and Moving On
12. Justice Tempered with Civility
13. Integrity
14. Looking Ahead
2. South Bend
3. Claimed on Waivers
4. The Medowlands
5. Maggie
6. Cut
7. Resilience
8. Comeback
9. Hitting New Heights
10. Faith Rewarded
11. Boot Camp-and Moving On
12. Justice Tempered with Civility
13. Integrity
14. Looking Ahead