Athletic Support: Did you write a football novel? eli.cranor@gmail.com March 27, 2022 Eli Cranor is a former professional quarterback and coach turned award-winning author. Please use the “Contact” page at elicranor.com to send in questions for “Athletic Support.”

Dear Athletic Support: About a month back, I noticed you changed your little bio at the bottom of the columns. You included mention of a “debut novel.” I did some searching and found the summary for Don't Know Tough. Come to find out, your book is about a high school football player suspected of murder. I’m sorry, but I’ve got to ask: did this book come from something that happened during your coaching career? I sure hope not.

— The Truth

Dear Truth: As much as I’d like to tell you this novel was inspired by a real murder (I’m sure it would boost sales!), that simply isn’t the case.

Don't Know Tough was, however, inspired by experiences as a player and a coach. At the ripe age of twenty-six, I was named head coach of a high school football program just up the road from my hometown.

As you well know, being a head coach in these parts is a lot like being a sheriff, or a mayor—there’s a weight that comes with the badge, and I wasn’t ready for it.

Don't Know Tough was written years later, long after those scars had healed.

The story follows Billy Lowe, a high school football player with an explosively troubled home life; Trent Powers, the idealistic coach who thinks he can save him; and the murder that threatens to tear their Arkansas town apart on the eve of the playoffs.

I now work at an Alternative Learning Environment school where I teach English to 9th through 12th graders, boys and girls whose stories remind me that Billy Lowe’s struggle is real.

My hope is that this book opens readers’ eyes to the often-overlooked lives of my students and former players, existences so painful — so tough — they are truly unfathomable.

Don't Know Tough is now available for purchase wherever books are sold. The best way I can describe it is Friday Night Lights meets the Netflix series, Ozark.

If you’re a fan of this column, I think it’ll be right up your alley. Don’t believe me? Here’s what others are saying:

One of the best debuts of 2022
—New York Times

Readers may think they know what happened, but Cranor has some twists in store—in a plot that calls to mind Megan Abbott’s depictions of claustrophobic competitive cultures. A former quarterback who coached for five years at an Arkansas high school, Cranor brings an insider’s understanding of the game, the region and human nature.
—Paula Woods, Los Angeles Times

Think 'Friday Night Lights' with a Southern Gothic twist
—USA Today

Eli Cranor knows the underbelly of Friday night lights in this stunning debut that bleeds authenticity and raw emotion. This young author is a new voice of the South to watch.
—Ace Atkins, New York Times bestselling author of The Fallen and The Sinners

A first novel bristling with dangerous energy . . . Friday Night Darks —Kirkus Reviews


Previous columns:

• Dads stacking teams causing problems
• When’s a good time to talk, Coach?
• Cat’s in the cradle
• Calling it quits after that halftime show
• I won’t watch the Olympics
• Pickup games causing trouble in neighborhood
• Do coaches still cut kids from teams?
• Son falling behind, again
• Forced to play on fractured ankle
• It’s not about winning in seventh grade
• Daughter can’t keep weight-loss resolution
• The Polish Goal Line Tactic
• Is dance a sport?

Athletic Support Columns 2021
Athletic Support Columns 2020


Outside of athletics, kids’ brains are also at risk. Who knows what sort of impact virtual learning will have on their cognition and critical thinking skills. In this regard, I offer one simple tool — a good book! And luckily, I know just the book for kids struggling with the shift to virtual learning:

BOOKS MAKE BRAINZ TASTE BAD! Okay, you caught me… I’m the author of this book. It was published last week and awarded a #1 New Release ranking on Amazon. BMBTB deals directly with the same topic covered in this column, except in a much more lighthearted, kid-friendly way (zombie teachers and brain-munching screens!) If you end up purchasing this book for your children or grandchildren, I only have one final suggestion — ask them to read it while standing up! Eli Cranor's new book Books Make Brainz Taste Bad has just been released. ZOMBIES HATE BOOKS! Especially the zombie teachers at Haven Middle School. That's why they're using VR headsets to fry kids' brainz. Luckily, Dash Storey knows how to save his classmates from the zombie teachers—BOOKS! They make brainz taste bad! "Eli Cranor has an almost unbeatable advantage. He can remember how it felt to think like a twelve-year-old and he can see the very same events like the adult he is. Don't try to resist this book!" - Jack Butler, Pulitzer-Prize nominated author Eli has a new book coming out March 8th. Don't Know Tough is a football-themed thrilled reminiscent of Friday Night Lights. The book is published by Penguin Random House and is available on Amazon.com.