My First Coach

My First Coach: Inspiring Stories of NFL Quarterbacks and Their Dads by Gary Myers explores the profound relationships between NFL quarterbacks and their fathers, offering a personal look at how these bonds helped shape some of football’s greatest players. Through in-depth interviews with stars like Peyton and Eli Manning, Tom Brady, Derek Carr, and others, Myers reveals how fathers played the role of mentor, motivator, and life coach, often long before their sons made it to the NFL.

The book dives into both supportive and sometimes complicated relationships, showing how a father’s influence can take many forms. From Archie Manning’s intentional guidance and support of his sons’ football journeys, to more emotionally complex stories of absent or demanding fathers, Myers brings nuance to the idea of “father as first coach.” Each story showcases how these quarterbacks drew strength, values, and competitive fire from their early family dynamics.

Beyond the football field, My First Coach is about the personal growth, character-building, and life lessons that were passed down through father-son relationships. The book emphasizes how much of an athlete’s success is rooted not just in talent and coaching, but in the foundation laid at home.

Gary Myers offers readers an inspiring and emotional tribute to the dads behind the athletes, the first people to believe in their sons’ potential and push them to be great men, not just great quarterbacks.