In Under Pressure, Ray Lucas provides fans with a timely, uncensored
look at pro football's play-at-all-costs culture. Overcoming questions
about his size and skills as a quarterback, Lucas persevered and went on
to play seven seasons in the NFL. His professional football career,
however, came to a sudden end at age 30, when a neck injury caused him
to collapse on the sideline during training camp. Instructed by NFL
doctors that surgery wasn't an option, Lucas turned to painkillers for
relief, but as his tolerance for medication escalated and his NFL
insurance coverage expired, he began to plan his suicide. Just days
before he planned to take his life, Lucas was put in touch with a group
of doctors who agreed to perform neck surgery free of charge. In this
tell-all, Lucas shares how--in a league without guaranteed contracts and
careers that average just a few seasons long--players in the training
room are perceived to lack the toughness necessary to succeed on the
field. He discusses how this prevailing attitude leads to widespread
abuse of painkillers and leaves many former players unable to lead a
normal life once their playing career ends while also sharing details on
how he overcame his drug addiction and turned his own life around.