Blue Handle Publishing adds NFL coach Jerry Gray to its growing list of authors
NFL defensive coach Jerry Gray was on the sidelines when he was with the Minnesota Vikings staff.
College Football Hall of Famer tackles inequality in sports and overcomes COVID-19 in his first non-fiction book
—Charles D’Amico, President of Blue Handle Publishing
AMARILLO, TEXAS, USA, March 18, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Blue Handle Publishing has acquired the rights to “Both Sides of the Mountain: Dealing with Fame, Fortune, and Everything in Between”, a book by non- fiction written by NFL defensive coach Jerry Gray with journalist Doug Hensley.
“We are proud to have Jerry and Doug join the Blue Handle family,” said BHP President Charles D’Amico. “Jerry’s background in major college and professional football, combined with Doug’s ability to help tell his story, makes for an engaging read with a strong message. And to top it off, both have West Texas ties, which makes us all the more enjoyable.
Gray is a Lubbock native and a graduate of Estacado High School, and Hensley is the associate regional editor and commentary director for GateHouse Media West Texas, which includes the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and Amarillo Globe-News.
In “Both Sides of the Mountain” – slated for release in summer 2023 – Gray tackles issues such as racism and inequality in sport and dealing with adversity, including the COVID-19 pandemic. 19, to provide a guide for young athletes seeking to succeed.
Gray has coached in the NFL for more than 20 years and was previously an All-Pro defensive back, earning Pro Bowl MVP honors in 1989. He was selected in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Rams of Los Angeles and also played for the Houston Oilers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gray played college ball at the University of Texas, where he was a two-time consensus first-team All-American for the Longhorns. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
In 2002, he established the Jerry Gray Foundation in Lubbock, which provides scholarships to Texas Tech University, among other philanthropic and educational initiatives for young people.
Gray and his wife have two sons together, the oldest of whom was a defensive back at Southern Methodist University, where Gray coached defensive backs in 1995-96.
Hensley, who lives and works in Lubbock, has authored, co-authored, edited or authored nine books. He is also on his second stint at the Avalanche-Journal after being hired for his current role in the winter of 2018. Hensley previously worked for the AJ from 1981 to 2007, starting as a part-time sportswriter and leaving as deputy editor.
In addition to her writing, Hensley has more than 35 years of communications experience, including with United Supermarkets and the Texas Tech University System. Hensley was also an adjunct professor at Texas Tech, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism in the 1980s.
Hensley and his wife Tammy have two children, Hayden and Kerrigan, named after College Football Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry and Olympic figure skater Nancy Kerrigan.
“Both Sides of the Mountain” is Blue Handle’s first acquisition of 2022 and will be the publisher’s first non-fiction release.
In 2021, BHP acquired the novels “Black Bear Lake” by award-winning playwright Leslie Liautaud and “The Heights” by Ray Franze, based in part on the author’s uncle, a powerful member of Chicagoland’s organized crime syndicates. 1920s to 1960s.
“Black Bear Lake” is slated for release in September 2022, while “The Heights” is on track for a fall 2023 release. Other Blue Handle writers include Jordan Reed, whose debut novel “The Wizard’s Brew” will be released in May 2022; Andrew J Brandt, whose latest novel “Picture Unavailable” is slated for release in October 2022; and D’Amico, who founded Blue Handle in 2020 and will release “Perdue” in the fall of 2022.
“And we’re in talks with several authors with fantastic books, so stay tuned,” D’Amico said. “We’re just getting started.”
Please contact Blue Handle Publishing for media inquiries with Jerry Gray or Doug Hensley.
About Blue Handle Publishing
Based in Amarillo, Blue Handle Publishing is a West Texas publishing company founded in 2020 by entrepreneur and author Charles D’Amico. Its mission is to empower authors while publishing incredible works of fiction and non-fiction. For more information, please visit BlueHandlePublishing.com.
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