Randy Grimes - Off Center: A Memoir of Addiction, Recovery, and Redemption in Professional Football

If theres someone you love struggling with addiction, Off Center is a must-read. Randy takes you behind the scenes to the dark side of being a professional athlete, through the trenches of addiction, and shows how chronic pain is so often the gateway to the hell of prescription drug addiction, regardless of your profession. Weaving in his own personal struggles with addiction and path to recovery, Randy also shares an intimate look into the process of an intervention and the rewards of recovery. I see why Randy is one of the most sought-after interventionists. Fast-paced while filled with warmth, humility, and candor, Off Center delivers hope for anyone struggling with addiction and everyone who loves them.

Michael Sprintz, DO, DFASAM, (triple-board certified) chronic pain and addiction expert with twenty-plus years of personal recovery

I saw something very special in Randy Grimes, while recruiting him from high school to Baylor University. I saw a leader, a warrior, someone who would battle through any obstacle to reach his goals. The pages of this book just reaffirm what I already knew. Nothing, not even addiction, could ever keep Randy Grimes down. A great comeback story!

Grant Teaff; head coach, Baylor University 1972

1992; executive director, American Football Coaches Association; College Football Hall of Fame

Those in the limelight often suffer when the lights go out. Randys addiction may have started in professional football, but its not unlike the story of any of us who have struggled to find our identity and rudder outside of our careers. This book is a true and riveting account of redemption from someone who barely made it out alive from his addictionyet is now one of the strongest advocates and fellow interventionists. Thank you for your honesty, Randy. Your story will help many.

Jennifer Gimenez; American supermodel, actress, reality television personality, and addiction recovery advocate

Randy told me once that he would have liked to have played for me. And I, of course, would have liked to have coached him. By reading this book, its obvious why: he never gives up! Its okay to get knocked down, but you must rise again. Life after football knocked Randy down, but he didnt stay there. And when he got up, he used his experience to help others. What more could a coach ask for?

Jackie Sherrill; head coach, Texas A&M 19821988;

head coach, Mississippi State 19911903

Ive seen athletes over the years who wanted to be great but were unwilling to do the necessary hard work. Recovery is similar. Some want to be soberbut are unwilling to do what it takes. Not only did Randy do the work, but his story is the perfect example of the fruits of recovery. This book is one of those fruits!

Sudden Sam McDowell; MLB pitcher, Cleveland Indians 19611975; six times MLB All-Star; author, The Saga of Sudden Sam

I played during the same time as Randy and shared his conference, and in fact faced his team twice a year. I know firsthand the pressures he faced to stay on the field. I also know the play-at-all-costs mentality that existed then. Randy accurately describes the dark side of the NFL, and what many were and still are willing to do to be the best. Great job, my NFL brother!

Eric Hipple; NFL QB, Detroit Lions 19801989; mental health advocate; author, Real Men Do Cry

As a former Olympic swimmer with three Gold Medals, I know what it takes to be the best. I also know what its like when we are no longer that athlete who we worked so hard to become. When the cheering stops, life gets confusing, and sometimes we struggle with finding who we are in this new role. Randy reinvented himself by using his experience to help others. I applaud him and countless others who have found a way to stay clean and sober one day at a time. Im one of them! A great read.

Carrie Bates; three-time Gold Medalist swimmer,

1984 Olympics

Ive studied and written about teams that consistently perform at the highest level. Randys well-told story is captivating, demonstrating how teams both on and off the field are necessary for strength and support, especially during our darkest times.

John Ross, PhD, MBA; assistant professor of leadership, strategy, and entrepreneurship, Indiana University Southeast; author, Team Unity: A Leaders Guide to Unlocking Extraordinary Potential

As a former competitive three-event show skier and barefoot water skier, I can relate to Randys injuries and also his drive to be the best. Being the best often comes with a price. As an interventionist, I also can relate to the lifesaving tool that we have to help someone struggling. The intervention that Randy and Lydia show is typical of the groundwork and execution of a successful intervention. Im thankful that we can create a bottom for someone before they hit their real bottom, from which many never recover. This book is powerful!

Tim Ryan; advocate; A&Es Dope Man; author, From Dope to Hope; founder, A Man in Recovery Foundation

Mike Ditka

Every NFL player lives with pain resulting from innumerable brutal hits on the gridiron. Players quickly learn that to make it, they need physical and mental toughness to play through that pain. If they dont find a way, other guys will snatch their positions in a heartbeat.

To keep players in the game, team doctors mend their injuries and manage their pain. Once a player leaves the game for good, however, theyre on their own. But that doesnt mean the pain goes away. For too many players, the medication they took to stay on the field follows them into retirement.