Ron McDole played defense for Nebraska Cornhuskers football from 1958-1961, and is coming back to visit his alma mater this weekend.

McDole tells his story in The Dancing Bear: My Eighteen Years in the Trenches of the AFL and NFL (Nebraska, 2018), and will be in Lincoln and Omaha for various book signings.

“It is a captivating story that covers some of the most important points in the game’s (and our nation’s) history, including the Kennedy assassination, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the NFL-AFL merger, the explosion of the game’s popularity, and much more,” said Jeffrey J. Miller, author of Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. “This book is a must-have not only for fans of the Bills and the Redskins but for football fans of every stripe. The Dancing Bear has scored a touchdown!”

McDole traces his life from his humble beginnings in Toledo, Ohio, to his four years at the University of Nebraska, his marriage to high school sweetheart Paula, and his long, accomplished professional career. He recounts the days when a pro football player needed an off‑season job to pay the bills and teams had to drive around in buses to find a city park in which to practice. The old AFL and NFL blitz back to life through McDole’s straightforward stories of a time when the game was played more for love and glory than for money.

McDole will be signing books at the following locations:

• Friday, Sept. 7: Wick Alumni Center’s Football Friday, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. (Lincoln)
• Saturday, Sept. 8: O Street Barnes & Noble, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (Lincoln)
• Sunday, Sept. 9: The Bookworm, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (Omaha)