Between the White Lines: Coach W.T. Johnston's Determined Pursuit of Ultimate Victory

by Dave Burchett

Overview

Winning the state championship in football-crazed Texas is the holy grail for high school coaches. Newton, Texas, is a sleepy little town nestled in the piney woods of southeastern Texas where the residents live for what they lovingly call “Friday night church.”

In December 2018 a video of the Newton Eagle coach went viral on sports and non-sports platforms as millions of people watched. In his emotional postgame interview, W.T. Johnston recounted how he had been given only a few months to live. But during his long coaching career, every one of his teams heard the same message. “I told them I was going to teach them football, but I was going to teach them something more important. How to live until you die.”

This is the story of a remarkable coach and the miracle that allowed him to pursue championship dreams. Between the White Lines is a story of courage, faith, and community that will inspire and challenge you.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578223315
Publisher:	Paul David Burchett
Publication date:	08/12/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	188
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Dave Burchett has been a successful television sports director for nearly forty years. His experiences have included the Olympic Games as well as professional and collegiate sports. Dave has directed television coverage of Texas Rangers baseball for thirty-seven years. He has collected a national Emmy and two local Emmys over his career. His first published book was the well-received When Bad Christians Happen to Good People. He followed that with the acclaimed book on church healing, Bring 'Em Back Alive. Stay: Lessons My Dogs Taught Me about Life, Loss, and Grace details the spiritual lessons he learned from two rescued Labrador Retrievers. Waking Up Slowly is a 21 day journey to become more connected to God and one another. Between the White Lines is Dave's first foray into telling the true story of another person. Dave is happily married to his bride of forty-three years Joni and is the proud father of three grown sons and two amazing daughter-in-laws. Joni and Dave are blessed with six spectacular grandchildren (pictures available upon request and sometimes anyway).

Table of Contents

Foreword...........................................................................................1
1. Growing Up Southern.....................................................................3
2. Mama Tried...................................................................................11
3. Diary of a Football Nomad............................................................21
4. On the Move Again … and Again.................................................29
5. The Town That Time Forgot.........................................................33
6. A Diamond in the Rough...............................................................41
7. Something Is Terribly Wrong.........................................................45
8. That’s the Stupidest Thing I’ve Ever Heard....................................49
9. The New Normal.........................................................................55
10. Learning from a Legend..............................................................63
11. A Tough Act to Follow...................................................................71
12. A House Divided Cannot Stand...................................................75
13. The Valley of the Shadow of Death..............................................85
14. A Mysterious Visitor....................................................................91
15. Live ’til You Die...........................................................................99
16. Back in the Saddle Again.......................................................... 103
17. Last Chance?.............................................................................107
18. Lord, Let Me Finish This..............................................................121
19. The Second Season...................................................................125
20. Championship Week................................................................133
21. Championship Day....................................................................137
22. The Big Stage........................................................................... 141
23. First Quarter............................................................................145
24. Second Quarter....................................................................... 149
25. Third Quarter...........................................................................153
26. Fourth Quarter.........................................................................157
Afterword......................................................................................163
The White Lines..............................................................................171
Author’s Note.................................................................................175
Acknowledgments.......................................................................... 177
Special Thanks...............................................................................178
About the Author........................................................................... 181

Editorial Reviews

"Between The White Lines" is a wonderful life-journey of how a highly successful football coach impacted countless lives with his spirituality and life teachings through Texas High School Football. As someone who has played this game growing up in Texas and at the game's highest level, I found countless takeaways from the narrative that I believe are everlasting and available to all of us. It is an engaging read and congratulations to my friend and the book's author, Dave Burchett, for telling everyone of us through the life and words of Coach W.T. Johnston, "How To Live Before You Die!"

Gary Reasons

2-Time Super Bowl Champion

25 Year College Football TV Analyst

College Football Hall of Fame

All-State Texas High School Football

With passion, faith, and multiple state championships, W.T. Johnston earned a prominent place in Texas high school football lore. Thankfully, Dave Burchett has crafted a portrait befitting the man who made such a difference “Between the White Lines” and made even more of one beyond them.

Ted Emrich

Fox Sports and ESPN Play by Play Announcer

From the Publisher