Faith, family and football are the main focus in coach Gene Chizik's upcoming book "All In: What It Takes to Be the Best."
The book will be released Tuesday, July 5.
"We're extremely excited about the way the book turned out, and I hope that a lot of people can relate to the book no matter who they are," Chizik said.
In the book, Chizik talks about many subjects from his journey to Auburn from Iowa State to confronting drama about the Cam Newton scandal.
"The Auburn Family will no doubt enjoy 'All In' and the insight it provides into Coach Chizik, his philosophy of building a team with a family environment and the vital role that faith plays in his life," said Jay Jacobs, athletic director. "The book also has a lot of great behind-the-scenes stories that have never been told before. While Auburn fans will surely enjoy the book, its message of hope will inspire everyone who reads it."
Chizik, who is known for the emphasis he puts in his faith, said in the book he was able to express how his faith helps him navigate through the manic world of college football.
"In the faith element, me personally, I was able to talk about the role that it plays in my wife and myself's life," Chizik said.
Another main focus, family, is something Chizik wanted to pay close attention to.
"The family part of it, which is extremely important to me, it's really how we zeroed in on the team-building part," Chizik said.
Chizik said the book offered him an opportunity to reflect on the past season, something he thinks he may have not he been able to do otherwise.
"It was really unique because it was the first time and the only time since Wes Byrum made that kick that I've actually had time to sit down and think about how that season unfolded in any sort of depth," he said.
Because Chizik's faith is an integral part of his and his family's life, all the proceeds from the book will go to the YouTurn foundation.
"My wife, Jonna, she's got a huge heart for children and kids, and all of the proceeds of this book are going to go directly to helping the children and the kids in the Auburn area and the Lee-County area," Chizik said. "For anybody that is interested in getting involved in that we have a website up that they can go to allinforyouturn.com."
Jeff Whitaker, sophomore defensive tackle, said he will read Chizik's book and said how great he thinks Chizik is.
"When God made Coach Chiz, he took his time. Then he sat back, and he took a 30-second break and he said, 'Hey, that's a good one,'" Whitaker said.
Skip Johnston, co-owner of J&M Bookstore, said the book should sell well during the first week, but expects to see even more sales during the fall.
"I would say the first week we should have some good sales, but I'll sell it mostly when football season comes and all the football crowd comes in. I would expect then that it would even sale better," Johnston said.
Chizik said this book should be relatable to all readers regardless of their sports knowledge.
"It's a book I feel like everybody can relate to," Chizik said. "You don't have to be a football fan, there's a universal message in the book as well."
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