Told in his own words, Todd Marinovich’s story is a raw and deeply affecting account of a life shaped by extraordinary expectations and haunted by addiction. This is not a feel-good sports memoir—it’s a sobering reflection on the cost of perfectionism, parental control, and the relentless pursuit of greatness.

Central to Todd’s journey is his father, Marv Marinovich, a former NFL player and renowned trainer who set out to mold Todd into the ultimate quarterback from the moment he could walk. By age four, Todd was running four miles a day. His diet was strictly regimented—no pizza or hot dogs, only chicken breasts and brown rice. His childhood was a laboratory for athletic excellence, but not necessarily for emotional growth.

Todd’s high school career was meteoric. He started as a freshman at a powerhouse California program, then transferred as a junior to chase better coaching. He shattered records, collected accolades, and earned a scholarship to USC, where he continued to shine. His talent was undeniable, and in 1991, he was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Raiders—his hometown team.

But the promise of a Hall of Fame career quickly unraveled. The pressure, the trauma, and the unresolved pain led Todd down a path of substance abuse that derailed his professional life. His time in the NFL was brief, and his battle with addiction has persisted long after the stadium lights faded.

This book is not just about football—it’s about identity, control, and the human cost of chasing perfection. Todd’s honesty makes this a powerful read, and his ongoing fight for recovery adds a layer of hope to an otherwise heartbreaking narrative.

Wow! This book was enjoyable and eye opening. I honestly had no idea who Todd Marinovich was, but was intrigued by his story and wanted to learn more about him. His resilience and road to recovery is one to applaud. I loved reading about the relationship he had with his dad, Marv/Buzzy, from his point of view.

I listened to the audio of this book and Braden Wright did such a great job of bringing Todd's memoir to life.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Memoirs hold a special place in my heart after publishing my own in 2022.I was drawn to read Marinovich: Outside the Lines in Football, Art, and Addiction by Todd Marinovich for a variety of reasons, first of which is that I absolutely love football. I was unfamiliar with this quarterback since he was from the West Coast and I’m a Chicago Bears fan, but I was intrigued to hear his story. Typically memoirs paint a picture of a life and allow readers to learn from it, and this book did that in a gut-wrenching way.

The author struggled with addiction for most of his life. The depictions of his party-driven lifestyle and rock-bottom moments were not something to which I could relate, but I did understand the feeling of being compelled to do something that is not in my best interests.I hoped he would get clean, and each time he relapsed, I hoped the next time would be different.

This book is good for someone who wants to gain insight into addiction. While there is a great deal of football in the book, the focus truly is on his drug problem and the mayhem it caused in both his football career and family life. Sports fans will appreciate the gametime narrative. Art shows up in the book, but not enough to warrant a position in the title of the memoir. Be forewarned, the book contains adult situations and vulgar language.

I listened to the audiobook and it was a quick read.I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Audio for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Todd Marinovich had the size and accuracy to be a star in the National Football League, but his addictions and off field antics led to his premature departure from the NFL. You might remember the headlines that surrounded Marinovich's problems, but now the former quarterback honestly details his stunning downfall. He dreamed of playing for USC and becoming a Raider, but his budding career was intercepted by drugs, alcohol, and arrests.

Despite an early warning sign of being arrested prior the NFL draft, Raiders owner Al Davis loved Marinovich's arm and his vertical game and selected him in the first round. While most football players buckle down and worked hard towards their goals, Marinovich admits to shenanigans involving booze, drugs, strippers and adult film stars. He admits to partying with celebrities, but the lifestyle simply didn't mix with pro football.

Marinovich discusses his complex relationship with his former football playing father, as he states, the man who shaped him. The author admits to becoming an alcoholic as at age fifteen, confessing to additions to marijuana, cocaine and ecstasy. I appreciated Marinvoch honesty when revealing how many times he was arrested, and being truthful on the numerous stints he had with rehab. It was reassuring to hear the outpouring from his USC Trojan family that continued to support him during his dark days.

Years later, Marinovich would resurface with the Canadian Football League, which didn't drug test. He also played in the Arena Football League, however, its hard to image what could have been with his promising NFL career. He became as a starter in his rookie season, and played in the play offs. Marinovich admits what it was truly like hitting rock bottom, and starting all over. "Marinovich" is truly an eye opening book.

The story of Todd Marinovich told by Todd Marinovich. This story is not for the faint of heart. It is a heartbreaking story of addiction that Todd still fights to this day. You can’t tell this story with out Marv Marinovich, Todd’s dad, who trained his son from a young age to be a football superstar. When Todd was four, he was running four miles a day. Instead of pizza and hot dogs, Todd was fed Chicken breasts and brown rice. Todd started at a powerful California High School as a freshman and then transferred to another as a Junior because Marv wanted more coaching. After breaking high school records and winner awards, Todd went on to star at USC, and then saw himself drafted in the first round by his hometown LA Raiders. Unfortunately, his hall of fame career never materialized as booze and drugs saw him out of the league in a few short years.

I was familiar with the Todd Marinovich story, but a learned a lot more from listening to this book. It was interesting to hear Todd push back on the narrative that it was his father who pushed him into football, although it is hard to believe there isn’t at least a little bit of truth in that. Being young when Todd was in the NFL, I was not aware of the depths he sunk to fuel his addiction.

As I mentioned this book has some sad and disturbing aspects to it, so it is not for everyone. I do think that the author does seem sincere when he is talking about his life and his addictions. He doesn’t sugarcoat it, and he shares all his ups and downs. He admits it is still a daily struggle, but he keeps fighting everyday.

Todd Marinovich was a football player, but this isn’t only a football book. This is a story about addiction and the daily struggles addicts have trying to stay sober. I am glad I read this book even if it wasn’t always uplifting. Thank you Todd Marinovich, Netgalley, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for a free advanced readers copy for an honest review.

Did I know much about Todd Marinovich before this book? No. Did I expect this to be one of my favorites? No. Am I shocked with how much I enjoyed it? YES.

The complete deep dive into personal traumas and addiction while being so brutally honest, chef’s kiss. I really enjoyed this book being about more personal and important issues rather than being loaded with sports statistics.

Marinovich is far from the typical athlete memoir in. this genre. It has far greater depth, reflecting not just on the unfortunate choices he made throughout his career due to his addiction, but also on his struggles as a child to impress his father, and be accepted, among other struggles. Marinovich has lived quite a life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Marinovich is not your typical athlete memior, because it really isn't about football at all. Instead, this is an examination of an addict's life, and the circumstances that both led to and encouraged his addiction. Overall, I think this handled its topics gracefully, touching on the illness of addiction, family influence both good and bad, sports culture, growing up, and more. I appreciate how open Marinovich was with his story, but there were many times I wish we had gone deeper (which I know is hard to ask from someone sharing their personal story). I highly recommend both for those familiar with this athlete and those not, because I think the addiction focus makes it really insightful.

A powerful and painful autobiography on the Robo QB Todd Marinovich told in his own words charting his rise and fall in football, his relationship with his family, and the perils and struggles of addiction that defined his life far more that anything happened on the field.

This was a fast but at times challenging read and Marinovich gives readers a glimpse into the self-loathing and pain that fuelled his addictions while also providing hope for what we all hope will be a bright future.

As far as sports memoirs go, this is quite strong and doesn’t shy away from presenting both the literal and figurative highs and crushing lows of the author’s life. It does challenge a lot of the common media narrative that Marv’s relentless training methods were responsible for his son’s demons and does so in a really intriguing and thought provoking way.

It’s always great to hear stories of addicts who find a way to rebuild from their addiction and it seems like Marinovic is now managing to do so with the support of his family and through outlets like art and coaching.

This book left me as a reader with many questions as to how the media, storytellers, fans, coaches and trainers can contribute to young athletes’ struggles with hype and expectations and what a better way would include.

I recommend anyone interested in the NFL, healthy/unhealthy athlete development and those interested in sports media pick this up, you’ll be left with ideas to ponder.

Thanks to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for providing me with an ARC of the Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

4.5/5 Stars