"Getting My Hands Dirty" was a lovely reminder of the ethos of rural northeast Ohio. Malvern was only 20-30 miles from where I grew up in Canton, and those who know understand it's a gritty area that absolutely loves football.

The author's upbringing mirrored that of many of my relatives, who lived in Canton South or Reedurban or Minerva, where at minimum you had a big garden (and canned for winter consumption) or a small farm or a "real" farm. From Canton to Akron to Cleveland, it's a metropolis with some but not a lot of loose land. When you get to Malvern or areas south and east of Canton (all the way to the Ohio River many miles away) there isn't much except farms and fields.

Against such a backdrop of only hard work and drive, you get somewhat of a unicorn in Chuck Hutchison. Like most kids from that region, you simply worked and went to school and you fit sports in when you could. My brother-in-law coached baseball in Newcomerstown, maybe 30 miles away, and he complained that he lost his two best players, brothers, during harvest and planting because they and their Dad were the labor for the farm. It's just the way it is, and though I have largely lived only in Ohio, my guess is this ethos is painted in farm fields in every state in the land.

But back to the unicorn. Yes, a demanding father and a talented mother. But you had in Chuck an unusual specimen in size and strength and speed. A rare combination in Malvern, Ohio.

As time goes on, he is visited by Woody Hayes, the legendary Ohio State coach. It's better to say his parents were visited by Woody, because Chuck wasn't invited into the conversation. It was Woody who promised an education first and also football. Academics were serious business to Woody, as you'll find out in Chuck's early time at Ohio State. As an aside, my Dad (1918-2001) went to Dover High School, south of Canton also, while Woody was the coach of New Philadelphia, a twin city to Dover and its hated rival. Dad got to meet Woody through sports endeavors, and he passed onto me the love of OSU football, though I didn't go there.

This lovely book traces football for Chuck from high school to Ohio State to a national championship to the NFL. Later he was involved in front office management and coaching.

His business success was in cheese of all things, and the details are an interesting part of the read.

Most dramatic is Chuck's struggles with his mental health, whether by mashing football helmets with huge people or otherwise, but his solace was in the soil. His large garden is widely hailed and his passion flows off the pages as he selects, plants and tends to what surely is his soul masquerading as blooms.

This book is not the typical jock made good story, rather it's a telling of how upbringing shaped him, his success in life, a bottoming and then a healthy cleansing by reconnecting with the soil and its healing touch. Almost like a garden of aloe.

Patrick Rini
Columbus OH

Getting My Hands Dirty is a small book with a big heart and an even bigger idea. Chuck Hutchison’s story is honest, deeply human, and quietly profound. From the gridiron under Woody Hayes to a second act as a master gardener, Hutchison shares a life shaped by grit, curiosity, and reinvention. His reflections on football, adversity, and healing are both grounded and uplifting. This book made me want to buy a copy for every person I know. It’s a rare and moving reminder that growth—both literal and personal—often begins in the dirt. Absolutely worth reading.

Good book on someone’s life work and the advice they can give for personal and professional achievement. Although it makes me want to not retire someday.

This book really pleasantly surprised me! I came for the gardening but stayed for the good old-fashioned wisdom from Chuck and his many mentors. You don't need to be a football fan, or an athlete at all, to appreciate the many lessons from this memoir. If you've ever gone through a difficult time, taken a big chance, or been proud of yourself, you'll relate to the author and find a renewed sense of commitment to your own self-improvement from this book. It was genuinely refreshing to read such an honest and humble accounting of the journey of a successful professional athlete, when one might expect a flashy, self-indulgent lifestyle from someone living that life. I'm glad I picked this one up!