Justin Tuck who plays football for the New York Giants, is one of the top defensive linemen in the game and actually one of my favorite players.  It’s been a rough, injury plagued year for him on the football field but the release of a children’s book he wrote called Home-Field Advantage, illustrated by Leonardo Rodriguez is one all-star type move he made this fall.

At Teen Central, in Grand Central Branch Library, beginning on February 27th (that is Mondays at 4PM), we are embarking on an eight week Digital Media Arts workshop (see attached) at which in addition to working on a few group digital projects, teens will be creating individual entries to compete in the Lights Camera Read/Teen Central writing/arts/community service contest.

As a New York Giant fanatic (or according to my wife, Berserk Maniac), I enjoyed the role I played in sharing Justin Tuck’s book with a group of young people at Teen Central.  We watched an interview that Yianni Stamas of Lights Camera Read filmed and conducted at one of Justin’s book presentations at Barnes & Nobles.  The defensive lineman spoke to the teens about his book and offered some advice in regards to them entering the Lights Camera Read contest.  In reaction several of the teens read Justin’s book and offered their thoughts.

Justin Tuck grew up with five sisters.  Two of them were twins and as he put it – “They were two years ahead of me. We were always in competition, what show to watch on TV, who would get the last piece of chicken and on and on. This book is about how they tricked me into believing they were good barbers and they weren’t.”

“The message I was trying to get across is we all go through obstacles.  We all go through things that can kind of propel you or hold you back.  It’s a funny way of looking at it, but I credit my sisters for making me as tough as I am.  – A lot of people ask me why I play football. I tell them I had five sisters.”

Justin told an amusing story about how their sibling rivalry still continues.  ”When I let my sisters know I was writing a story they were like — ‘That ain’t how it happened.  This is what happened. — You wanted us to cut your hair.’  – They said all types of stuff but the way I wrote it, is the way it happened.”

When asked what type of advice he had for the Young Adults entering the Lights Camera Read contest he said, “Be true to yourself.  Don’t be afraid to step out on a limb.  In my lifetime I’ve done things that people didn’t expect me to do. – Don’t allow others to negatively downplay your story. — Just make sure you believe in yourself, because a lot of times great stories are lost because someone talks somebody out of it.  Don’t let obstacles stop you from achieving.  The people that you hear of — are the people that fight through and allow those obstacles to make them stronger.”

T e e n s     F e e d b a c k    For   J u s t i n

Jessica — When I first started reading the book, it was really an explanation of how you turned your life experiences into what led to your success.  Home life gave you an advantage in life.   — They were tough but in the end, they were family and you love them. –

John — I can actually see children, even adults, finding the story, how you say?  Like it brings back memories of how they were when they were younger.

Joseph — A sibing will always be a sibling.  You could be best friends in anyway possible, because no matter how it’s going to turn, you’re always going to be family.

Jessica — I do think this book should be in the public library because I can imagine one of the librarians reading this book to little children during story time.  I think it’s something that the kids would like listening to.  I do think a child would find it funny and the illustrations in the book are quite well done and I think kids would be captivated by that and really like the story.

Miriam — I think it should be in the library as it will catch the childrens’ attention because most children grow up in a family where they are attracted to the New York Giants.  So they can enjoy the story and maybe change their minds about how they view things.

Martin — My reaction to the book is it’s really related to my past. — I have a sister who is twenty eight right now.  She pushed me around but she wasn’t really making fun of me, what she was doing was toughening me up and making me a gentleman.  After reading this book I feel — inspired.

The playoffs look like a rough road ahead this year but hopefully, Justin and the Giants can do it on the football field this Sunday against Atlanta.  – if they win, the games after that Greenbay and San Francisco or New Orleans seem a lot tougher if not insurmountable.

On the other hand if Justin was able to deal with those five sisters who knows what’s possible?

P.S. from the Berserk Maniac - After watching the New York Giants led by Justin Tuck dismantle or should I say completely beatdown the Atlanta Falcons, I can now predict with total confidence — a heaven and earth shaking outcome of Superbowl 2012 —NY Giants 37 — Denver Broncos 0 – and you heard it here first!

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