A Few Seconds of Panic

A Few Seconds of Panic is a nonfiction first-person narrative by Stefan Fatsis, published in 2008. The book chronicles Fatsis, a professional 43-year-old sportswriter working for The Wall Street Journal, and his attempt to play in the National Football League.^[1] Along the way, he relates the personal stories and struggles that professional football players face in the league.^[2] After some setbacks, Fatsis eventually finds some success as a backup placekicker for the Denver Broncos.^[3][4][5] The book's title comes from Jason Elam's description of being a kicker as "hours and hours of boredom surrounded by a few seconds of panic."^[6]

A Few Seconds of Panic

Author	Stefan Fatsis
Language	English
Genre	Sportswriting
Published	2008
Publication place	United States

A Few Seconds of Panic has been compared to George Plimpton's Paper Lion, a 1966 book wherein the author joins the Detroit Lions as a backup quarterback.^[7][8][9]

Featured persons

Kickers

• Jason Elam
• Paul Ernster
• Tyler Fredrickson
• Micah Knorr
• Todd Sauerbrun

Other players

• P. J. Alexander
• Jay Cutler
• Preston Parsons
• Jake Plummer
• Bradlee Van Pelt

Coaches and staff

• Pat Bowlen
• Ronnie Bradford
• Mike Shanahan
• Paul Woodside

See also

• Gonzo journalism
• I Was a Toronto Blue Jay – a similar account of sportswriter Tom Verducci joining the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball for spring training in 2005.^[10]
• Word Freak – Fatsis's previous book, a look into the world of competitive Scrabble