If former Atlanta Brave Brian Jordan had been the oldest child in his family, his life might have turned out differently. He may not have had the drive to play in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League. But being the youngest child with older twin siblings gave him a unique empathy for the underdog.
Now in retirement after 15 years of professional baseball, Jordan’s second children’s book, “Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball,” is due to be released this spring.
The upcoming release follows “I Told You I Could Play,” the first of five in a series that is inspired by his own childhood experiences.
The former outfielder/defensive back is also working on a book that highlights defining moments of his life. A pivotal moment arose for him in college when he broke his leg and dislocated his ankle during the Senior Bowl. Doctors thought he'd never play professional football because of the severe injury.
“Those types of stories I want to share and hopefully inspire kids to never give up on their dreams,” Jordan said. “I played three years in the NFL from that experience.”
Jordan played for the Atlanta Falcons, in addition to five seasons with the Atlanta Braves. He also played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers. He is now a broadcast analyst for Fox Sports South and CSS Network.
With four children of his own – his daughter was awarded a full basketball scholarship to Tennessee Tech – Jordan says his foundation, which focuses on scholarship and literacy programs, also speaks to his passion for helping children find their inner strength.
It’s amazing because I wrote my first book at four o’clock in the morning. I remember calling my mom [a former school principal] and reading it to her. Of course she corrected my grammar but she felt really good about it. And then I read it to my little kids and they really liked.
“I Told You I Could Play” was about believing in myself. My older brother didn’t like a little brother hanging with him. And he definitely didn’t like me playing in the games he was playing in. Finally I got an opportunity to play with older boys and I scored a touchdown against them. So the bottom line at the end of the story is, “I told you I could play.” All of a sudden I got to hang with my brother playing games. Never give up when you get that opportunity.
“Overcoming the Fear of the Baseball” is a childhood experience where I got hit in the face with a baseball during a game. And I was so afraid to get back in there and play again. Then my dad, of course, got me out there. So many little kids get involved in sports and get hurt and give up.
“No Bully Here” [the third book] comes from when I was growing up. I couldn’t stand bigger guys picking on the small frail guys. My body was more mature and I was strong. I protected those guys. I always picked them to play on my team. And being the athlete that I was, we won every time. I learned from [them] to do my school work and [they] learned how to have confidence and not be afraid.
These experiences help me in being a father to my kids, being there and inspiring them to never give up and make their own way.
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