To many, Dexter Manley is an enigma. A man of obvious wit and intelligence, he testified before Congress that he was illiterate and could not read so much as a menu. A member of the World Champion Washington Redskins, he used cocaine before the 1987 Super Bowl and was later suspended from the team. A childhood victim of poverty and abuse, he was banned from the NFL and lost his $700,000 salary because of repeated drug abuse. A proud father and loving husband, he almost lost his family through his addictive behavior. A football star at Oklahoma State University, he was given a brand new Cougar for signing with the school and survived in the classroom by cheating and by getting others to do his work for him.Educating Dexter is more than the story of a superb athlete who has lost much and fallen far. It is a painful, sensitive, and often humorous story of a man who has overcome illiteracy but has been overwhelmed in his battle against the cycle of addiction. It provides a gut-level, in-your-face view of what drug use among professional athletes is all about and how the corruption of college athletics distorts the values of young men and women.Educating Dexter offers no pat answers. Dexter Manley has no illusions about finally having won his war against dependency, and he fights his lonely battle against it one day at a time. He has written an inspiring book that portrays his determination to overcome his problems. "I have no excuses," he writes. "It doesn't make any difference what caused my problems. I've got to solve them myself."Educating Dexter is rough, powerful, brutal, shocking, and - at times - heartbreaking. Most important, it is true. And parents, counselors, teachers, religious leaders, coaches, and sports fans should read it with concern. Read Less