The Big Time

By Tim Green
Sport: Football
Rating: 3 1/2 stars

This is the third book in the Football Genius series and we pick up where we left off in Football Champ.  Troy's team has just won the championship and they are celebrating at his coach Seth's house when the doorbell rings and there stands his long lost, estranged father.  His father is a flashy lawyer and works with a famous rapper and he says he wants to spend time with Troy.  Troy's mom is leery of this out of the blue appearance, but Troy has been longing for a father forever, so nothing is going to stop him from seeing him.  And when his dad seems to fulfill all of his dreams, Troy is thrilled.  But little warning bells start to go off when Troy's dad seems to run roughshod over the careful, controlled existence Troy has known with his mom.  Is his father all he seems to be?  Or is there more to his sudden appearance than the desire to meet his son?  This story is heavier on the emotion and lighter on the football action than the previous books, and the ending is rather abrupt, but fans will be interested in seeing how it all turns out in the end.