In 2005, Sports Illustrated included Dave Meggyesy’s football autobiography, Out of Their League, on the list of the 100 best sports books ever written. Out of Their League was one of the first sports books written by a professional athlete to “tell it like it is.”

A former linebacker for the St. Louis Cardinals, Meggyesy discusses his experience as a college and NFL player as well as his 25 years working for players’ rights at the NFL Players Association, the NFL players' labor union, on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jefferson County Library. The event is free.

Meggyesy grew up in rural Ohio. He played college football at Syracuse University and was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 17th round of the 1963 NFL draft. He had been an outside linebacker with the Cardinals for seven years when he quit at the height of his career to tell about the dehumanizing side of the game – the fraud and the payoffs, the racism, drug abuse and violence.

The original publication of Out of Their League shocked readers and provoked the outraged response that rocked the sports world in the 1970s. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The library is located at 620 Cedar Ave. in Port Hadlock. Call the library at 385-6544 or visit www.jclibrary.info.