Wedded to the Game: The Real Lives of NFL Women is based on the real experiences of the women beside the players and coaches who make-up the NFL. Shannon O'Toole, married to John Morton – a current coach (Oakland Raiders, New Orleans Saints, University of Southern California, San Francisco 49'ers) and a former wide receiver in the NFL, CFL and the NFL-sponsored World League – used her experiences as the initial foundation for this exciting project.

After developing the concept for the book and establishing the direction of the project, Shannon sought contributions from many of the women beside the biggest names in the game. Using those stories, she has developed a first-hand account of the lives of the women beside the players and coaches who make the National Football League (NFL) the most successful professional league in the United States. When Detroit Lions head coach Steve Mariucci was once asked, “What's the most difficult position in pro football?” he replied: “Coaches' wives.” With strength, willingness to sacrifice, and great resilience, these women do it all. Likewise, considering the adulation paid by female fans and a player’s body-mangling injuries, Shannon O’Toole shows how the role of players’ wives can be just as difficult.

Part insider tell-all and part sociological study, this book is packed with no-holds-barred, first-hand accounts of NFL life, providing a rare glimpse into both the challenges and the positive experiences found in the often-hidden world behind the game.

Shannon holds a Master's Degree in sociology with an emphasis in sports from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI. In addition to her life-coaching work with professional sports wives, O'Toole writes book reviews and articles for area newspapers and sports-related websites.

Wedded to the Game: The Real Lives of NFL Women is an actual account of the lives of the women who stand beside the men who comprise the National Football League (NFL). From the players to the coaches, each has a life partner who has endured the rigors associated with living life in the fishbowl of professional athletics. The book examines all phases of life in football, from how women met their player or coach husband/boyfriend, to an NFL woman’s self-identity and career challenges, to raising a family in the spotlight, to helping in the transition to life after football.