Step aside Rudy-Dr. Kenneth Polke is here to tell his own inspiring story of overcoming obstacles to playing in the NFL in his new book Conquering Your Adversities.
In this hybrid memoir and self-help book, Dr. Polke shares his inspiring journey, from growing up on the mob-ridden streets of Cleveland in the 1950s to going to an all-boys Catholic school to watch the nation erupt in violence. during the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, watching his Collinwood neighborhood become known as Bomb City, USA.
I’m not a football fan, but I always love a good rags-to-riches story or making a dream come true, and every page of this book is filled with both. One thing I really enjoyed about Conquering Your Adversities is that Dr. Polke contrasted his personal stories with keeping a finger on the pulse of what was happening outside of his private sphere, in his city and in the nation. As a result, the book was filled with nostalgia for America’s best days in the decades after World War II, as well as some of its most turbulent moments. At the heart of the story is the Polke family. Dr. Polke describes growing up in a small house in Collinwood with his brother and his little sister and then a little sister. His father read to them and educated them on everything from sports to the mob. When his mother wasn’t busy taking care of the family, she worked at the Jergens factory to make sure they had everything they needed. Dr. Polke’s parents were working-class, middle-class people who upheld the Ozzie and Harriet values of the 1950s and instilled them in their children, giving them strength and a moral code to follow when temptation presented itself.
And temptation haunted Dr. Polke as a child. His parents sent him to a Catholic school to keep him away from troublesome public schools, but even when he was surrounded by nuns, he couldn’t help but get in trouble by stealing communion wine from the church. But much worse, the streets of his neighborhood were controlled by the mafia, and although Dr. Polke never had direct dealings with them, he was always aware that they were in his neighborhood; he often had to follow his father’s cues on how to react to different situations, who to be friendly with and who to avoid.
The main mob figure in the neighborhood was Danny Greene, who would later be the subject of the movie Kill the Irishman. Dr. Polke had a memorable run-in with Greene as a child, a positive one, thankfully, that allowed him to understand why Greene was revered as a kind of Robin Hood in his community, even though he also knew that Greene’s choices were ultimately instance, an error.
When the going got tough, Dr. Polke always managed to persevere, but there was always the temptation to take the easy road to success. When he didn’t have a lot of money or when it seemed like his dreams weren’t going to come true, Dr. Polke would occasionally see rich guys drive by in fancy cars with beautiful girls, and then realize he might enjoy that style. of life if he wanted to join organized crime. Instead, he thinks of sports, specifically soccer, as the outlet for him.
Dr. Polke’s football career is impressive. He may not be a household name today, but he went much further than most who dream of playing professionally. He tells us stories of great moments on the football field in high school. We get butterflies in our stomachs along with him as he meets with recruiters from different colleges and ultimately feel like we’re falling out of our chairs in shock when he finally gets that magical call. I don’t want to spoil all the suspense, but I will say that Polke ended up playing for two different NFL teams.
And then, in the end, he walked away from football for something better…
You’ll have to read the rest of Dr. Polke’s story for yourself, not only to find out what happened to him, but to find out what could happen to you. Each chapter of Conquering Your Adversities ends with a series of challenging questions for readers to reflect on Dr. Polke’s story, think about similar challenges they’ve faced, and figure out how to overcome them. In the end, this book becomes a model for readers to follow their own dreams and achieve success despite the obstacles that stand in their way.
If you want inspiration, if you love history, if you’re from Cleveland, if you love football, heck, if you’re a human being, you’re going to love this book because you’ll relate to it and it will. help you overcome your own adversities. There are plenty of self-help books out there, but few can be as helpful as exploring how someone else overcame their struggles and being inspired by their personal story, and Dr. Polke offers all the way.
