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Out of Bounds: Coming Out of Sexual Abuse, Addiction, and My Life of Lies in the NFL Closet | 
 enlarge | Authors: Roy Simmons, Damon Dimarco
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Category: Book
List Price: $25.00
Buy Used: $0.39
You Save: $24.61 (98%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 748302
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 260
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.2
ISBN: 0786716819
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.332092
EAN: 9780786716814
ASIN: 0786716819
Publication Date: January 2, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More.
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Product Description
The second NFL player ever to come out as gay and the first ever to come out as HIV-positive, Roy Simmons was an up-and-coming star offensive lineman who quit football after just four years rather than be exposed as gay. Out of Bounds tells his compelling story-from his rape at age 10 to being plucked from his poor Southern background to join the NFL, from his first taste of pro football fame and sudden enormous wealth to his fast-paced, no holds barred nightlife of heavy drugs and countless sexual encounters with women and men. Simmons led a roller-coaster life that peaked in the late 1980s with his playing in the Superbowl. Ultimately, however, reckless living left him penniless, friendless, and on the brink of suicide. Finally in 1992, Simmons tapped the courage to come out as gay on national TV—then coming out as HIV-positive 10 years later—leading him to a healthy path of sobriety and self-acceptance.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 Lust, Love & Lies September 7, 2007
We truly take our hats off to Roy Simmons for his honesty in coming out about his addiction, sexual abuse and his life of love, lust and lies in the NFL closet. In this eye-opening Autobiography Out Of Bound, Roy Simmons, known as " The Sugar Bear", talks about his life as a football player, playing for the New York Giants, Washington Redskins and USFL Jacksonville Bulls. Roy Simmons, a man who had it all was at the top of his profession. He was making tons of money and loved by thousands of fans, fell from grace.
Though Roy had a promising career as a NFL football player, like so many others, he allowed himself to be seduced into the world of drug-addiction. He followed in the footsteps of his teammates, refused to deal with his homosexuality, and forced himself to forget an unspeakable event that involved him being raped as a child by a respectable neighbor and was in denial about his sex addictions which was the cause of his down fall. "It's amazing how he did not realize that his rape would trigger a future chain of events in his later years of countless promiscuity".
Torn between his high school sweetheart; Sheila, who later became the mother of his daughter, and Joe, the only man he ever truly loved, he manage to lose them both, by letting his selfishness and his addiction interfered.
After leaving the NFL and trying to make a life for himself, Roy goes from "Sugar to Shit". He continued to indulge heavily into drugs and alcohol and became more and more self-destructive. His life became unmanageable and spirals out of control. As the drugs and the alcohol takes over his life, he became violent, desperate and starts to prostitute himself. Eventually, Roy winds up on welfare.
As you continue to read this book, you will learn more and more about the great Roy Simmons, the Ex NFL football player. In this book, Roy shares his days of free basing, smoking crack, his time in prison and being HIV- Positive Roy even talks about dressing up in drag; yes dressing up in drag.
We found it truly remarkable for a man like Roy to encounter so many chances in life... just when you think he has hit rock-bottom, somehow he bounces back. It's amazing to discover how such a lucky man was not able to learn from his mistakes. Roy was definitely a man who had more than nine lives
So whether you're a Roy Simmons fan, a recovering addict, bi-sexual, or just plan old confused about who you are, Out Of Bounds teaches you a powerful lesson about the truth.... Remember, you can run, but you can't hide from the truth because in the end, the truth will always set you free. So we urge you to go out and get this book and delve into the un-restful soul of Mr. Roy Simmons.
Hang on for this ride June 11, 2007
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you think you are going to read a bio of an athlete, or a good gay nonfiction read, fasten your seat belt. This rollicking life story of Roy Simmons goes well beyond both of those matters to take you on a journey of sex, fame, money, and living on the wild side.
A young high school football star, Roy Simmons had no idea what lay ahead of him. Soon he was courted by colleges, pro teams, and hot men and women alike. He would be the first to admit he was gullible to all the attention, and he quickly indulged in all of it.
At the heart of this story, though, is the dark childhood secret that drove him (in both negative and positive ways), styling his future until he realized what he was doing to his body and mind. Even if you are not a sports fan, you would enjoy this incredible life story. I was shocked at the levels he'd risen to in the NFL yet for the hunger of drugs would stoop to being a male hustler for his latest fix. His breathless honesty took tremendous courage.
This is a story that is not only gripping to read, but which will take you through several layers of thought as you see this man's incredible path.
 Sad tale of Deception November 8, 2006
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
Mr. Simmons's story is a cautionary tale of lies and deception. He is delusional about the lack of recovery and involves those who love him in his "quicksand of lies and cruelty." He claims to have loved those who care for him and yet he hurts them and worst, expose them to the risk HIV/AIDS with his reckless behavior.
I had hoped to read further his story redemption and atonement for those he had hurt that he claimed to love. There is no such ending.
Heavy Metal August 4, 2006
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
I enjoyed this book from the point of view of a white football fan looking in from the outside on the experiences of a black brotha coping with the challenge of being gay. But I was rather turned off by the many expletives on almost every page in the later chapters, as he described his struggles with alcohol, drugs, and the underground gay culture. I live on a Caribbean Island where I hear the same expletives every day, so I can appreciate the reality of "the life" but it was a bit off-putting for the general reader. Still I came away praying for Ray, that he will be able to stay on the wagon and not relapse from his addictions, and also hoping that he will sometime find a partner that he can rely on and relate to.
my eyes were BUCK my mouth was OPEN! July 9, 2006
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
its hard to write a review without giving away juicy details but his lifestyle was of the fu_king hook to say the least! im not a football fan but i love autobio/memoirs so i gave this book a shot and im glad i did! this book was a good read! its shocking sad has hunor and will make u mad! i will stop there and say i reccomend this book to all ages races and al lifestyles there is a LESSON TO BE LEARNED!
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