Ryan Leaf’s 596 Switch Book Debuts October 15th

Remember Ryan Leaf?  If for nothing else you remember him as one of the most colorful characters to ever play in the NFL.  He had stints with the San Diego Chargers, and the Dallas Cowboys after being selected in the first round out of Washington State.  His new book 596 Switch is coming out October 15th.

The book offers a very candid look into that Washington State locker room.

“It was a special time in my life,” says Leaf. “Over the years, so many Cougar fans have shared their stories with me of what that Rose Bowl experience meant to them. This was an opportunity to tell what that incredible season was like on the field and behind the scenes.”

596 Switch is much more than just Leaf’s story. It is a book about the unique and colorful characters who came together to do something no one else thought possible. It is a book full of life lessons about perseverance, loyalty, discipline and second chances.

Leaf writes about the controversial end of the 1998 Rose Bowl against Michigan. The Cougars had the ball on the 26-yard line, were out of timeouts and tried to spike the ball to stop the clock. The referees ruled the clock had expired, ending the Cougars chances of a final play and chance of an upset. Leaf’s book takes its title from the next play the Cougars would have run, called 596 Switch.

“Those two seconds came to be two of the most controversial in bowl-game history,” said Leaf. “It seemed only fitting to tie the name of the book into something that people are still passionate about to this day, 13 years later.”

There are some ‘behind the scene’ surprises in the book, too. Leaf offers an honest and unique ‘insider’s perspective’ of college football in the late 1990s, addressing issues that are still relevant today, such as:

• Pay for college players

• Recruiting

• Race relations

You can grab the book at Crimson Oak Publishing online. A percentage of the profits goes to the Washington State Athletic program.