DeMaurice Smith was head of the NFL Players Association during some of the league’s most turbulent years. He will stop in St. Louis in just under two weeks to discuss his memoir, Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America’s Game.
Smith will appear at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 at the St. Louis County Library’s Clark Family Branch as part of the Library Foundation’s Westfall Politics and History Series. He will be joined by St. Louis media personality Rene Knott, host of The Rundown with Rene Knott. EyeSeeMe will have books available for purchase and signing.
During his 14 years leading the NFLPA, Smith was at the center of some of professional football’s most high-profile battles. There were labor disputes, collective bargaining negotiations to the controversy surrounding Colin Kaepernick’s protests. These and other issues pushed the league into the national conversation about race, power and accountability.
In Turf Wars, Smith reflects on those experiences. He also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions, negotiations and conflicts that shaped the modern NFL. The memoir explores the league’s response to social and racial issues and the role professional football plays in the broader American story.
Before joining the NFLPA, Smith served as an assistant U.S. attorney and counsel to the deputy attorney general before moving into private practice. He currently serves as a professor-in-residence focusing on law and business.
The event is free and open to the public. More information is available at www.slcl.org.