Todd Marinovich with Lizzy Wright/Matt Holt Books/2025/256pp/IBSN: 9781637747100

Marinovich opens with a stark, deeply-resonating scene that sets the perfect tone for this intriguing memoir:

“December 1, 2002. The syringe is too dull to pierce my jugular. There are no virgins left on my body; every vein has been abused to silence the agony. I am desperate for a reprieve, but it will be short-lived before the storm returns, bearing down with unrelenting sheets of hurt, doubt, and self-loathing. Each time I’m hopeful the heroin will permanently silence this raging tempest, but I’m never so lucky.”

In his sharp, skillfully-crafted narrative (with a valuable assist by Lizzy Wright), former USC and NFL quarterback Todd Marinovich (aka “Robo-QB”) recalls his tumultuous journey from his SoCal childhood and schoolboy football stardom – raised from the crib to be a star quarterback under the close (often suffocating) supervision of his notorious father, Marv – through his short-lived college and NFL careers, his downward spiral through the dark depths of heroin addiction, his decades-long struggle for sobriety and, ultimately, his recovery through art.

At times heart-wrenching, at times hysterically funny (Todd has a terrific sense of humor that he infuses into engaging prose), Marinovich is always raw, honest and entertaining. Todd pulls no punches and leaves no topic off limits.

While many of us over a certain age remember the media-tailored and sensationalist Todd Marinovich story from the 1980s, when he made headlines for his unusual training methods and dietary restrictions under Marv’s tight control – portraying Todd as a virtual circus freak and inflicting him with the “Robo-QB” nickname that stuck to him like glue – this is the first time we’ve heard the true and honest version from the man himself. And he doesn’t disappoint. Todd simply was a shy kid who loved sports, competition, and thrived under pressure from a young age. As he says several times throughout this memoir, he just didn’t want to be “Todd Marinovich” – with the blinding spotlight, public attention and high-wrought expectations that trailed him everywhere.

Todd never tries to portray himself as a victim of a stressful childhood or ruthless media, or even lament over a football career cut far short of its potential. Rather, he looks back at his past as a platform to build upon in his more honest, self-aware and enlightened path forward:

“After much reflection, I know with absolute certainty that I wasn’t put on the earth to throw spirals. That’s why I felt empty when hitting the top of my game. Football was a part of my journey, but it was far from the most significant phase. I believe with all my heart that I was put here to connect – to reach people who suffer by sharing my experience…. Harnessing lessons learned through sports, art, and recovery gives me a fighting chance. It’s never too late to become the person I aspire to be despite the past. Living in my truth is a liberation from my history and a freedom unlike anything I’ve ever known. I wish this sovereignty for everyone on a similar journey.”

Marinovich scores a touchdown!

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Reviewer Nate Mancuso is a Florida-based attorney, fiction writer, and lover/advocate of free speech and civil liberties. Nate’s work has appeared in several literary magazines including PULP, Disturb the Universe, Synchronized Chaos, Horror Sleaze Trash, miniMAG, R U Joking?, A Thin Slice of Anxiety, Mobius Blvd and The SportScribe. Nate is currently working on his first collection of short stories and other works in progress.