Books

Shorty: A Life in Sports, by David H. White, is the story of football coaching legend George "Shorty" White, who led Birmingham's Banks High School Jets from 1961 until 1974, winning three state titles.

Banks High School is gone, but Coach White's Banks team still holds Alabama's state title for the most consecutive games without a loss — 35 in a row from 1972 to 1975 (34 wins and one tie).

White left Banks when he got a call from Paul "Bear" Bryant at the University of Alabama. He coached under Bryant in the late '70s, and was there when the Crimson Tide won national championships in 1978 and 1979.

In Shorty: A Life in Sports, former players and colleagues tell stories of what Coach White taught them about competition and doing things the right way. Readers get an inside look at the work ethic, discipline and values that lead to success on and off the field.

Sportswriter David H. White Jr. (who is not related to the coach) grew up in Birmingham and graduated from Vanderbilt University.