Former Cowboys and UNA Receiver to Donate Proceeds from Book Sales to Alma Mater

Oct. 24, 2011 - PRLog -- Florence, Ala. (October 20, 2011) — Author Robert Steele, a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and the University of North Alabama (UNA), today launched a fundraising campaign to help his alma mater transition to Division I of the NCAA. Steele will extend a 20% discount on the $25 suggested retail price of Steele Here: an Underdog’s Secret to Success, and donate 50% of its sales to the transition fund until 5,000 books are sold. His goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of 2011.

A successful transition to Division I is expected to take six years and increase UNA’s athletic budget by $3.4 million per year. See http://www.una.edu/division1/ for details.

“I am excited to be a part of UNA’s transition to Division I,” said Steele, an Atlanta resident and former Georgia state legislator. “When I was an underdog for the second time in my life, UNA took a chance on me and allowed me play Division II football. I want to help future students live the dream of becoming Division I players.”

Copies of the discounted book are available at http://www.steelehere.net (enter code D1), UNA bookstores, or http://www.una.edu.

“Robert Steele has proven again and again that dreams become reality when there is a plan and true dedication to following through,” said UNA President Dr. William Cale. “Robert brings a passion and a plan to help UNA build a new future in varsity athletics. He will inspire many to be a part of this transformation. It is that kind of commitment that will insure UNA’s success.”

“In today’s world, it is critical for all of us to have real-life examples of individuals who overcame adversity and beat the odds,” said Director of Athletics Mark Linder. “As a former student-athlete at UNA, Robert serves as a source of inspiration for our entire department. We are excited to have someone with Robert’s resolve and commitment to excellence assist us in our successful transition to Division I.”

Steele Here is an autobiographical account of a chronic underdog who used dedication and determination to realize his dream of becoming a professional football player, and how that journey prepared him for a successful career as an entrepreneur and business-development expert. The 264-page book describes the dynamics of trying to make the World Champion Dallas Cowboys in 1978 as an undrafted free agent from a Division II school, and how Steele beat the odds one sports writer called “a million-to-one”.

More importantly, Steele Here is a “how to” book for anyone in any field about setting and achieving goals by adhering to commitment and an unyielding work ethic. It includes examples of how he transcended a series of career challenges by applying positive self-talk and powerful tenets that he extrapolated from introspection and conversations with his family, friends, coaches and colleagues.

Steele Here (ISBN 978-1-61254-010-8) was published August 12, 2011 and is distributed by Brown Books of Dallas, Texas.

About the author
Robert Steele is a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and a participant in Super Bowl XIII. He is currently associated with a handful of firms that provide sales, marketing and business development consultation in the healthcare, insurance, employee benefits, and financial services industries: founder of Empowhr, CEO of TheEnterpriseZone, and senior vice president of Healthcare Insight. Steele served in the Georgia House of Representatives, and is working on his second book about his days with the Cowboys. A private pilot, avid golfer and entrepreneur, he enjoys speaking to youth groups, sales groups, and executives on a variety of business, sales and motivational topics.

Press copies of the book are available via joe@jagpublicrelations.com or 707.795.9400.

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