Broncos kicker Jason Elam can handle pressure-packed field goals without even a hint of nerves. Composing himself to read the review of his first novel was a different story. Elam was jittery and tense. "I put on a thick skin thinking people would rip it apart," Elam said with a laugh.
But the 37-year-old kicker's first foray into the world of literary fiction has drawn positive reviews. Elam and Denver pastor Steve Yohn's first novel, "Monday Night Jihad," hit bookstores last week. The suspense thriller combines football, religion and a spy adventure in which the hero tries to thwart a terrorist plot. So far, the reviews have been glowing.
The main character in Elam's novel is Riley Covington, a bruising linebacker and Air Force lieutenant loosely based on former Broncos reserve Steve Russ, now an assistant coach at Syracuse University. Covington is an Air Force Academy graduate - just like Russ - who plays for the fictional Colorado Mustangs, a team in the Pro Football League. Following a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Covington, a third-round pick of the Mustangs, is living out his dream of playing professional football when he gets dragged back into his former life as a member of a special operations squad. |