Bleachers by John Grisham

Fifteen years afterhis promising football career is ended by injury, All-American High School football star Neely Crenshaw returns home to Messina when he learns of the impending death of his coach Eddie Rake a man he both loved and hated with equal passion.
The story of Eddie Rake unfolds through flashbacks as some of his former players reminisce about their glory days and how their coach touched their lives even after they stopped playing football. A tough but fair man Eddie Rake inspired his players to be better ball players and often better people, but his methods were often harsh.
The only suspense in the book concerns and incident between Neely Crenshaw and his coach during the 1987 championship game and whether he will finally accept his coach's apology and lay the past to rest.
This is not Grisham's usual court drama but rather a peek at the football mania that pervades especially in small southern towns where teen boys are worshiped with a fervor that often leaves them bitter and disillusioned when their glory fades. But most of all it is the story of an inspirational leader who uses and often abuses his power to mold and change young boy's lives.