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Native Roanoker and former NFL player Dennis Haley releases his first book for fans and athletes.
Local sports hero and former NFL player Dennis Haley released his first book last month. “The Playbook: The Art of Dreaming” recounts the trials and tribulations that he endured during his journey to become a professional athlete. It also provides a playbook for how readers can accomplish their dreams the way Haley did.
“I wrote the book because I wanted to share my blessings and opportunities with everybody else. It’s a motivational, inspirational autobiography,” he says. “I want people to know that dreaming has no age. I want them to know that they should never lose faith in their abilities.”
Each chapter explores Haley’s successes, as well as failures from his time as a child all the way through his time as a professional athlete. He says he hopes readers will learn from some of the ways he persevered throughout his career and use those tools in their own lives.
“At the end of each chapter I have what I call life hacks. I use those hacks as motivational quotes,” he explains. “For example in the first chapter, I tell people to dream big, don’t let anyone tell them what they can dream and don’t put a cap on their abilities.”
The book outlines five pillars that he says can lead to dream fulfillment: self-worth, work-ethic, discipline, relationships and sacrifice. “I go through and talk about each one of those pillars. I give bullet points on how each one of those can be used to become successful,” he says.
Haley’s storied football career started at Salem High School, where he helped lead the team to three state championships. He later played for the University of Virginia under the direction of College Football Hall of Fame inductee George Welsh. “When I look back on my college career, I know that I was really blessed,” he says. “I developed life-long friendships at UVA.
”During the 2005, 2006 and 2007 NFL seasons, Haley played for the Baltimore Ravens. “Only a small percentage of the population gets to play a sport professionally,” he explains.
He retired from the sport in 2010.“I had my ups and downs throughout my career, but I don’t have any regrets. I just look back and know that I was blessed to be able to accomplish my dream,” he says. “I wanted to do it from the time I was five years old.”
He attributes his love of the sport in part to his father who played collegiate football. “It’s a fun sport that allows for a sense of camaraderie and being part of a team,” he adds.
One of the most vital pieces of knowledge he says he gleaned from his time as a football player is that it’s important to always be in the “next play mentality.” Whether he is winning or losing in a particular moment, Haley explains he’s always got his eye on what’s coming next.
For young people who are considering a career in sports, Haley advises, “Anything is possible if you want it. If you want it bad enough, you can achieve it. You’ve got to put in the work. You’ve got to put in the effort. You’ve got to sacrifice. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing is easy. You’re going to fail, but you’re going to win too. You’ve just got to keep going.” Haley was born in Roanoke and raised in both Roanoke and Salem. He currently resides in the New River Valley.
Additional information about Haley can be found at dennishaley.wordpress.com.
The story above is from our March/April 2021 issue. For more stories, subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
