Editor's note: This story is an excerpt from the book "American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback," which will be available on Sept. 9 from Disney Publishing's Hyperion Avenue. "DO YOU PROMISE ...

Eli Drinkwitz stared down at the lectern and chuckled as the question came down the line. That name, Marcel Reed, landed him in some hot water last year. He wasn’t making the same mistake twice. Early ...