GUILDERLAND — Tim Green’s story is of two different people.

There is the Tim Green who is intelligent, educated, and well-spoken and has used those traits to become an attorney and a popular novelist. Then there is the other Tim Green. The football warrior who, as a defensive end for the Atlanta Falcons, crushed quarterbacks and rammed running backs on his way to glory.

Those two different disciplines — the subjective world of writing and the physical world of football— have formed what his publishers dubs one Renaissance Man.

Green will be coming to the Guilderland Public Library today (Thursday) as part of the Carol J. Hamblin Notable Authors Speakers Series held each year at the library.
"I’ll be talking about the writing process," Green said of his plans for Thursday night. "I’ll read from a couple of my recent works and one I have coming out in April. I will also talk about the new novels I’ll have for kids coming out this summer with Harper Collins."

That is Tim Green now, who writes while also working for a law firm in the Syracuse area. Green’s latest books are Kingdom Come and Exact Revenge. Exact Revenge is a story about a character, Raymond White, who has been confined to a maximum security prison in upstate New York. White was a wealthy lawyer who was framed by rivals. In prison, White befriends an art thief and they plan an escape.

Once he is out, White plans revenge against his rivals.

Green’s favorite book, as a kid, was The Count of Monte Cristo and it still is one of his favorites.
"It’s a great story," Green said, describing one of his latest novels as a modern version of the Alexandre Dumas classic.

But Green doesn’t think he has been influenced by any kind of writing style.
"If there is a style to my writing it would be minimalist," he said. "I’m not saying I’m a minimalist. I try to put my writing into action and have the dialogue powerful to be powerful with description. I want to get better with each book I write."

Green has also written non-fiction works including The Dark Side of the Game, about his life in the National Football League and the environment surrounding a professional athlete.

His other non-fiction book, A Man and his Mother: An Adopted Son’s Search, is a memoir of his life. The book was featured in many media outlets and the rights have been purchased by CBS for a movie of the week.

The title of his other books and synopses of each, as well as a biography of Green can be found at his website, Timgreenbooks.com.

"A dream of mine"

Green has always been into books.
"I was a voracious reader," Green said. "As a kid, I was always reading or writing. I was an English major and took writing classes. That naturally rekindled my writing passion in ernest. In law school, I started my first novel."

Green graduated from Syracuse Univeristy and was named a Rossman Scholar For Humanities, a Syracuse Scholar, and an NCAA Top Six Scholar. He was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and was co-valedictorian of his class.
"When I was getting my undergraduate education, it was always in the mind," Green said of writing. "It was a dream of mine. It started when I finished school. I had an idea for my first book. I had to re-write it and re-write it. It took four years to write."

Of course, after he finished his undergraduate work, the Atlanta Falcons drafted the All-American in the first round of the1986 NFL draft. Green was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Green played for the Falcons for eight years. During his time in the NFL, he began his 13-year career as a commentator for National Public Radio, wrote columns for USA Today, and got his law degree with honors at Syracuse University.
"I got used to being efficient with my time in college," Green said. "I worked hard on my studies and I became co-valedictorian of my class and I put a lot of effort into studies and to be successful at football. It took time and energy, but I made it a habit to be efficient at leading two lives at the same time."

Green was able to pursue a lot of things when he was away from the playing field.
"In the NFL, in the off-season, there is a lot of time," Green said. "I started writing and going to law school. I did all those things at the same time. I had a goal and I worked towards it."

Similarities and differences

Though it seems that being a successful football player and a successful writer would take different means, it really doesn’t.
"They are very similar," Green said. "To be an outstanding football player, 99 percent of the work comes when there is no one around and no one cheering for you and admiring you. Ninety-nine point nine percent is work you have to do on your own as you try to reach your goals.
It is very similar through the process of writing. The image that everyone sees of a football player is of the one that is playing on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. No one sees the hard work that goes on in practices. Writing is very similar in that way."

Most of Green’s goals have come from his love of learning.
"I always enjoyed school," he said. "I was seeking learning and intellectual stimulation during the off-season."

Green also points out differences between football and writing.
"The beauty of football is really there is no subjectivity," he said. "It’s physical. You feel it when you hit the other guy, tackle the quarterback, or beat the blocker. Writing is done in the world of subjectivity."

Focus

Green has shunned some things in life to be able to go all out in his activities.
"I don’t sleep much," he joked, but then added. "I don’t really watch much TV. The thing for me is, writing is something I really enjoy. It’s as much of a hobby or pastime as a way to earn a living. And it is a joy to be able to do that."

Green also coaches his youngest son’s football team and his oldest son plays on the varsity at Skaneateles High School.

Green was an announcer for Fox Sports’ NFL coverage but stopped this year. He does appear on Fox Sports Net’s NFL Total Access.

People strive to live one of Green’s lives — they dream about being a professional football player or a successful author. But Green has done both. He’s fulfilled two dreams. He is quick to credit others in making him the man he became.
"I was very fortunate and very lucky to be around some very good people," Green said. "I had great coaches and teachers that showed me that it took a lot of focus. I had coaches and teachers that taught me a lot of things and I got the most out of it.
I see that with my kids now in sports. They need good coaches and I see how critical and important that is in any walk of life. I had success because I worked hard. I have talent, but someone along the way saw that I had talent."