Football Josh Vardaman
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Growing up, Kenneth Gilstrap always enjoyed reading, but, being a Black student, he didn't see much on his school's library shelves that really related to him or motivated him.
The former Middle Tennessee defensive back and current Blue Raiders cornerbacks coach always wanted to change that for the younger generation of Black kids. He recently fulfilled that dream, self-publishing his first book, "The Boy from the Swamp."
"I always wanted to write a book to be creative and give a young child something to read," Gilstrap said. "Growing up, I loved the thought of reading, but I didn't see too much that I could read that I could relate to or that could motivate me."
The fictional novel is a story about a boy growing up in junior high and high school and dealing with life's challenges as a young Black man.
A lot of the themes and events in the book come from experiences in Gilstrap's life and those around him growing up in a suburb of Atlanta.
"It's a fictional story about some of the things I went through growing up and some of the things I saw other people go through growing up," Gilstrap said. "It's about him growing and using his story as a motivational story to help people work on decision-making.
"It's really for young Black men and giving them something to read and relate to."
Writing a fictional book of this kind isn't exactly something a lot of football coaches attempt. Gilstrap started it three years ago in the offseason while coaching at Arkansas-Monticello, and during the writing process he had to deal with some insecurities of his own.
"I see myself as a confident person, but this was something a little outside the box for myself," he said. "I just started writing and kept writing.
"I battled with that fear of doing something outside the box, but I made it my duty in 2020 to finish it and put it out around this time."
As Gilstrap was going through the process of self-publishing and putting his book out to the world, the Black Lives Matter movement started entering the fold of everyday life.
He used both the movement and his book as teaching tools for his players.
"Through the Black Lives Matter movement and everything, I've told my players I want them to be more than just a football player," he said. "I want them to do something outside the box and show them they can do more than just be a football player or a coach."
Gilstrap also wants his players to see what a Middle Tennessee education can do for them off the gridiron.
"If it wasn't for Rick Stockstill and Middle Tennessee giving me an opportunity, I probably wouldn't have been able to write this book," he said. "I'm forever grateful for the school and the education I got at Middle Tennessee."
Gilstrap is currently in the process of writing a sequel to the book, and he's also doing a second edition of "The Boy from the Swamp." He hopes to make the second edition a teacher's edition with vocabulary words and more educational benefits.
"My goal is for my book to be in schools," he said. "I want to get to a place where I can get my books in English curriculums to help kids with decision-making or whatever mental dilemmas they're going through.
"I want people to read my books and it change their life."
"The Boy from the Swamp" is available for purchase at https://checkout.square.site/buy/DK6MTZWDCNIPICMFODPV6VDF.
The former Middle Tennessee defensive back and current Blue Raiders cornerbacks coach always wanted to change that for the younger generation of Black kids. He recently fulfilled that dream, self-publishing his first book, "The Boy from the Swamp."
"I always wanted to write a book to be creative and give a young child something to read," Gilstrap said. "Growing up, I loved the thought of reading, but I didn't see too much that I could read that I could relate to or that could motivate me."
The fictional novel is a story about a boy growing up in junior high and high school and dealing with life's challenges as a young Black man.
A lot of the themes and events in the book come from experiences in Gilstrap's life and those around him growing up in a suburb of Atlanta.
"It's a fictional story about some of the things I went through growing up and some of the things I saw other people go through growing up," Gilstrap said. "It's about him growing and using his story as a motivational story to help people work on decision-making.
"It's really for young Black men and giving them something to read and relate to."
Writing a fictional book of this kind isn't exactly something a lot of football coaches attempt. Gilstrap started it three years ago in the offseason while coaching at Arkansas-Monticello, and during the writing process he had to deal with some insecurities of his own.
"I see myself as a confident person, but this was something a little outside the box for myself," he said. "I just started writing and kept writing.
"I battled with that fear of doing something outside the box, but I made it my duty in 2020 to finish it and put it out around this time."
As Gilstrap was going through the process of self-publishing and putting his book out to the world, the Black Lives Matter movement started entering the fold of everyday life.
He used both the movement and his book as teaching tools for his players.
"Through the Black Lives Matter movement and everything, I've told my players I want them to be more than just a football player," he said. "I want them to do something outside the box and show them they can do more than just be a football player or a coach."
Gilstrap also wants his players to see what a Middle Tennessee education can do for them off the gridiron.
"If it wasn't for Rick Stockstill and Middle Tennessee giving me an opportunity, I probably wouldn't have been able to write this book," he said. "I'm forever grateful for the school and the education I got at Middle Tennessee."
Gilstrap is currently in the process of writing a sequel to the book, and he's also doing a second edition of "The Boy from the Swamp." He hopes to make the second edition a teacher's edition with vocabulary words and more educational benefits.
"My goal is for my book to be in schools," he said. "I want to get to a place where I can get my books in English curriculums to help kids with decision-making or whatever mental dilemmas they're going through.
"I want people to read my books and it change their life."
"The Boy from the Swamp" is available for purchase at https://checkout.square.site/buy/DK6MTZWDCNIPICMFODPV6VDF.
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Gilstrap self-publishes new book, 'The Boy from the Swamp' - GoBlueRaiders.com
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