This is the inspiring story of how, against all odds, Gary Barnett took on a losing tradition and led the Wildcats to the Rose Bowl. In an extraordinarily candid account of the 1995 season, Barnett takes you into the locker room, onto the sidelines, and out onto the playing field as the perpetual underdog Wildcats stunned their opponents, amazed the world, and slowly convinced themselves that they could play with - and beat - the best.Barnett relives the agonizing setbacks of his first few years with the team, such as the game Northwestern lost due to his own inept timekeepers and devastating defeats to Notre Dame and Wisconsin. He chronicles his struggles with Northwestern's highly academic-oriented administration in his quest to show that a team of true student-athletes could compete as a national football power. He describes his painful conflicts with players recruited by Northwestern's previous coaching staff, and his realization that he could not go forward until his own recruits became starting players and shareholders in his improbable vision of excellence.One of the most moving stories in modern sports history, High Hopes not only takes us on a remarkable odyssey of success, but delves into what it means to be human being: to strive, to fear, to pick yourself up, and to bring winning into your heart and your life. Read Less