Randy Roberts

Randy Roberts is a distinguished professor of history at Purdue University. An award-winning author, he has written biographies of iconic athletes and celebrities, including Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Bear Bryant, and John Wayne. Roberts lives in Lafayette, Indiana.

Cover detail of "Blood Brothers" (Basic Books)

“They’ve got to kill me. They can’t afford to let me live”: Inside the amazing friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X

Randy Roberts, Johnny Smith

New York Jets' quarterback Joe Namath practices hurling the ball at the team's training camp at Hofstra University on Long Island, Aug. 18, 1970. Earlier Namath said he didn?t think he could play ball this season, blaming both business and physical problems for his statement. Namath checked into the training camp on August 18 after almost two weeks' being listed as AWOL. (AP Photo/Harry Harris)

Joe Namath and the dawn of big money sports

Randy Roberts, Ed Krzemienski