John Maxymuk

John Maxymuk is an American football historian and reference librarian whose books use biographical research, statistics, and archival records to examine the professional game. His library career has been associated principally with Rutgers University, including the Paul Robeson Library at Rutgers–Camden. He has also written about government information, computers, and library practice, alongside reviews, articles, and poetry.

His football bibliography includes studies of quarterbacks and coaches, historical rosters organized by uniform number, and collections of notable plays and quizzes. Strong Arm Tactics traces the changing quarterback position, while NFL Head Coaches and Pioneer Coaches of the NFL examine the people responsible for organizing teams. His team-specific books draw on individual players and particular historical records, including the jersey numbers used by Green Bay and Philadelphia.

Football Books

Packers by the Numbers: Jersey Numbers and the Players Who Wore Them: Maxymuk organizes Green Bay history into ninety-nine chapters keyed to uniform numbers. Each number introduces players and events associated with it, providing a thematic route through the franchise’s past. The format gives attention to prominent figures and less familiar contributors, connecting individual careers with wider developments rather than presenting a conventional season-by-season account of the team. Published in 2003.

Eagles by the numbers: jersey numbers and the players who wore them: Uniform numbers provide the framework for this history of Philadelphia players. Each chapter highlights someone strongly associated with a number and identifies others who wore it, then explores related episodes in Eagles history. Decade summaries and an all-time roster accompany the profiles, combining biographical detail with a reference record of the players who represented the franchise. Published in 2005.

Uniform Numbers of the NFL: All-Time Rosters, Facts and Figures: This reference work records the uniform numbers worn by NFL players, connecting a familiar feature of the game with its historical record. Numerical rosters identify everyone associated with each number for a club, including both leading players and short-term contributors. The book provides a way to investigate careers, team connections, and the identities that supporters attach to particular jerseys. Published in 2005.

Strong Arm Tactics: A History and Statistical Analysis of the Professional Quarterback: Maxymuk traces the professional quarterback’s evolution from an early role that included blocking to the complex leadership responsibilities of the modern offense. Historical narrative and statistical analysis examine changes in formations, passing, and expectations. The account considers how the position became responsible for reading defenses, adjusting plays, and directing teammates, while also becoming a central focus of public judgment. Published in 2007.

Steelers facts and trivia: milled and molded hard-hat stumpers: This quiz collection arranges Pittsburgh football history into sixty themed sets of ten questions. Its structure tests knowledge of the Steelers through a series of focused challenges rather than a continuous narrative. The questions provide a way to revisit the franchise’s record and personalities, with the four-quarter arrangement reflecting the game around which the collection is organized. Published in 2009.

Quarterback Abstract: The Complete Guide to NFL Quarterbacks: Maxymuk profiles professional quarterbacks to examine their backgrounds, playing styles, and relative success. Career statistics, postseason figures, won-lost records, comeback totals, and ratings accompany the biographical accounts. The book includes modern starters and significant earlier passers, using a comparative approach intended to account for changes in the game when judging quarterbacks who played in different periods. Published in 2009.

Game Changers: The Greatest Plays in New York Giants History: Maxymuk revisits important plays in New York Giants history, explaining their circumstances and consequences through reporting and recollections from participants. The selections include David Tyree’s Super Bowl catch, Jeff Hostetler’s championship run, and other decisive performances. Photographs accompany accounts that place memorable moments within the games and seasons that gave them their importance for the team. Published in 2010.

NFL Head Coaches: A Biographical Dictionary, 1920–2011: This biographical dictionary examines the men who served as head coaches in the NFL and the leagues that merged into it. Entries address personal background, coaching approach, career results, and the assistants or quarterbacks associated with each tenure. The reference covers the period from 1920 through 2011, bringing successful long-serving coaches and brief appointments into the same historical record. Published in 2012.

Eagles Facts and Trivia: Puzzlers for the Bird-Brained, Second Edition: The revised Eagles quiz book uses 792 questions to examine Philadelphia football through its history, rivalries, players, positions, management, records, and unusual episodes. Maxymuk links factual challenges with stories about the people around the franchise. Ray Didinger’s introduction accompanies a collection intended to test detailed knowledge while preserving incidents that extend beyond the team’s most celebrated victories. Published in 2017.

Pioneer Coaches of the NFL: Shaping the Game in the Days of Leather Helmets and 60-Minute Men: Maxymuk examines the coaches who helped establish professional football’s methods between 1920 and 1950. Profiles of figures including Guy Chamberlin, Curly Lambeau, George Halas, and Clark Shaughnessy combine biography with tactical analysis. The book follows the development of formations, passing, defensive systems, and coaching responsibilities, showing how early experiments contributed to practices later taken for granted. Published in 2019.