Heath Hamrick book launch at Talking Animals Books in Grapevine

Heath Hamrick, author of Play Like He Would: A True Story will be signing books at Talking Animals Books in Grapevine.

On a crisp October night in 1999, the Bremond Tigers took the field in Milano, Texas, carrying the hopes of their small town. Then, in a single devastating moment, 16-year-old Jason Yancy collapsed and died of an undiagnosed heart condition, leaving his teammates, coaches, and community shattered.

Play Like He Would tells the unforgettable true story of how a group of teenage boys and their coach, Jerry “Slugger” Hamrick, found the strength to continue after tragedy struck at the heart of their team. Jason wasn’t just another player—he was the soul of the Tigers, a kid without a mean heart who lifted everyone around him with his infectious smile and unwavering determination.

Author Heath Hamrick, the coach’s son who witnessed that terrible night, draws from extensive interviews conducted shortly after Jason’s death to reconstruct the raw emotions and difficult decisions that followed. From the locker room, where Jason’s helmet still hangs, to the cemetery where teammates left their own tribute, this is a story about more than football—it’s about how we face the unthinkable and find ways to honor those we’ve lost.