Peyton Manning

We live in an age where professional athletes are expected to stand tall both on and off the field, and the Football Heroes Making a Difference series shines a light on what the game’s best are doing to give back. The formula stays the same in each book: open with an account of a clutch game performance, spin through a quick career retrospective, and then focus on the player’s various charitable endeavors and community work. Mark Sanchez hasn’t been around long enough to really pad his charity portfolio, but he showed his mettle by competing for a grant to help the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The case made in Peyton Manning may be the strongest, which is not surprising, given that Manning has been one of the game’s best signal-callers for well over a decade. During that time, he’s established several foundations and consistently strives to connect with aspiring young athletes. Troy Polamalu focuses on the Steeler safety’s hard hits and time spent with mentally disabled children and a fund he set up to help wounded veterans. The lively format, with plenty of action photos, helps the series’ message go down all the sweeter. A handful of quick facts and additional resources closes out each volume.