Justice 100 Years in the Making: BREAKER BOYS Anniversary Edition Restores Pottsville Maroons as 1925 NFL Champions

Author David Fleming revives a century-old fight for justice with support from the Eagles and Steelers and a striking new trophy book cover

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- To commemorate the 100^th anniversary of the 1925 Pottsville Maroons, one of the greatest – and most controversial – teams in NFL history, today author David Fleming released a special anniversary edition of Breaker Boys. This new edition's cover features a silver trophy engraved: 1925 NFL CHAMPION POTTSVILLE MAROONS. Fleming says, "I'm tired of waiting for the NFL to follow the facts and do the honorable thing, and now, with growing support from Maroons fans across the NFL, Breaker Boys is once again championing the cause to reclaim Pottsville's stolen title."

Originally released in 2007 by ESPN and Hyperion, Breaker Boys was an instant sensation, breathing new life – and, for the first time, national attention – into the Maroons' fascinating saga. Engaging and authoritative, Breaker Boys outsold Harry Potter in Eastern Pennsylvania. It also inspired a special report by Bob Costas and HBO Sports, a Hollywood screenplay, a formal debate with an NFL historian (which Fleming won) and a handwritten note from President George W. Bush who called Fleming's tale of the Maroons "illuminating."

Born in the heart of Pennsylvania coal country and led by college stars and hardscrabble miners alike, the Maroons took the NFL by storm, going 11-2 and defeating the Chicago Cardinals in the championship game. The underdog Maroons then defeated a team of college all-stars featuring Notre Dame's legendary Four Horsemen. The NFL suspended Pottsville for playing Notre Dame, however, and awarded the 1925 NFL crown to the runner-up Cardinals. Since then Maroons supporters, starting with the Rooney family in Pittsburgh and Jeffrey Lurie in Philadelphia, have fought tirelessly to return the 1925 NFL title to its rightful owners. Now, with the release of the special 100^th Anniversary Edition of Breaker Boys, the wait is finally over.

Excerpts available for select media. This edition of Breaker Boys coincides with Fleming's next epic NFL tale A Big Mess in Texas: The Miraculous, Disastrous 1925 Dallas Texans and the Craziest Untold Story in NFL History which will be released October 14, 2025 by St. Martin's Press.

SOURCE David Fleming