Former Cowboys And Una Receiver To Donate Proceeds From Book Sale To Alma Mater

Oct. 21, 2011

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - Author Robert Steele, a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and the University of North Alabama, yesterday launched a fundraising campaign to help his alma mater transition to Division I of the NCAA. Steele will extend a 20 percent discount on the $25 suggested retail price of "Steele Here: an Underdog's Secret to Success," and donate 50 percent of its sales to the transition fund until 5,000 books are sold. His goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of 2011. A successful transition to Division I is expected to take six years and increase UNA's athletic budget by $3.4 million per year. See www.una.edu/division1 for details. "I am excited to be a part of UNA's transition to Division I," said Steele, an Atlanta resident and former Georgia state legislator. "When I was an underdog for the second time in my life, UNA took a chance on me and allowed me play Division II football. I want to help future students live the dream of becoming Division I players." Copies of the discounted book are available at www.steelehere.net (enter code D1), UNA bookstores or www.una.edu. "Robert Steele has proven again and again that dreams become reality when there is a plan and true dedication to following through," said UNA President Dr. William Cale. "Robert brings a passion and a plan to help UNA build a new future in varsity athletics. He will inspire many to be a part of this transformation. It is that kind of commitment that will insure UNA's success." "In today's world, it is critical for all of us to have real-life examples of individuals who overcame adversity and beat the odds," said Director of Athletics Mark Linder. "As a former student-athlete at UNA, Robert serves as a source of inspiration for our entire department. We are excited to have someone with Robert's resolve and commitment to excellence assist us in our successful transition to Division I." AUTHOR ROBERT STEELE "Steele Here" is an autobiographical account of a chronic underdog who used dedication and determination to realize his dream of becoming a professional football player, and how that journey prepared him for a successful career as an entrepreneur and business-development expert. The 264-page book describes the dynamics of trying to make the World Champion Dallas Cowboys in 1978 as an undrafted free agent from a Division II school, and how Steele beat the odds one sports writer called "a million-to-one". More importantly, "Steele Here" is a "how to" book for anyone in any field about setting and achieving goals by adhering to commitment and an unyielding work ethic. It includes examples of how he transcended a series of career challenges by applying positive self-talk and powerful tenets that he extrapolated from introspection and conversations with his family, friends, coaches and colleagues. "Steele Here" (ISBN 978-1-61254-010-8) was published August 12, 2011 and is distributed by Brown Books of Dallas, Texas. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Robert Steele is a former wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and a participant in Super Bowl XIII. He is currently associated with a handful of firms that provide sales, marketing and business development consultation in the healthcare, insurance, employee benefits, and financial services industries: founder of Empowhr, CEO of TheEnterpriseZone, and senior vice president of Healthcare Insight. Steele served in the Georgia House of Representatives, and is working on his second book about his days with the Cowboys. A private pilot, avid golfer and entrepreneur, he enjoys speaking to youth groups, sales groups, and executives on a variety of business, sales and motivational topics. Press copies of the book are available via joe@jagpublicrelations.com or 707-795-9400.

About The University of North Alabama

The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: una.edu and una.edu/unaworks/.