
After the Cheering Stops
An NFL Wife's Story of Concussions, Loss, and the Faith That Saw Her Through
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.79
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Michelle Lasley
About this listen
Former NFL wife Cyndy Feasel tells the tragic story of her family's journey into chaos and darkness resulting from the damage her husband suffered due to football-related concussions and head trauma - and the faith that saved her.
"If I'd only known what I loved the most would end up killing me and taking away everything I loved, I would have never done it." (Grant Feasel)
Grant Feasel spent 10 years in the NFL, playing 117 games as a center and a long snapper mostly for the Seattle Seahawks. The skull-battering, jaw-shaking collisions he absorbed during those years ultimately destroyed his marriage and fractured his family. Grant died on July 15, 2012, at the age of 52, the victim of alcohol abuse and a degenerative brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
Cyndy Feasel watched their life together become a living hell as alcohol became Grant's medication for a disease rooted in the scores of concussions he suffered on the football field. Helmet-to-helmet collisions opened the door to CTE and transformed him from a sunny, strong, and loving man into a dark shadow of his former self. In this raw and emotional memoir that takes a closer look at the destruction wrought by a game millions love, Cyndy describes in painful and excruciating detail what can happen to an NFL player and his family when the stadium empties and the lights go down. A powerful tale of warning for football moms and NFL wives everywhere, After the Cheering Stops is also a story of the hard-won hope found in God's presence when everything else falls apart.
©2016 Cyndy Feasel (P)2016 Thomas Nelson PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Playing Hurt
- My Journey from Despair to Hope
- By: John Saunders, John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Playing Hurt, a leading figure in the sports world - the quintessential "man's man" who seems to have it all - confesses his constant battle with depression. John Saunders welcomes listeners into the heart of his desperate struggle through insights into the root causes of depression and explanations of modern medical and homeopathic treatments.
-
-
A Story That Can Save Lives!
- By Mike on 02-16-18
By: John Saunders, and others
-
She Danced with Lightning
- My Daughter's Struggle with Epilepsy and Her Boundless Will to Live
- By: Marc Palmieri
- Narrated by: Marc Palmieri
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-year-old Anna has lived all her life with severe epilepsy. Despite the ravage of thousands of violent seizures and heavy medications, she has thrived at school, athletics, and her greatest passion—dance. As she approaches her twelfth birthday, Anna's condition takes a dire turn. Her health declines quickly and a new diagnosis is revealed, leaving the family only one excruciating choice.
-
-
Remarkable
- By Sheila Valaer on 01-08-24
By: Marc Palmieri
-
Tell Me More
- Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
- By: Kelly Corrigan
- Narrated by: Kelly Corrigan
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a crazy idea: trying to name the phrases that make love and connection possible. But that's just what Kelly Corrigan has set out to do here. In her New York Times best-selling memoirs, Corrigan distilled our core relationships to their essences, showcasing a warm, easy storytelling style. Now, in Tell Me More, she's back with a deeply personal, unfailingly honest, and often hilarious examination of the essential phrases that turn the wheel of life.
-
-
hard but worth it
- By erssmith on 09-19-18
By: Kelly Corrigan
-
Shattered
- Struck Down, But Not Destroyed
- By: Frank Pastore, Ellen Vaughn
- Narrated by: Frank Pastore
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shattered is part sports audio book, because you’ll go on road trips, enter clubhouses, and walk on the fields of professional baseball. It’s part romantic novel, because you’ll journey with two young kids who fall in love and eventually elope, evading not only her family, but the law as well - for she was only 16. It’s also a story of brokenness, betrayal, and burn-out. If you were raised in a dysfunctional family, if you’ve ever had your dreams fall apart, been betrayed by close friends, or hit the psychological “wall” in your professional career, this is your audio book too.
-
-
Loved it
- By Jim Battle on 01-29-23
By: Frank Pastore, and others
-
Unscripted
- The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary
- By: Ernie Johnson Jr., John Smoltz
- Narrated by: Ernie Johnson Jr.
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ernie Johnson, Jr., has been in the game a long time. With one of the most recognized voices in sports broadcasting, he is a tireless perfectionist when it comes to preparing and delivering his commentary. Yet he knows that some of sports' greatest triumphs - and life's greatest rewards - come from those unscripted moments you never anticipated.
-
-
Get to knw the man behind the scenes.
- By Paul David Bunyan on 07-12-17
By: Ernie Johnson Jr., and others
-
Open
- An Autobiography
- By: Andre Agassi
- Narrated by: Erik Davies
- Length: 18 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From Andre Agassi, one of the most beloved athletes in history and one of the most gifted men ever to step onto a tennis court, a beautiful, haunting autobiography. Agassi brings a near-photographic memory to every pivotal match and every relationship. Never before has the inner game of tennis and the outer game of fame been so precisely limned. In clear, taut prose, Agassi evokes his loyal brother, his wise coach, his gentle trainer, all the people who help him regain his balance and find love at last with Stefanie Graf.
-
-
Just an Incredible Story!
- By Patrick on 12-13-09
By: Andre Agassi
-
Playing Hurt
- My Journey from Despair to Hope
- By: John Saunders, John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Playing Hurt, a leading figure in the sports world - the quintessential "man's man" who seems to have it all - confesses his constant battle with depression. John Saunders welcomes listeners into the heart of his desperate struggle through insights into the root causes of depression and explanations of modern medical and homeopathic treatments.
-
-
A Story That Can Save Lives!
- By Mike on 02-16-18
By: John Saunders, and others
-
She Danced with Lightning
- My Daughter's Struggle with Epilepsy and Her Boundless Will to Live
- By: Marc Palmieri
- Narrated by: Marc Palmieri
- Length: 7 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-year-old Anna has lived all her life with severe epilepsy. Despite the ravage of thousands of violent seizures and heavy medications, she has thrived at school, athletics, and her greatest passion—dance. As she approaches her twelfth birthday, Anna's condition takes a dire turn. Her health declines quickly and a new diagnosis is revealed, leaving the family only one excruciating choice.
-
-
Remarkable
- By Sheila Valaer on 01-08-24
By: Marc Palmieri
-
Tell Me More
- Stories About the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say
- By: Kelly Corrigan
- Narrated by: Kelly Corrigan
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's a crazy idea: trying to name the phrases that make love and connection possible. But that's just what Kelly Corrigan has set out to do here. In her New York Times best-selling memoirs, Corrigan distilled our core relationships to their essences, showcasing a warm, easy storytelling style. Now, in Tell Me More, she's back with a deeply personal, unfailingly honest, and often hilarious examination of the essential phrases that turn the wheel of life.
-
-
hard but worth it
- By erssmith on 09-19-18
By: Kelly Corrigan
-
Shattered
- Struck Down, But Not Destroyed
- By: Frank Pastore, Ellen Vaughn
- Narrated by: Frank Pastore
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Shattered is part sports audio book, because you’ll go on road trips, enter clubhouses, and walk on the fields of professional baseball. It’s part romantic novel, because you’ll journey with two young kids who fall in love and eventually elope, evading not only her family, but the law as well - for she was only 16. It’s also a story of brokenness, betrayal, and burn-out. If you were raised in a dysfunctional family, if you’ve ever had your dreams fall apart, been betrayed by close friends, or hit the psychological “wall” in your professional career, this is your audio book too.
-
-
Loved it
- By Jim Battle on 01-29-23
By: Frank Pastore, and others
-
Unscripted
- The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary
- By: Ernie Johnson Jr., John Smoltz
- Narrated by: Ernie Johnson Jr.
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ernie Johnson, Jr., has been in the game a long time. With one of the most recognized voices in sports broadcasting, he is a tireless perfectionist when it comes to preparing and delivering his commentary. Yet he knows that some of sports' greatest triumphs - and life's greatest rewards - come from those unscripted moments you never anticipated.
-
-
Get to knw the man behind the scenes.
- By Paul David Bunyan on 07-12-17
By: Ernie Johnson Jr., and others
-
The Oldest Rookie
- Big-League Dreams from a Small-Town Guy
- By: Jim Morris, Joel Engel
- Narrated by: Kevin O'Rourke
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a kid, Jim Morris dreamed of pitching in the major leagues. As an adult, his baseball career was restricted to coaching and inspiring players to dream big. Until his players made a proposition: if they won the league championship, he'd try out for the majors. You must hear this story to believe what happened when they actually won.
-
-
Great listen.
- By Daniel on 01-06-21
By: Jim Morris, and others
-
Forward
- A Memoir
- By: Abby Wambach
- Narrated by: Abby Wambach
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. Named by Time magazine as one of the most influential people of 2015, the iconic soccer player captured the nation's heart when she led her team to its recent World Cup championship. Admired for her fearlessness and passion, Abby is a vocal advocate for women's rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.
-
-
Damn Abby... Thank you
- By Christina on 09-14-16
By: Abby Wambach
-
Living Out Loud
- Sports, Cancer, and the Things Worth Fighting For
- By: Craig Sager, Craig Sager II, Brian Curtis
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, Craig Sager II
- Length: 6 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Craig Sager shares incredible stories from his remarkable career and chronicles his heroic battle. Whether he's sprinting across Wrigley Field midgame as a college student with cops in pursuit, chasing down Hank Aaron on the field for an interview after Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record, running with the bulls in Pamplona, or hunkering down to face the daunting physical challenges of fighting leukemia, Craig Sager is always ready to defy expectations, embrace life, and live it to the fullest.
-
-
Incredible and Inspiring
- By Anonymous User on 02-02-24
By: Craig Sager, and others
-
QB
- My Life Behind the Spiral
- By: Steve Young, Jeff Benedict
- Narrated by: Steve Young, George Newbern
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the most candid and compelling sports memoir since Andre Agassi's riveting bestseller Open, former San Francisco 49er, Super Bowl champion, NFL MVP, and Hall of Famer Steve Young gives listeners an unprecedented and stunning inside look at what it takes to become a super-elite professional quarterback.
-
-
Uplifting and motivating
- By Andrew Miller on 11-19-16
By: Steve Young, and others
-
Basketball Junkie
- A Memoir
- By: Chris Herren, Bill Reynolds
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At basketball-crazy Durfee High School in Fall River, Massachusetts, junior guard Chris Herren carried his family’s and the city’s dreams on his skinny frame. His grandfather, father, and older brother had created their own sports legends in a declining city; he was the last, best hope for a career beyond the shuttered mills and factories. Herren was heavily recruited by major universities, chosen as a McDonald’s All-American, featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story, and at just seventeen years old became the central figure in Fall River Dreams, an acclaimed book about the 1994 Durfee team’s quest for the state championship.
-
-
most powerful recovery story I've ever heard
- By Brian Swasey on 03-23-22
By: Chris Herren, and others
-
Beyond Belief
- Finding the Strength to Come Back
- By: Josh Hamilton, Tim Keown - Contributor
- Narrated by: Ethan Sawyer
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Josh Hamilton was the first player chosen in the first round of the 1999 baseball draft. He was destined to be one of those rare "high-character" superstars. But in 2001, working his way from the minors to the majors, all of the plans for Josh went off the rails in a moment of weakness. What followed was a four-year nightmare of drugs and alcohol, estrangement from friends and family, and his eventual suspension from baseball.
-
-
Once I started I could not put it down!!!!!
- By King Hap on 12-30-17
By: Josh Hamilton, and others
-
Carry On
- A Story of Resilience, Redemption, and an Unlikely Family
- By: Lisa Fenn
- Narrated by: Lisa Fenn
- Length: 10 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When award-winning ESPN producer Lisa Fenn returned to her hometown for a story about two wrestlers at one of Cleveland's toughest public high schools, she had no idea that the trip would change her life. Both young men were disadvantaged students with significant physical disabilities. Dartanyon Crockett was legally blind as a result of Leber's disease; Leroy Sutton lost both his legs at 11, when he was run over by a train. Brought together by wrestling, they had developed a brother-like bond as they worked to overcome their disabilities.
-
-
Powerful story!
- By Kevin on 12-04-24
By: Lisa Fenn
-
Better
- How I Let Go of Control, Held on to Hope, and Found Joy in My Darkest Hour
- By: Amy Robach
- Narrated by: Amy Robach
- Length: 7 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"I have breast cancer." When Good Morning America anchor Amy Robach revealed her shocking diagnosis on live television in November 2013, the seasoned news reporter embarked on the most difficult and illuminating journey of her life. In this intimate memoir, she retraces the 12 months following her announcement and speaks candidly, for the first time, about how her illness affected her family life and her marriage, tapped in to her deepest fears and strengths, and transformed her in ways she never could have imagined.
-
-
Read this book!
- By sonyabegonia on 10-16-15
By: Amy Robach
-
Life Is Not an Accident
- A Memoir of Reinvention
- By: Jay Williams
- Narrated by: Jay Williams
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like millions of kids before him, Jay Williams used to pretend he was making the game-winning shot while playing basketball in his Plainfield, New Jersey, backyard. Unlike almost all of those other kids, he kept right on making shots until he became an NCAA champion and two-time national player of the year at Duke and the number-two overall NBA draft pick in 2002.
-
-
Taking ownership of mistakes
- By ladybug on 07-20-16
By: Jay Williams
-
Counting the Days While My Mind Slips Away
- A Love Letter to My Family
- By: Ben Utecht, Mark Tabb
- Narrated by: Ben Utecht
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After five major concussions, NFL tight end Ben Utecht of the Indianapolis Colts is losing his memories. This is his powerful and emotional love letter to his wife and daughters - whom he someday may not recognize - and an inspiring message for all to live every moment fully.
-
-
Powerful
- By Ann on 07-04-23
By: Ben Utecht, and others
-
Wrestling with the Devil
- The True Story of a World Champion Professional Wrestler - His Reign, Ruin, and Redemption
- By: Lex Luger, John D. Hollis
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lex Luger, wrestling mega-sensation and three-time world heavyweight champion, ruled the ring for years as "The Total Package." Yet backstage, he was wrestling with addictions to sex, drugs, and alcohol - things he clung to even when his mistress died suddenly of a drug overdose and Lex went to jail. In Wrestling with the Devil, Lex Luger reveals never-before-told stories from his career, his struggle with personal demons, and how, through unexpected faith, grace, and redemption, he overcame all odds to fight the only battle that really matters.
-
-
good book
- By Tara on 12-05-16
By: Lex Luger, and others
-
One Call Away
- Answering Life's Challenges with Unshakable Faith
- By: Brenda Warner, Jennifer Schuchmann
- Narrated by: Christie King
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
What can you do when your well-laid plans fall apart and life takes an unexpected turn? Brenda Warner is best known as the outspoken wife of NFL superstar and Dancing with the Stars alum Kurt Warner. But years earlier, she found herself living through any woman’s nightmare: a healthy baby tragically injured in the bathtub; a sudden end to a career she loved; betrayal and divorce; poverty; public humiliation; a deadly natural disaster that destroyed her foundation and shook her to her core. One shattering phone call at a time, Brenda Warner’s life came to resemble little of her dream.
-
-
Page turner and worth a thousand credits !
- By Marian on 10-27-14
By: Brenda Warner, and others
What listeners say about After the Cheering Stops
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Terri Bradshaw
- 04-22-17
A story every parent and every spouse of a pro athlete should read.
This story was poignant. Thank you Cyndy Freasel for being completely transparent. Your story needed to be told. It's so tragic, but God never gives us more than we can handle and this raw and emotional book is compelling. You may, very well, save more lives than you will ever realize. I pray that your children will realize the love and sacrifice you made for them and for Grant. I was a freshman at ACU when you and Grant were seniors and the story breaks my heart. I went to Hamby Church of Christ from Aug 80 till December 81 and I remember both of you. I am praying for you and your family and everyone who loved Grant Feasel.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marvin L. Bittinger
- 01-10-17
Insightful Book
Very well written book on a tragic life. Why aren't such books written about boxing?
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Brian
- 01-27-17
I knew
I live in Barstow where Grant was raised and knew his dad DeWayne. Such a sad turn of events for Cyndy and the Feasel family. I enjoyed this book and wish them well
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Denise
- 06-03-19
makes you think
this book definitely makes you think twice about encouraging children to play football.
It’s just not worth the long term brain injuries it can cause
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!