Alive & Kicking

Alive & Kicking is the autobiography of one of the best place kickers in NFL history. Drafted by the LA Raiders in 1977, the 334th player out of 335, Rolf was a twenty-two-year-old rookie from UC Davis - a Division II school. Soon traded to his home team, the San Diego Chargers, Rolf was in the unenviable position of being a rookie on the last-placed team in the NFL. That first season with the Chargers, Rolf broke the team record kicking twelve consecutive field goals.. September 1978, at a Monday Night Football cookout at the home of the Chargers' equipment manager, Rolf experienced his first pangs of the ulcerative colitis which would bring him near death. Assailed by severe cramps and a fever, believing he just had the flu, Rolf took the field the following Sunday against the Raiders. But when his symptoms persisted and tests were conducted, it was concluded that the young kicker was suffering from Crohn's disease.

As Rolf's fame as a kicker grew to the point where he had converted 34 of his last 38 kicks, his condition worsened. But with support from his coaching staff and the public, he continued to play. Finally, during a return flight to San Diego fresh from a loss to the New England Patriots, Rolf collapsed.

Rushed from the plane to the hospital, Rolf began the series of tests and treatments that led to the correct diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and to the four surgeries which saved his life. October 18, 1979. Two surgeries later, at 124 pounds, Rolf returned to Charger Stadium to the cheers of his teammates and a standing ovation by 52,000 Charger fans, to co-captain a game with Louie Kelcher. Uncertain of whether or not he could make it to mid-field for the coin toss, Rolf was reassured by Kelcher, "...if you can't make it, I'll carry you!" Kelcher didn't have to carry him, but he did hold Rolf's hand. September 7, 1980, less than a year after Rolf almost died from inflammatory bowel disease, the Chargers opened a new season in Seattle. Wearing two ostomy devices, Rolf joined them, returning to professional football. He went public with his disorder thus bringing about a greater understanding and acceptance of the disease with which he was afflicted. And he set the example for other ostomy patients, playing seven more seasons in the NFL and becoming one of the best and most respected kickers in NFL history.

Well known for his generosity of spirit, Rolf began the Kicks for Critters program to support the San Diego Zoo's Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, he has worked tirelessly for the United Way, and he is a great supporter of the annual San Diego Chargers Blood Drive begun originally in support of him. Marriage, the birth of his daughter, adoption of two brothers from Russia, and a successful business career followed Rolf's years with the NFL. He created the Great Comebacks program which each year honors a person who has faced down inflamatory bowel disease and gone on to make a difference. And finally, he has written this book.

Alive & Kicking is a story of faith, courage, family, friends, determination, and survival. Originally written by Rolf to encourage others with inflamatory bowel disease, it is also an inspirational story for anyone who has ever faced or who is facing the vissicitudes of life. In plain yet eloquent language, Mike Yorkey and Rolf Benirschke use Rolf's story to inspire each of us to perservere, to overcome, to succeed. And to take the lessons we learn during the process to make the most of the life with which we are gifted.

Rolf Benirschke is a former placekicker for the San Diego Chargers, having played in the National Football League for ten seasons from 1977-1986. He retired with sixteen team records and as the third most-accurate kicker in NFL history. Today, he is in the financial services business with Eastman Benirschke Financial Group, and he is a sought-after inspirational speaker around the country as well.

Rolf remains active in the community and serves as a National Trustee of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) and as a spokesman for ConvaTec, a Bristol-Myers Squibb company. He is also a long-time supporter of the United Ostomy Association, the United Way, and the San Diego Zoo. On the hepatitis C front, he united with Amgen and created a program called "Keep Up The Fight" for hepatitis C patients, and continues to advocate for hepatitis C public awareness.

Rolf and his wife, Mary, are the proud parents of four children: Erik, Kari, Timmy, and Ryan. They live in the San Diego area.

Mike Yorkey attended La Jolla High School with Rolf, and served as an editor of Focus On The Family magazine for eleven years. Most recently, he is the author or co-author of seventeen books. He and his wife, Nicole, reside in Encinitas, California, with their two children, Patrick and Andrea.