J. David (is that your real name?) -- I opened USA Today this morning, only to read about June Jones revamping the Southern Methodist program, and I cried. Then I read about Coach McMackin, and what he's doing for us here in Hawaii, and I cried even more. Unless you live here, you will never understand the magic of what June did for us, for this island, or what Coach Mack has in front of him. Your book is a mainstay. You wrote history, but you made it real, and you kept it real for those of us who were left behind. Best of all, you documented it for history. I wish only blessings to your next project with Coach Ray Tanner and the South Carolina baseball program. Just do your best. Represent us islanders, bradduh. We're with you, and behind you. We will always love June. We will always love those who supported us. We don't bow easily. Here in Hawaii, we are born with a chip on our shoulder. June, and now Coach Mack, relieved us of that pressure. Angelica Rose

I just bought this book from Amazon.com. I read straight through it. I then immediately made my wife, my two girls and three boys read it. The miracles within these pages changed our lives. June, and Mouse, are something to behold. Also, we were all particularly moved by the Brian Kajiyama story. I'm a CEO of a multi-million-dollar company, and I don't get touched by much. But this book blessed our lives. -- Robert Mitchell, Chicago, Illinois

Mr. Miller -- I cannot believe the book I just read. It moved me beyond belief, to the point of tears. June Jones is a miraculous coach, and did the near impossible at Hawaii. I picked it up after meeting you in South Carolina, and I can't wait for how you tell Coach Tanner's story. I believe June will do it again at SMU. Reading this book was like watching Hagler-Leonard. Sizzling copy, followed by knockout journalism. Great, great stuff. Best, Keith Moran

Mr. J. David Miller -- I live in Bulgaria, and bought your book in the Honolulu airport. June Jones, and his amazing program, have changed my life. I went to Hawaii on vacation, but this book will keep me there for life. -- Natalia

I bought this book thinking I was going to learn about Hawaii football. Boy, was I in for a surprise. I live in Bozeman, Montana, where Mouse used to bring his boys on a dirty bus to come play our kids. Holy cow, did I get a life lesson from this book. I'm not an emotional cat, but this book is something people need to know about, and actually read it. I hope Greg McMackin kicks the crap out of Florida, and go Colt, and go SMU!-- Richard Stellars, Bozeman, Montana

I am a coach, a former quarterback, and a guy who actually played for J. David Miller. I am a Mouse Davis, June Jones, guy. Since the day I met David, he has been a mentor, and now, I count him as a friend. In whatever he does, he brings an energy, connections, knowledge and loyalty, which are an asset to any undertaking. Outside of his writing, I can assure you that man taught me more as a high school football player than any other coach could teach at that level, and it's all in the book. Thanks to him, and Mouse Davis, I was able to learn lessons that went far outside football, and I still practically use each one today. I also took what he taught me and "dumbed it down" for my program here in Chattanooga. Even "dumbed down," it was highly effective in both the running and passing game. Mark Lane

David (and Laurie) -- I'm at a loss for words. I just read this book, cover to cover, and all I wanted to do was read it again and again and again. I want to close the drapes, light some candles, have a glass of wine and go back to these magical places that the boys in Maui uncovered. I live in A VERY COLD PLACE -- Wisconsin, for goshsakes, and this book made me care about Hawaii football! Go Warriors! Never thought I'd say that! I'm a Badger fan all the way ... but I cried when Colt was drafted yesterday! Thank you for unvealing this incredible story for my husband and I -- Martha Mitchell, GO BADGERS!

J. David -- Just a quick email to let you know how much I am enjoying the book on "Warrior" football. As I only read a book once every two or three years, I am not a "literary expert", however "WOW" is about all I can say. Your style really puts the reader in with the characters of your various chapters. You need to know (and perhaps let June know) that I too spent thousand of hours spinning the spinners for "All Star Baseball". Back in 1957, my new heros were Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews of the Milwaukee Braves.When Lou Burdette won three World Series games against the hated Yankees, I was the happiest kid in Trenton, NJ. You may want to consider a new book that will make you a celebrity in the Bay Area. How's this for a title - "Champions, The Lights Still Shine after the Super Bowl". You could include such local heros as Mike Alstott, Warrick Dunn, John Lynch, and Derrick Brooks with perhaps a few cameos from the brothers Gruden. I have just read the chapter on Brian Kajiyama. It was difficult reading as the tears poured down my cheeks. Are you kidding me? John

Hi, Laurie -- I heard David had written this book from a friend, and I had to look it up. Wow!!! Tell him I said congratulations on all of it's success. David has always had an amazing way with words, and has inspired me on countless occasions. It warms my heart to know that things are going well for him, and I’m sure it has helped provide more comfort and stability for you and the girls as well. One of the best things about David is that he never gives up, and when the chips are down he has the ability to stay positive because of his incredible faith. I’ve always admired him for his strength and courage and I miss his energy and passion for life. I will never forget hanging out with you in North Carolina, or when we went to grandparents mountain house in Virginia. I miss you all. Give my love to David and the girls, Cam

Hi Mr. Miller, Mahalo nui loa for an excellent read! You "hit everything about us," the Warrior fans, the Warriors themselves, our Hawaii, the coaches and June Jones, "right on the money." "Who cares?" No one------------unless, you are a Warrior fan. What remarkabel insight you have! Finally, it all makes sense to my husband and me. Like all Warrior fans, our hearts broke when June Jones and some of his staff left us "on a dime" for SMU. Yes, we told ourselves we were so grateful and appreciative for what he did for our boys and our football program; Yes, we should all count our blessings for having him in our lives; Yes, he deserved the money that now, would finally come his way; Yes, he brought back our pride and the gift of Ohana to us; Yes, he took us on a journey of a lifetime; Yes, we made up our own stories of why June left at this particular time and Yes, we tried so hard to look at all of it----positively. BUT anything we told ourselves really, really hurt. For my husband and me----your book has finally put all our hurts and doubts to rest. You hit it right on the nose---it was time for June to move on because of the Warrior football schedule. No one wants to TAKE THE CHANCE to come to play us here, on our turf----and get beat! Heaven forbid! The time will come when June Jones and SMU will come to Hawaii to face our Warrior team. I guarantee you when he walks into our stadium he will get a standing ovation. BUT, when the game starts, McMakin and our boys will have our hearts and souls. As one---we will yell ourselves hoarse to beat SMU. After all, it is our Ohana out there! We were very fortunate to travel to the Sugar Bowl, (a surprise Christmas gift from our children). It was unbelievable what the Warrior fans went through to get to New Orleans. Their journeys alone could fill another book. You have to remember----they bought their tickets FIRST--- and then made their travel plans. My husband and I met fans that: 1) Flew from Hawaii to Seattle to Canada and then managed to get down to New Orleans; 2)Came to the game with routes that included flying in from the Bahamas; 3)Flew into Los Angeles and drove, (6 carloads of them), back and forth from L.A. to New Orleans; 4)Stayed in motels an hour outside of New Orleans as their success at securing their tickets did not include accomodations in New Orleans; 5) Got as far as Houson and drove to New Orleans when they couldn't get any flight out----etc. etc. etc. The retail stores in New Orleans----woe were they---they miserably underestimated the amount of Hawaii fans that would show up. Their Hawaii souveniers were sold out by the time we arrived 2 days before the game! It is estimated that 28,000 Warrior fans converged on The Big Easy. And get this, even when we got "whumped," the Georgia fans couldn't believe how incredibly nice we continued to be the day after. The President of their University even took the time to write a letter to the people of Hawaii about their wonderful fans. Is that a good storyline for you or what? Last but not least, our very good friends have had 4 season tickets for 30+ years. We went to the Rainbow games back with them in the 70's, moved to the mainland for 19 years, moved to Kailua-Kona on the Big Island in 2000 and now commute to the island of Oahu to attend the Warrior games with them. It is like we never left as they are in the same parking area, next to the same people we all partied with 30+ years ago. Amazing! Thank you again for a great, great book and most importantly--- getting to the essence of our people's hearts. You are-------Ohana! Aloha ka kou, Louis and Andrea Ventura Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

J. David, I have just finished reading your book on the history of June Jones and Hawaii football. What a wonderful book about life, football and second chances. My son, Winston, is headed to SMU in the fall to play football for Coach Jones and Coach Morrison. Your book provided us with some great background information on Coach Jones, Coach Morrison, Coach Suan and Coach McKnight. I am sure there are others but those are the ones if know of today. Winston is a good kid and has not had the issues of many of the featured players in your book. He did lack significant Division 1-A interest since he only started 13 varsity games in his high school career – not many for a quarterback hoping to play in the big leagues. Considered a “diamond in the rough” by many parents who know him, they all assumed some program would discover him and give him a chance to prove himself. I am glad it is June Jones and SMU. Again, thank you for writing the book, Hawaii Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope & Redemption. It gave us great insights into the men we will be working with in the coming years. All the best, Timothy A. Gamso Senior Vice President Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc.

Aloha, J. David! I just finished the Hawaii Warrior Football book, and I am moved beyond words. I actually got the book in New Orleans at the Marriot one night and I had the privilege of getting your autograph. The whole Sugar Bowl experience was something I will never forget. I came by the next day to get June Jones’ autograph, and that was actually the first time I ever got to see him in person. Things always happen for a reason and I prolonged reading this book because I thought to myself I'm too busy to get into a book. But faith, as it may be -- I have been at home sick and during my recuperation started reading the book. Every waking moment, I read and cried with each story. I, too, have some demons to battle, and I know God placed this book in front of me for a reason. I just wanted to thank you for bringing June Jones’ mission to life. I pray that I have the courage and strength to do what God wills me to do to. And to finally live the life that He planned for me. Take care and God Bless you!

Dear Mr. Miller: I just wanted to thank you for writing such a profound, touching, eloquent, thought provoking, outstanding book ... to name just a few of the adjectives (I would still keep writing). The Hawaii Warrior book was beautifully written. I cried, I laughed and I read every night this week until my eyes hurt. I finally finished tonight, New Years. As a new resident of Hawaii I now understand and appreciate the culture and new respect you've brought to light for Hawaii Football and June Jones. I only wish this book was on the New York Times Best Seller List, everyone needs to read this book! This was a true Christmas present, thank you and God Bless you and your family in 2008!

Aloha J. David Miller, While flying home to the Big Island from O'ahu, I was intrigued by an article in the Aloha Airlines in-flight magazine that talked about what the State of Hawaii, their University, its people and their culture were truly getting with June Jones. Over the years of watching Warrior Football and its transformation of its new identity and its successes, I was proud and happy and supportive of the team, especially knowing that I am a distant relative to some of the players. And that's what I was, distant. Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised to see your book, "Hawai'i Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption," at Costco while pushing the grocery cart for my beautiful wife (wink, wink). I bought it, took it home, thinking that I would read it on a rainy day with nothing else to do. But before I went to bed that night, I thought that I would just skim through and look at the pictures and read a little to help me go to sleep. That was Sunday evening. Hours later and early into Monday morning, with tears in my eyes, I could not stop reading. Emotions and feelings were being revisited and yes, faith, hope and redemption was there too. I continue to re-read these fascinating stories for some I can relate too, others are informative and interesting but there are some stories that are so funny it makes me laugh so loud my neighbors can hear me! Our Father in Heaven has answered our prayers and my family and I will continue to pray for this team and all who surround it. God truly blessed his good and faithful servant June Jones: Through this book, he has touched my life. Respect, humility and peace will be in my heart each and every time I hold this loving gift "Hawai'i Warrior Football: A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption." Mahalo J. David Miller, thank you so very much! God bless you and your Ohana! P.S. Forgot to mention that there will be copies sent to family in Alaska, New Mexico and California.

J. David: I so thoroughly enjoyed reading your book. It is so well put together, and turning the pages to see the next chapter was truly an effortless task. It is going to be a great read for my son as one of his Christmas gifts. You did such good research, and to see the success of so many of these Warriors, both professionally but more importantly, personally, makes the book so much richer. Redemption opens its arms to all who seek it. God is always there for anyone who seeks Him; He never turns away, we all just need to turn TO Him with an honest heart. He never leaves us. Enough from me! Congrats on a GREAT book, one that all UH warriors and the state of Hawaii can and should be proud of. Good Job!

Mr. Miller- I just finished your book "Hawaii Warrior Football- A Story of Faith, Hope and Redemption." Actually, I just got it in the mail when I got home from work Thursday night, and started reading it when I got home yesterday. I didn't put it down until I finished it early this morning. You have written a wonderful story. Perception is a funny thing, huh? While I have grown up and lived here in worship of all things Gator the past 42 years now, I have never been able to envision myself on Florida Field, wearing the Orange and Blue, catching passes from John Reaves, Kerwin Bell, Shane Matthews, Danny Wuerffel, Rex Grossman, Chris Leak, or Tim Tebow. They will always be part of my life and I am certainly a Gator. But these past 9 seasons, all I have thought is, I was born about 20 years too soon. I would have been ecstatic to have an opportunity to play Warrior football. That is, of course, assuming I had enough of what they wanted to be interested in me. But that leads to another point, which you bring up again and again in the book, and I've heard so often in other stories regarding June Jones - that of his unconventional methods of finding players, his openness and imagination, and the way he and his staff teach, encourage, and carefully, logically build the best young men they can. How I wish I could have been part of it. Chapter after chapter of past retold, and present reported, that just made so much sense to me. Some made me teary-eyed (like Brian Kajiyama's story), some made me shake my head in disbelief and amazement (obviously the state of facilities and budget still remain major issues), but they all made me smile. I will always be a June Jones believer and Warrior fan. I can think of no other parallels in the job that has been done, in light of the culture and traditions recognized, respected and embraced, the unconventional methods employed, the loyalty demonstrated regularly, and the commitment given and received from players and staff. Imagine my dilemma come opening day at Florida Field next season. I knew all this somehow, that there was so much more happening in Hawaii than any outsider could know. Your writing brought it all home. Mahalo for this book. My deepest appreciation for a job exceptionally well done, and I wish you much health and happiness in the future. So, all that remains is this: Might there be an addendum/postscript in the works chronicling this 2007 season that I could add to my current edition? Best of luck to you, and your family.

Dear Mr. Miller: What a book! I have just read "Hawaii Warrior Football" from cover to cover and was compelled to send you my compliments. I am not a writer and therefore, will not be able to express through written words how you have captured what has been happening since we were blessed with June Jones. I say "we" because this includes me as an individual, UH as a team and Hawaii as a state. My husband, daughter and I now live in San Diego. I am an avid Warrior fan ... I read the papers, the blogs, I watch every game and attend as many as possible. Last week we spent Thanksgiving at our home in Kona with family and friends and then headed to O'ahu for THE game. We tailgated with friends and were greeted by old and new with so much aloha it made me want to cry. Then, we stepped into the stadium, the spirit was amazing. Then came the ha'a, the national anthem and the state song...again, I wanted to cry. The following day, we attended a baby luau as guests of the friends we were staying with. We didn't know the family personally (turned out to be Afatia Thompson) but in true Samoan fashion, they wanted us to attend...after all, "you're Ohana." We were greeted with hugs and kisses, called "auntie and uncle" by the kids that had just met us. It was all so special and this time, I started to cry. I missed my Hawaiian Ohana and the passion and pride of this culture. That night, waiting for the red-eye flight back to California, my husband went to the newsstand and brought back something for me to read on the plane: Hawaii Warrior Football. I flipped through the pages and looked at the pictures, reliving just about every one of them. When we got home, I read it from cover to cover. I know that I was not on your mind when you wrote this book, but I cannot begin to tell you what joy I had in reading it, reliving not just the UH moments but those which paralleled my life as well and giving thanks for it all. It's a wonderful story and you are a terrific writer. Mahalo!