Champaign, IL — "Ukrainians from the coal mining towns of eastern Pennsylvania may not quote Jewish proverbs too often, but I have found one I love: 'Every blade of grass has an angel bending over it, whispering, 'Grow, grow, grow.''" So begins George Toma: Nitty Gritty Dirty Man, an autobiography co-written with author Alan Goforth and published by Sports Publishing LLC.

The 200-page story follows Toma's career, starting with growing up in a poor coal-mining town in Pennsylvania.

Toma learned his craft from the pioneer of the profession, Emil Bossard, before getting his big-league break at Kansas City's Municipal Stadium in 1957. Since then, Toma has prepared the field for every Super Bowl and was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2001. He has also been groundskeeper for the Kansas City Spurs of the old North American Soccer League, managed Soldier Field in Chicago and soccer's World Cup in Pontiac, MI.

The book is available now for $24.95 and can be ordered online.