At age 5, an older boy lit Sam Bracken’s left arm on fire.

When he was 9 years old, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol.

By age 13, he decided it was time to get clean and pursue his dream of playing sports.

After suffering from numerous family hardships and homelessness in high school, he was awarded a full-ride football scholarship to play under Coach Bill Curry at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1981. Sam set out to create a new life for himself, his few possessions packed into a single orange duffel bag, a bag that became a symbol of years of struggling.

“He taught me to value myself as a whole person — not just physically, but spiritually, socially and intellectually as well,” states a page in Sam’s Vook.

[caption id="attachment_1666" align="alignleft" width="209" caption="A young Sam Bracken"][/caption]

Sam conquered his unfortunate circumstances, transformed his football scholarship into an academic one, and turned his life journey into a compelling story with messages of inspiration and his “7 Rules for the Road,” which launched as a Vook on Feb. 25 in the iTunes App Store and iBookstore.

In celebration of his big release, I had a chance to speak with Sam about his Vook.

“It's a truly unique product that combines the best of what we've created for the book, and it all benefits the reader,” he said. “I look forward to doing many more Vook app projects with its great team.”

Sam, whose mother worked three jobs to support her family, had a nervous breakdown and abandoned him when he was 15. Now, he has a family of his own, including three boys and a 5-year-old girl named Hannah.

“Unfortunately, playing catch is difficult because I can't throw the ball like I once did because of my shoulder injuries from college,” he said.

Now the global director of product management marketing at Franklin Covey, Sam said he still speaks with Coach Bill Curry multiple times a year. He was honored on Nov. 19, 2024 at a Georgia Tech football game where the University recognized the 1985 football team on which he played.

[caption id="attachment_1665" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Sam nowadays"][/caption]

“I think he is doing a great job at Georgia State developing a Division-I program from nothing,” Sam said. “I am one of his biggest fans — he has always been like a father to me.”

When asked about advice for people facing difficult family situations, Sam said to stay focused on one’s life visions and strengths to succeed.

“Surround yourself with powerful, positive people who believe in you,” he said. “Work hard living one day at a time.”

While Sam draws from many life experiences, he also faced the challenge of trying to find a publisher who would release the hardcover version of his life story. In the end, Sam decided to publish his own content.

“Self-publishing has had its challenges, but nothing worth doing in life is easy,” he said. “We still hope to find the right publishing partner to reach the lives of millions.”

Sam said he still owns that bright orange duffel bag.

-Jules Shapiro

Social Media Marketing Manager

jules@vook.com

Follow us on Twitter