By Lisa Danford
It was a chance meeting that led to the opportunity of a lifetime for Mitch Neu. In summer 2021, his mom became friends with former pro football player Brad Cousino.
Cousino wanted to share his story in a memoir. Neu, after reading a draft aloud with his mom, offered to help Cousino with the book, Unwanted, Unworthy, Unshackled.
“I love to write and I loved Brad’s story. The book is about Brad’s journey from poverty and daily abuse as a child to his success in the NFL and his journey beyond the NFL,” said Neu, 26, who graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in digital media and an emphasis in screenwriting.
“I helped Brad by delving much deeper into the stories he shared about his personal life in his speeches to create a memoir,” he said.
Neu added that research helped him write the story through the eyes of sports writers, coaches, other athletes and more.
“I can’t believe I can search my name on Amazon and find my book—it feels absolutely euphoric!” he said. “I am very grateful to Brad Cousino for giving me this opportunity to co-author his book, which, in turn, helped me develop a new kind of mature relationship with my mom.”
Neu dreams of having a full-time writing career and has plans to publish more books on the side.
Unwanted, Unworthy, Unshackled is available on Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com.
