By X.M. “Mike” Frascogna, Jr.
JACKSON – Joe Lee, who recently co-authored The Saints of St. Mary’s with X. M. Frascogna Jr., returns with Raphael’s Men, a biography of the late Bill Raphael and the towering legacy he left at St. Joseph Catholic School. Lee will sign copies of the book, published by the Mississippi Sports Council, at the Mississippi Book Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14.

A member of the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame since 1984, Bill Raphael coached football and taught math at St. Joe from 1950-1990. He later taught math at Belhaven University and served as an assistant football coach at Millsaps College.

“Researching and writing this book, which I’ve done over the last few months, has been a uniquely rewarding experience,” said Lee, the Rankin County-based author of nine suspense novels and an active member of St. Francis of Assisi in Madison.

“I interviewed players from Coach Raphael’s early days like Con Maloney, guys like Andrew Mattiace and Roger Parkes from the great late-60s teams, Robert Dow from the landmark Capital Bowl-winning team in 1972, and stalwarts like Al Nuzzo, Joe Rooks, Jeff Artigues and Reggie Dampier from Raphael’s later years. All said he was an excellent math instructor as well as a great football coach and an outstanding person.”

St. Joe grad and Super Talk Mississippi radio host Gerard Gibert spoke glowingly of Raphael in the book’s foreword: “His math students wanted to ace his rigorous but fair tests, and his football players would absolutely run through a brick wall to deliver wins on the field. As a student or player, you wanted to please him as if he were your own dad.”

Lee, who will be on the book festival’s Mississippi Culture panel to discuss Raphael’s Men, expects the book to reach a wide audience because of its inspirational value.

“It’s about leadership that transcends generations,” he said. “Always give your best effort. Always do the right thing when no one is watching. And always believe you can accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible. Timeless advice from a devout Catholic that can be passed on to our kids and grandkids.”

Raphael’s Men will be available after Sept. 1 at Lemuria Books, located at 4465 I-55 North in Jackson on the second floor of Banner Hall. Copies are $24.95 plus tax and can be reserved by calling (601) 366-7619. For more information, visit lemuriabooks.com.

X.M. “Mike” Frascogna, Jr. has nearly fifty years experience as a practicing attorney, negotiator and professor. He is a prolific writer and has published a number of books on both professional and popular topics.