A striking celebration of decades of unparalleled access to the NFL by a critically acclaimed sports photojournalist

For the past 60 years, Michael Zagaris has taken his camera behind the scenes of the NFL, capturing the moments that define America’s game. With unparalleled access — 42 Super Bowls, 49 seasons as team photographer for the San Francisco 49ers, and a behind-the-scenes passport to the rest of the NFL — Zagaris takes his aim beyond the field and to the locker room, the bench, the practices, and the training camps. His intimate portraits convey the nerves, the tension, the pain, and the elation with emotional depth and the clarity of a longtime insider. With contributions from celebrated Hall of Famers Joe Montana, Ronnie Lott, and Fred Biletnikoff, as well as text from renowned sportswriter Steve Cassady and sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards, Field of Play highlights Zagaris’s storied career as a photographer, showcasing the irresistible force of football and celebrates its enduring presence.

Michael Zagaris is a critically acclaimed sports and music photographer who has photographed the NFL since the 1970s and continues to be the San Francisco 49ers team photographer to this day. He has photographed 42 Super Bowls and 12 World Series and has earned three Super Bowl rings and one World Series ring. Zagaris lives in San Francisco with his wife and muse, Kristin.

Brian Murphy is the cohost of the popular Murph & Mac morning show on KNBR 104.5/680, the flagship of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to joining KNBR in 2004, Murphy was a sportswriter for fifteen years for the San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, and Los Angeles Times. He coauthored Worth the Wait; Never. Say. Die.; and Championship Blood with Brad Mangin. Murphy has also written The San Francisco Giants: 50 Years; San Francisco 49ers: From Kezar to Levi’s Stadium; and coauthored The Last Putt: Two Teams, One Dream, and a Freshman Named Tiger. The UCLA graduate lives in Mill Valley with his wife, Candace, and two sons, Declan and Rory.

Michael Zagaris photo courtesy of the author; Brian Murphy photo courtesy of the author