Exclusive Sneak Peek: Matt Wixon's new book "Fourth Down in Texas"

Football, with a rich history on the field and a history of making people rich, might seem too big to die. But in "Fourth Down in Texas," a novel set amid the simmering debate of football safety, the dominoes are falling on a cultural cornerstone of America.

Evidence is mounting regarding the lasting effects of concussions, the NFL and NCAA are targets of negligence lawsuits, and the rare-but-wrenching stories of high school player deaths have put football on the firing line. In "Fourth Down in Texas," written by longtime Dallas Morning News sports writer and columnist Matt Wixon, school districts across the country are shutting down their football programs and even Texas, the 50-yard line of football in America, is feeling the effects.