The title of Ian O’Connor’s engrossing biography of Aaron Rodgers refers to an observation his subject made shortly after the New York Jets acquired him from the Green Bay Packers. At his introductory press conference, Rodgers was asked if he thought the trade might not happen. “Not really,” he replied. “I believed it was going to happen the entire time. It was just a matter of waiting each other out. My intentions coming out of the darkness was to pursue this opportunity.”

Those who have followed Rodgers throughout his career have often pondered the uniqueness of a football player recognized for both his on-the-field talent and his private, enigmatic lifestyle. O’Connor, whose biographies of iconic sports figures include COACH K, BELICHICK, THE CAPTAIN and ARNIE & JACK, interviewed Rodgers for OUT OF THE DARKNESS, as well as family members, teammates and coaches.

"I finished the book with greater respect for a complex athlete who, in the end, is really just like many other people in public life. As this football season progresses, I will be viewing him through a different lens thanks to Ian O’Connor’s top-notch reporting."

Readers expecting or hoping to find that Rodgers is a tarnished superstar may be disappointed. For the majority of his career, he is pretty much what one expects of a future NFL Hall of Famer. He grew up in a normal sports-oriented family, enjoying athletics at all levels, working hard to develop his skills, and overcoming the typical problems that young athletes often confront. While in high school, he attended a football camp in Champaign, Illinois; although he excelled, he was not offered a scholarship by the University of Illinois. Perhaps that is why he later would take great satisfaction in repeatedly beating the Chicago Bears.

Following a year in junior college, Rodgers attended the University of California. After declaring for the NFL Draft, he hoped to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers. Instead, he was taken by the Packers, who already had a Hall of Fame quarterback, Brett Favre, at the helm. While Rodgers did lead the Packers to one Super Bowl victory in his 18 years there, his postseason record cannot match that of Tom Brady. The debate over whether or not he would have won a fistful of rings if he was quarterbacking the New England Patriots is one that sports fans love to have, and O’Connor talks about that in detail.

Readers will find themselves well into the book before O’Connor begins to delve into the controversies that surround Rodgers’ personal life. Perhaps it took longer for some of them to surface because Green Bay is not exactly the media capital of the world. The list is long: a public quarrel with his family, his romantic relationships with famous women, and his “immunization” status, to name just a few. O’Connor covers these matters thoroughly and without judgment. He also addresses various on-the-field incidents, including Rodgers’ strategy debates with coaches and his decision to leave the Packers.

I confess that I began reading OUT OF THE DARKNESS expecting to learn bad things about Aaron Rodgers --- in part because he has a career record of 21-5 against my beloved Bears. But I finished the book with greater respect for a complex athlete who, in the end, is really just like many other people in public life. As this football season progresses, I will be viewing him through a different lens thanks to Ian O’Connor’s top-notch reporting.