Feature News

    CHICAGO, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ --

    Who:    Thom Gossom, Jr. is a television and film actor and producer who
            has appeared on numerous television series, including "Boston
            Legal," "Cold Case," "NYPD Blue" and "In the Heat of the Night;"
            and feature films, such as "Fight Club," "Jeepers Creepers II" and
            "Miss Evers' Boys." In 2004, Gossom founded Best Gurl
            Entertainment, which produced his acclaimed play, "Speak of Me As
            I Am." In 1975, he became the first black athlete to graduate from
            Auburn University.

    What:   Gossom will sign and read from his memoir, "Walk-On." A
            coming-of-age tale about overcoming adversity and gaining success,
            "Walk-On" not only tells the story of how Gossom earned a spot on
            Auburn's football team, but it also offers a unique perspective on
            a major social change sweeping college athletics during the 1970s,
            showing readers what it was like to be on the front lines of
            desegregation in the South. "Walk-On" is published by Borders and
            is available in Borders and Waldenbooks stores as well as on
            Borders.com.

    Why:    Gossom did not set out to be a ground breaker. He did not apply to
            Auburn University with the goal of being the first black athlete
            to graduate from the almost all-white college. He just knew that
            he wanted to play football and he wanted to play football at
            Auburn. A good student and a gifted athlete, Gossom was accepted
            to Auburn in 1970 and forever left the comfort of his segregated
            hometown boyhood to enter into a world of privilege that was just
            starting to grapple with desegregation. Loneliness, anger,
            jealousy and overt racism awaited him on and off the field. As
            Gossom fought for his place on the team -- and on campus -- he
            became part of the movement to make the world a better place for
            those who were to come after him, and in doing so, became part of
            history.

    When:   Thursday, Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

    Where:  Borders
            1539 East 53rd Street
            Chicago, IL 60615
            (773) 752-8663

    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSLOGO )