Eyeshield 21 by Riichiro Inagaki

This review is mostly for the entire series rather than just volume 17. Eyeshield is a series about hard work, determination and defying expectations. The main character, Sena Kobayakawa is a short, cowardly and weak kid, not academically or physically gifted in any way- Spending his whole life as a gopher for bullies, he's developed a speed that rivals superstars in the NFL of American Football, when a member of the American Football team notices him and his speed, he's forced to try his hardest for a team he originally had no intent on joining. Through this, he learns to dream, he gains aspirations and gets motivated to improve. Despite his physical incapability to be a good American Football player, he defies all odds using only his speed. Of course he's not the only underdog in the story, we have Monta, a failed baseball player who ends up playing receiver for the American Football team in hopes of becoming the best catcher ever, to surpass his hero despite the difference in sports. We have Kurita, an overweight yet strong lineman who lacks any form of speed, this puts him at a disadvantage to block any fast running back or intercept any passes. Then Hiruma, the quarterback built like a stick. That's an exaggeration, he's decently strong for his age but he's most certainly not a professional- in spite of this he uses his quick wit, deceptive nature and logical thinking to outsmart the opponents with tricky plays, allowing the underdog team scraped together in a hurry to best the giants who are famous across the land for their players and strategies. Overall, an amazing series to get into, although hard to acquire as it's out of print. Luckily SciFier has helped me in acquiring the series by having one of the rare volumes in stock.