- [Player] Let's go!
- [Coach] Shut up and take it like a man.
Shut up and take it like a man.
- The motto for the year is redemption 2019.
We're going to redeem ourselves.
You know, last season was very interesting
just in regards of we had solid talent.
At the same time our culture wasn't right and that's on me.
I gave guys probably a little bit too much leeway.
I probably gave some guys a little bit too much trust
And then when adversity hit, their character was revealed
and the character wasn't good.
- [Turp] We had a lot of guys that couldn't take coaching.
Everybody wanted to talk back
and do they own thing and shine they own way.
- [Matt] For a lot of guys, this could be it for them.
This could be the end of the line.
It's guys that are pushed up in a corner in a lot of ways
and they're doing every single thing that they can
to get out of that corner and make it to the next level.
- [Coach] Yes, you're gonna make some mistakes.
Yes, problems are gonna occur but own it.
Just accept it, move on, make the proper change
so you can become a better person, a better player
and a better member of society.
- You know what I'm saying?
they were going through it.
I want these guys to leave here, one, with their degree.
But also, two, have an experience so they can look back.
Man, I had this brotherhood at Long Beach City College,
at Long Beach City College Football.
We came together and we had this
experience with coaches and players.
- Like this year, you can tell like it's not individual.
We all want, everybody wants to win and get out.
- Fight. - Let's go!
- Fight. - Let's go.
- Let's go, fight.
- Here we go. - Yeah!
- [Coach] And that's kind of why I've stayed in JCs too
for so long is in fact the relationships.
- No racism today. - No racism today.
(relaxed electronic music)
- [Flynn] Crazy, I've known Coach P, I'm 34.
I've know Coach Peabody since I was 13.
- Jared, go call whatever you want.
- I know what to expect from him,
he knows what to expect from me
and it kind of works seamlessly.
- [Sweet Lew] I'm very optimistic when it comes to this team
because I see the talent and I know what talent is.
And they have a lot.
They just have to play like, you know,
sometimes you gotta use that big ego out there to win games.
You gotta know you're the best.
(upbeat hip hop music)
- [Flynn] We got some really talented guys on offense.
Zion Bowens, he's a special, special athlete.
His acceleration, his speed, it's world class.
- [Zion] My name is Zion Bowens from Long Beach, California.
I went to Long Beach Poly High School.
Born and raised in Long Beach.
- [Neo] He's a local kid, Long Beach Poly product.
He's a speedster, he can run,
the kid's great catching the ball.
Great after catching the ball.
- There it is.
- [Patterson] Teshawn Turpin, he's the anchor of the O-line.
He's a pleasure to be around, really good kid.
- [Turp] Don't pinch me Jimmy.
- I'm from Cleveland, Ohio.
I bounced back to the LBCC to give myself
a second opportunity to play ball again.
- [Neo] He loves to talk, he does not shut up.
- [Turp] He don't like me messin' with him like that.
You know you like it.
- [Coach] He occasionally talks too much
trash in practice, he drives me nuts
and messes up my tempo but he cares about his teammates,
he cares about his coaches, he likes being coached.
- [Turp] Zion, come here.
Come give me a hug, bro, you'll be all right.
- [Neo] He's their captain.
- [Turp] Coming to you live, go Vikings.
(upbeat music)
- [Shane] I'm Shane Irwin, I play defensive end
slash outside linebacker here at Long Beach City College.
Number nine, I'm gonna bounce back from
San Diego State and I'm just trying to make it.
- [Patterson] Shane Irwin, he's like Captain America, man.
- [Shane] My goals are obviously
to make it back to a Division I school.
- [Flynn] I saw Shane play a bunch of times in high school
I was so excited when I heard
we were gonna get him back from San Diego State.
He's a special talent, I fully expect him to go Pac-12.
- [Shane] I do think I could play at a higher level.
So I'm shooting for Power Five, Pac-12.
- [Flynn] D'Anthony, he's one of the best players,
if not the best player I've ever coached.
The things he can do, it's insane.
Six-three, 255 and he's as fast as almost
every single one of our receivers, if not faster.
- [DA] DA, D'Anthony Jones, everybody call me DA.
I'm back this year, I'm back
this game after missing the previous one.
I'm just here to help, get everybody turnt,
get the energy going.
- [Patterson] That guy is very, very talented.
Quickest first step off the ball I've seen
in my 32 years on this planet to be honest.
High temper guy but also a high motor guy
and you put those two together on the field,
it's something fierce.
- [Flynn] He's gonna have a boatload
of offers at the end of the season.
- [Patterson] Limited direction growing up.
He's still learning to come into his own.
- [DA] I keep missing (beep).
(beep)
- [Matt] There's a lot of good stories
in Long Beach City College football.
You know, whether it's guys that are
talented enough to go on to the next level
to a four year university but need maturity,
time to mature academically
or it's guys that are there academically
but need a little bit more time
to kind of develop in a college system.
- [DA] Everybody knows me, you know?
Cool guy, ill-tempered guy but you know,
this year I'm doing really well with it.
The coaching staff really helped me and my teammates.
I live with my uncle, dad left when I was about like 10.
I grew up a foster kid, got out when I was 17.
So I really love LBCC, it's helped me
learn how to control my temper for the next level.
- [Shane] Once I decided I wasn't gonna
be playing at San Diego anymore,
Peabody had reached out to me and he was just like,
"Come have fun with it again."
And Peabody really did that for me
and he's been nothing but helpful in this whole process
and I really appreciate everything he's done for me.
- [Zion] He's the type of coach that
you want to play for and do good for
and I look forward to making him proud.
- [Coach] Let's go, this can't happen.
Come on, we got a game in two days.
- [DA] But he's just a great dude, loving dude.
That man did so much for me.
I've been going through things
a little while ago in my life that was really tough for me
and he's just one of the people, him and Flynn,
I go to them and I talk to them 'cause you know,
I need that, I don't have that fatherly love,
someone to guide me, you know?
He's like a, it sound kinda weird but like
a second father to me that helped me a lot.
I know I didn't have the grades part.
So Peabody got me here, talked to me more
about schooling and life than football
and things like that is important, you know?
They get these kids out here and just talk
about football and don't talk about life
after football or academics.
- [Melody] So the Student Athlete Success Center,
we've tried to make it mandatory in the sense that we would
like each student to use it a minimum two hours a week.
Even if every coach was full time here,
it's still, to track them for 16 weeks
to every single class is just a lot of work for anybody.
- [Flynn] In the quarterback room, we have a rule.
If they don't get a 3.5,
they have conditioning at the end of the semester
and it's a brutal conditioning.
- [Zion] Classes for me are a priority before anything else.
So that's just been the main thing that
I've been on top of just so I can play football.
- [DA] Just go in there in her office
and bug her, talk to her every day.
Go check grades, make sure I'm on track.
- [Zion] She's like a huge part to the football team
and without her, a lot of people wouldn't know
where they would be going.
- [Melody] So take care of it now.
- [Talone] So do I go to Admissions or do I go to--
- [Melody] Stop by admissions and records first.
- [Talone] Okay.
- [Melody] And then if they send you to Counseling,
it's right there.
- I've never had this issue before.
If I have any questions with Melody
or any questions just on school
issues in general, I'll just ask her.
She'll let me know, she'll guide me, help me out.
I mean we're all a team trying to get outta here
and she's one of the gateways outta here.
- Thanks, Melody. - Pat.
Great to see you, I hope you have a great day.
- Oh my god, you are so nice.
- I wish they had had this at my previous institutions
in that it allows them (chuckles),
those three are all very good football players too.
(relaxed electronic music)
Some do just come for the peanut butter and jelly
but I mean that's a big thing too 'cause
if you think about it, how many students are hungry
and are experiencing some kind
of food insecurity or even housing insecurity?
- She loves us too, cares about us and that's just
the type of love we get here, especially from her.
- Yes, they're a little rough around the edges sometimes
and some really do come from some tough backgrounds
but at the end of the day, they're really,
really good students and really good guys.
I'm honored to be working with them.
- [Flynn] Football ends for everybody,
no matter how good you are, no matter how long.
You could play in the NFL for five, six,
10 years but at some point it's gonna end
and you gotta be able to fall back on education.
So we push that strong and in reality,
it doesn't matter how good you are at football.
If you don't have the grades,
you're not going anywhere anyways.
(metallic clattering)
(relaxed guitar music)
- [Quarterback] They're catching me, dude.
- Relax, relax, relax.
- [Coach] The accountability's been there this off season.
The motto for the year is redemption 2019.
We're going to redeem ourselves.
Now at the same time, we have a brutally tough schedule.
Six of the 10 teams on our schedule were ranked
in front of us, so it's gonna be a tremendous challenge.
I am a little concerned about the kicking game.
We're developing a kicker.
(clank) - Oh.
- [Coach] Come on, Fredo.
- I actually just hired,
who will start working with us soon,
he's gotta go through the volunteer process
but I'm gonna pay a guy 200 bucks a month outta my pocket.
He was a kicker we had here who went to UCLA
and he worked with Fredo one day on the side
and had him looking really good.
The kid went eight of nine that day.
(screaming)
He's got a lot of leg talent,
he just doesn't have a lot of football experience.
- [Player] Come on, man.
We gonna be going for it on fourth down.
- [Coach] Hey, hey, hey.
- The team's got the message that I will manage him,
the kicking coach will manage him, stay positive
with the kid 'cause he's learning, he's developing.
I think I'm really good at reading
the body language and facial expressions
and you could just see him starting to break down.
That's why I addressed it at
the end on the side, away from Fredo.
The one thing I love about this team
and I love about our coaching staff,
this team in particular really listens well
and they respond and there's a great level of trust.
Here we go.
Hey, way to go, Fredo. (team cheering)
- There we go. - Hell yeah.
- TJ, you guys get outta the red, eh?
Thank you.
- [Neo] He's very honest, he's very brutally honest
but some of these kids kind of need this kind of honesty
because they're not going to be able to make it
if they don't have this kind of honesty.
- [Player] I'm trying to get him outta the way.
- Why are you here? - Why are you here?
- Where are you supposed to be in a game?
You're back here in a game, right?
You're not even inside the red during a game.
You are, no, come on, let's get used to it.
No, are you gonna listen or are you gonna go home?
Your pick.
Players are outside of the red box.
The coaches coach here, this is for the rest.
- [Player] Tell him not to-- - No, no.
- [Player] Joker, Joker, Joker.
- You don't have to worry about it.
[Coach] I'll give you your cutting papers, bro.
- [Neo] 'Cause he'll just treat you
like you're just a dime a dozen.
We'll get rid of you and we'll find the next guy, you know?
(whistle blaring)
- [Coach] Practice, I was actually pleased overall.
We actually had some distractions
out there which you guys got to see
which don't happen often but we've handled
the one situation with a disgruntled fan
or whatever you want to call the guy.
I consider a fan someone that actually
roots and supports and is positive with the team
as opposed to being negative and criticizing
and attacking coaches and players and what have you.
I am eliminating all distractions
around here on the perimeter this year.
You saw earlier, I'm not having that this year.
We're gonna have a great season.
We're all gonna stay united,
we're gonna stay together and we're gonna get it done.
(relaxed guitar music)
Right now, if you are late to roll,
we're gonna go right down the roster,
if you're late to roll, you roll on Monday.
Two, your breakfast starts on time at?
- Nine. - Nine, right after that.
Do not lose the game tonight or Friday night.
Take care of yourself, take care of your body.
Have some personal discipline.
If you're a weed guy, take a break, you'll be smarter.
All right?
Don't be out drinking and getting dehydrated.
Don't go drinking a bunch of soda
and eat a bunch of crap food out there.
Eat right, start fast and let's get outta there with the W.
But I liked the intensity of practice.
The guys were focused, we were actually
scheduled to have a practice today but due to their effort,
I felt like hey, you guys take a day,
get away, go hydrate, get off your feet.
Make sure you're eating right
because we have a long day ahead tomorrow.
(relaxed ensemble music)
(chattering)
- You ain't gettin' no syrup.
- Look, they even got it on camera.
- Forced fumble thats underneath a pick, need a pick.
(overlapping voices)
- [Player] The Rams.
- The Rams have been garbage.
- (speaking of Pakers) Then we won in 2010
and then we won in '97 with Brett Farve.
- Muscle hamster, muscle hamster, ready to go.
(chattering)
- [Coach] The damn bus company is saying
somebody canceled the second bus.
So now they're scrambling to get us another bus.
It's so freakin' annoying.
Unbelievable though, unbelievable.
Yeah, so we'll figure it out.
How far are they?
If it's gonna take them 15 minutes to get mobilized,
then how far away is the damn bus place?
- [DA] Turp's an "in-the-moment" type guy.
He's just trying to get ready, that's it, you know?
That's my boy.
Hey, Turp!
(laughing)
He's like you know, the fearless leader on the O-line.
He kinda run the offense if you ask me, you know?
Cleveland people are different.
- [DA] I'll pull up some old John for you.
- We got a bunch of John videos.
- I got you, I'm gonna show you a whole lotta John.
Look at him.
John's on this one. - Which one?
- [Turp] Look at him, like what he doing?
- [Coach] Yeah.
Okay.
All right.
Yeah, appreciate ya, yep, bye.
on the bus now.
- [Bus Driver] They don't look like football players.
(laughs)
It's always interesting, first road trip.
(mid tempo drumbeat)
- [Sportscaster] Quarterback Garrett West,
the redshirt freshman hitting Zion Bowens,
Long Beach Poly from Air Force,
LBCC up seven-O, Bowens' fired up.
Next scoring play, West hitting Taj Wright
and then a double pass to Bowens.
Zion balling out, the one-handed grab.
He was a track star at Poly as well as a football player.
But showing off the football chops.
The running back Talon Patten out of St. Anthony.
He was out her bruising guys for Grossmont.
Just plowing straight ahead over defenders.
It was just all Vikings in this one.
They led 48 to 10 at one point,
go on to win it easily, 55 to 24
but next week will not be an easy one.
LBCC hosting Mt. SAC in a rivalry series
that has been terrific for the last decade.