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Nadine Wimmer reporting College coaching legend LaVell Edwards has taken his love for the game to a new level.
Even while serving the LDS Church he's found the mission field is not very far from the football field.
It's a long way from the streets of Provo, to the shadow of Yankee Stadium, but there's an air of familiarity when you see young men playing football with LaVell Edwards on the sidelines.
LaVell Edwards/ Former BYU Football Coach: "I'VE BEEN OUT TO WATCH THEM PRACTICE AND WORK WITH THEM A LITTLE BIT ON A COUPLE OF THINGS."
LaVell Edwards is working on a different kind of two-point conversion these days, as an LDS missionary.
He's assigned to the Harlem Outreach Program, and perfectly suited to fill a need.
Duke Ferguson/ Coach, Harlem Hellfighters: ": MOST OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS HERE DON'T HAVE FOOTBALL, SO THEY'RE MISSING A PART OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THAT WE FEEL IS VITAL TO A YOUNG MAN'S DEVELOPMENT."
A boy in Edwards' ward plays on the team and called for help.
Edwards offered advice to the coaches, brought in BYU game tape, even got the NFL to donate money.
Michael Goodwin/ Team Member: "IT'S BASICALLY UNITED THE COMMUNITY INT ERMS OF CHILDREN FROM ALL OVER WANT TO COME OUT TO PLAY FOR THIS TEAM."
You can take the coach out of football, but you can't take football out of the coach.
"WE JUST HAPPEN TO BE HERE. WE JUST HAPPEN TO BE IN HARLEM. AND WHO KNOWS? THERE MAY BE A REASON WHY WE'RE IN HARLEM."
The Harlem Hellfires had their first game last night. They lost to an undefeated team, but Coach Edwards says there's a lot of athletic ability and this could become a strong program.
