In Football We Trust (2015)

[Man shouting
in foreign language]
[Men shout in foreign language]
Man: We come from
a line of warriors.
Our culture embodies
what football is.
Game announcer: And Polamalu
picks it up.
Touchdown.
Game announcer: Sikahema will go
all the way for a touchdown!
Man: My father pushed
the football
once he understood
what football could do.
[Cheering]
All right, let's go, baby!
Man: If you're gonna pull out,
we're gonna be butchered.
[Music playing]
I think they see NFL
as, like, kind of a...
winning the lottery, you know?
[Crowd cheering]
[School bell rings]
Player: We're gonna
do a different one.
It's so much easier.
It's Highland's...
[Chatter]
I'm Fihi Kaufusi.
I go to Highland High School.
Fihi, voice-over:
And I'm Polynesian.
A lot of people
don't know, really,
anything about Polynesians.
People think we're big Mexicans.
Dang, man.
We're trying to gather
the boys to do the haka.
Mm-hmm.
But, like, we hardly...
they don't know it,
and so that's why...
Are you gonna teach them?
I know how to teach them,
but, like, they're
worried about their class.
They're going to class,
like, and they're gonna
mark them late... Yeah.
So can you write them a note?
Yeah. Do you want to come
in here and practice?
I'm taking my class
down to the library.
All right. We'll come in here.
I don't like school,
but football makes it so
if I don't pass my classes,
then I can't play,
so I try to do my best.
See you, dude.
No one in my family
has ever been to college.
You know, they've
gotten close...
but they've, uh,
messed up, and...
I don't want to be like that.
That's Mike
[Indistinct] and them.
Hey, go up to Katie's room.
Go to Katie's room right now.
I'm gonna go grab
[Indistinct] and them.
All right.
Football. By far, it's football.
Hey, for... hey, listen.
[Speaking foreign language]
And then you...
[Chanting]
And then go slowly.
Flex your muscles and go down.
Uh! Ah!
[Laughter]
[Speaking foreign language]
That means, like,
get ready for battle.
It's time. And then everyone
gets up and just goes, vroom!
[Chanting in foreign language]
Some face this way,
forward, and that way.
Player: I know. It's cool.
Yeah, but try learning
it first so you...
because you don't
really look that good.
[Shouting in foreign language]
[Chanting in foreign language]
[Shouts in foreign language]
[Chant]
[Laughter and cheering]
Say it!
Man: It doesn't matter
where I grew up,
where I'm from, how much
money my Mom and Dad have.
All that...goes out the window.
One thing matters on this team.
It's the guy next
to me on the right,
the guy next to me on the left,
and the 65 behind my ass
that have my back.
Fihi, voice-over: When I sat
down with Coach Benson,
he told me the things
that I could be in the future
and the things that
Polynesians struggle with.
We have, you know,
all the talent in the world,
but hardly any of us, like,
do good, because we, um...
we're more into, uh,
helping out our family.
The thing that he told me is,
first try to help me out
and make me be the best I can be
before I can help out my family.
At first I didn't like it.
I thought he meant,
like, you know,
turn my back on my family,
and I didn't... didn't
really like that,
but now that I think
about it, you know,
there's a lot of little brothers
and sisters that I have,
and if they see me,
hopefully they...
they want to do better.
[Chatter]
Man: OK, not now.
I'm focusing. Not now.
Player: I always have
a personal prayer
before the game starts.
I always write my
family's names right here.
My family names
are always right here
no matter what, in every game.
[Cheering]
[Crowd cheering]
[Chanting]
[Player shouts]
[Chanting]
[Player shouts]
[Chanting in foreign language]
Harvey, voice-over: Coming
into my sophomore year,
I was the starting running back
until I fumbled 5 times
in a game.
They... they cut me
from running back
and put me to, like, third
string running back, actually.
[People shouting]
Harvey, voice-over:
The fourth game, they actually
let me come in,
and I bust this long run,
and the coach is like, "Would
you like to come and try out
on the varsity team?"
I was like, "Yeah, I'll do it."
Come on, Benny!
Harvey, voice-over: I remember
coming up to the varsity team,
and the running back
breaks his arm.
Who's gonna run the ball?
I just remember putting
my helmet on
and just running in.
Man: Let's go, Harvey!
Harvey, voice-over: Then I
started getting a feel for it...
and it just went on from there.
[Crowd cheering]
Whoo!
Kalasita: I have 9 children,
and I try my best.
You know, I ran the flag with
Harvey, and Paul will be next.
And I will run the flag
until all the 9 kids
are done... 6 boys.
Come on!
Harvey, voice-over:
She's, like, my best friend.
She's, like, my number-one fan.
She's my mom.
Miners! Bingham!
Bingham! Miners!
Harvey: I don't think
any of this was possible
without her... like,
none of it at all.
[Crowd cheering]
Kalasita, voice-over: Me
and my husband can't even afford
to pay for these 9 children
to get a scholarship.
This is the way.
This is the door.
Newsman: The Bingham High star
is one of the best running backs
to ever come out of
the state of Utah.
Harvey Langi. Harvey Langi.
Man: Harvey Langi. His
stock as a college player
seems to keep rising
with each passing week.
Harvey Langi! Harvey! Harvey!
Newsman: The kid's
the total package.
He's got size, speed, smarts.
He's got around a 3.6 GPA.
Newswoman: This is
your third Nike camp.
You went to Miami.
You went to L.A.
Do you feel like
it's given you more exposure?
Yes. Yes, ma'am.
Newsman: He is strong
and fast now.
Imagine when he gets into
that college weight room,
how much bigger and faster
he's gonna get.
[Players chanting
in foreign language]
Har!
[Players chant and clap]
My name is Tevita Bloomfield.
I play fullback
and linebacker on defense.
My name's Leva Bloomfield.
I play running back on offense
and safety on defense.
We're brothers.
I'm older.
Leva: For me,
football means a lot.
I love the intensity.
I love the quickness
of the game.
[Crowd cheering]
Leva: Just playing football is...
it gets me going.
I mean, it's like
a drug... a good drug.
That's the only time
I can hit someone
and not get arrested for it.
[Whistle blows]
Player: Why you want to do that?
Game announcer: Looks
like it's gonna be
enough for another University...
the Wolverines first down.
Vita, voice-over: Football
became really heavily on me,
like, in junior high.
I knew the only way out of
living in West Valley
is gonna be playing football.
[Whistle blows]
Pretty sure.
That's the answer
you get with everything.
"Oh, yeah. Pretty sure.
Oh, yeah, Pretty sure."
"You hungry?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
"Your grades good?"
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure,"
except for the one
at Cottonwood,
the one at Cyprus,
the one at Granger,
and the one...
Can't put that on.
You know?
Man: All right,
let's hear your names.
Start off with the
uglies right there.
Man: All right.
Different man: Get them out.
We got Slim Jim, Dark Chocolate.
Here we got Mr. BYU, all-star.
But then you got,
uh, Mr. Fantastic was good.
Leva Bloomfield, running back
and just whatever the hell
on defense,
if you know what I'm saying.
His face is, like, right up...
Oh, don't even trip,
dawg. Don't even trip.
Who do you think is smarter?
It's not a trick question, Leva.
That guy.
It's not about being smart.
It's about how hard you work.
You're really saying that?
Well, I work
pretty hard in school,
and, uh, I have about 5 Fs.
That's what I'm talking about.
Hey, I was just kidding.
I was just kidding.
Woman: Seriously, Leva,
as much as teachers
want to hate you,
they want to like you, too.
You are such a funny, nice kid
that you can't hate you,
but then you never
come to class,
and you never do your work,
and then they're like,
"Ugh! Piece of crap."
OK, so talk to
Mr. Grosh and say,
"Hey, Mr. Grosh"...
Leva: I'm not really
a student-athlete.
I think... I think of it
as a athletic student,
but it's cool.
[Chatter]
Vita, voice-over:
Me and my brother,
we're so different
from each other.
Like, we can't stand each other,
but... but when we're apart,
we go crazy.
When we do go out,
I always got to watch over him.
He doesn't think before
anything he does.
I'm not saying that
I'm perfect or anything,
but he's just dumber than I am.
Game announcer: Leva Bloomfield.
Different announcer: Leva
Bloomfield... 80-yard touchdown
puts the Wolverines on top.
Number 7...
[Whistle blows]
Man: I'm going hard,
hard, hard
I'm here with a dope rhyme
I'm filled
with this question
I'm going hard,
hard, hard, hard
[Music playing]
Man: One of the things
that's part of our DNA
and our genetic makeup
is that we have a...
we have a chip on
our shoulder, you know?
We come from such a small place
that nobody knows who we are.
It creates this inner drive
of wanting to excel and succeed.
[Drums playing]
[Cheering]
[Cheerleaders cheering]
Kalasita: Every home games,
as adult, is $6.00,
and all our kids, it's $5.00.
I went in myself and asked,
"Hey, Principal,
"this is how many
children I have.
"Is there any way they can work?
I can do anything.
I can help with barbecue."
He goes, "OK, Kalasita.
"Your family will pick
all the garbage in the stadium
after the game," you know?
Hey, kids!
What?
Make sure that side
is all clean!
Kalasita, voice-over:
The principal said,
"I'm not gonna pay you money,
but I will credit
here at Bingham."
Kalasita: Right there,
under that chair!
Kalasita, voice-over:
We are the best
because we don't have the money,
but we... we have the heart.
Come on. Come on, girls.
Up front.
OK.
Go, Nonna. Go, Nonna.
Sam: Good neighborhood,
but it's not easy.
There's not too many Polynesian.
There are only white people
staying around
in this neighborhood.
And they are rich.
Harvey, voice-over:
The Polynesians over here,
they all think you're all...
"Aw, he's whitewashing.
"He's hanging with all those...
all those white kids
"over there, man.
Screw him."
Sam, voice-over: Since we
first moved over here,
I'm not trying to
put down my neighbors,
but they don't really like it
because they thought
our kids is too many.
Sam, voice-over: Sometimes
they came and talked to me like,
"What are you doing?
"We don't really know which one
is your kids, you know...
all these kids
coming to your place."
I know how they think.
Maybe they think that
we are doing drugs
or I'm dealing drugs or anything
or something to make money
just because of
these kids that I have.
But they don't even know.
We struggle day and night.
[Chatter]
Sam, voice-over:
We got help from the church,
from food in the time that we
can't afford to pay for it.
Bless this, bless that.
Sam, voice-over: Even to help
to pay our house,
and here we are,
still hold on to it.
[Chatter]
Harvey, voice-over:
My older brother messed up,
and now he's just
another Polynesian
trying to catch a job.
Harvey: My mom was just like,
"Your brother's not doing
"anything good for our family.
You're the only chance
right now."
Girl: She's gonna probably
keep us, like, an hour...
Kalasita, voice-over: I think
for the salvation
for the Langi family is Harvey,
and all hope right now,
it's for Harvey.
[Band playing]
Where are you at? Sorry.
I don't even see...
look behind you.
So this is Amanda Kaufusi...
I mean Harris.
Amanda Harris.
Hi.
This is my girl.
Fihi, voice-over:
She supports me a lot,
and when I need someone
to talk to, you know,
if my family isn't,
you know, really, like,
hey, I can go to her,
talk to her about stuff,
and she's very open.
We started dating in seventh
grade for a while,
and then Fihi left Tonga.
Me not having money, like,
I talk to her and I tell her,
like, you know, "You know I
don't have that money, you know.
"Birthday gifts...
I can't get you that.
You know, I'll write you
a letter."
And my mom always
has opinions about,
white girls, and, um, you know.
With me I don't think
it's as much of a problem,
just as long as,
like, he's good to me.
That's all that matters.
I don't think color matters.
Fihi, voice-over: I got in a lot
of arguments with my mom.
She can't even see Amanda.
She hated it.
She hated the idea
of a girlfriend.
I'm Mormon. I do struggle with,
you know, the girls part.
You know, it's high school.
People want to have fun.
[Soft music playing]
Waiting [Indistinct]
Till I get away
Ah...
Fihi, voice-over: I live with
my aunt, who I call my mom.
There's too many kids
in our family
and too many mouths to feed,
so my aunt volunteered to take
me and my little brother.
My father doesn't live here.
He lives in Tonga.
Fihi, voice-over:
My mom is very strong
in the Mormon church.
Hurry up.
[Whispers]
Fihi, voice-over:
She's saying, you know,
church... that's the only reason
why our family is still
alive and eating.
Oh, shoot.
Fihi: She don't like
you being late.
That's the... that's the worst
thing she gets mad for the most
is being late to church,
every time,
so we try to make it on time
to church every Sunday.
[Speaking foreign language]
Get the Scriptures.
Where's your lesson book?
"Our dear most gracious
heavenly Father,
"we bow our heads before thee.
"We thank thee for the roof
"you put over our heads
"and the food you put
on our tables.
"We thank thee for
the restored gospel
you put on this earth
today. Amen."
Amen. Let's go.
Take the laptop.
Vita, voice-over:
My dad... he's crazy.
He played... when he was
11 years old,
he played with his
dad's men's team.
My grandpa just threw him in.
You got to learn somehow.
Leva, voice-over: Supposedly
he was the best running back
ever to come through.
They got one of his.
Hunter Wolverine
flags right here.
Vita: He was one of the best
running backs in the country
at his time.
He didn't make it past
the college level
due to personal problems.
[Players shouting]
Everyone tells me to go
farther than our dad.
It's just... just a lot
of pressure.
Leva: He's done.
Just trying to make
a name for myself.
On the field, man,
I ain't that nice.
Man, what I learned
on the streets, the mentality,
I transferred that all
onto that football field.
It's all about mental toughness,
and with Vita, you know,
he doesn't have that... that.
"I want to rip your damn
head off" mentality,
whereas Leva, I mean, he's...
he's totally different.
You know, he's got that chip
on his shoulder.
He and I are alike.
He and I are alike,
and that's my... my boy.
Fua: I have to watch
him all the time.
I mean, he's got... he's got
that [snaps fingers]
We don't even have a fuse.
[Chatter]
[Crowd and players shouting]
[Whistle blows]
Man: Like I said,
run like a beast, man.
If you know you're gonna
come up to some contact,
tuck the ball away
and put the helmet on him.
You got to unleash
what's in here, OK,
and cut him in half.
[Exhales]
Spill some blood, Leva.
[Crowd and players shouting]
[Whistle blows]
Leva: They're just
blasting through
like nothing.
It looks like you guys
don't even want to play.
You guys scared?
[Shouting]
When you guys mess up,
don't say sorry.
We don't want to hear that...
Just come back and play harder.
[Crowd shouting]
[Whistle blows]
Uh!
Fua, voice-over:
We're a hard-working people.
I live paycheck to paycheck.
Football, man...
it's not a way out.
I mean, it's a way up.
I love you, baby.
Man: We don't want to see
our parents struggle.
They brought us from
the islands to America
to kind of give us
more of an opportunity,
and I think that's... I think
that's what we're doing
is trying to take
advantage of it,
and football just happens to be
the best way for us to do that.
Whoo hoo hoo!
Man: There's a lot of pride
in our culture,
you know, letting people know
that they come from
a... a great family
so that we're... you know,
have, uh, good roots...
that...and I could
represent them.
Fihi: I went back to Tonga
my freshman year
to see my dad, you know.
I went to school there
for a year,
and I got to see how everything
was like over there
compared to over here.
[Children shouting]
Boy: Thank you.
Thank you very much.
But, uh, staying in Tonga
with my dad
wasn't, um... wasn't
all that great.
I would say, like, flat-out,
he's a cheater, a drunk, um...
no respect for him, but, um...
uh...
yeah.
Getting hit and all that stuff,
you know, I didn't like it.
Seeing him was not... showed me
what I don't want to be,
and it shows me, um,
that I can be
something better
than that, you know.
It gives me more drive to...
to get everything that
I need to do for my family,
since he's not doing it,
to, uh, take care of them...
do the things that I need to do.
When I got back,
I noticed my prayer
and my relationship
with the Lord got bigger.
I felt like I could talk
to the Lord like he was my dad.
They told me on Thursday
I was gonna speak.
It's only a 5-minute
talk, you know.
It's the youth speaker.
There are some words
like prerequisite.
I was like, "Prerequisite?
Come on, now."
[Organ music]
Fihi: My grandpa converted
to the Mormon religion
and moved here to America
for opportunity.
Most Polynesians
here in Utah are Mormon.
Man: First of all, we'll be
pleased to hear from
the youth speaker, who will be
Brother Fihi Kaufusi.
Before I start my talk,
I would like to thank.
Brother Jorgensen for giving
me the opportunity
to speak to you guys today.
You know, there's nothing more
that an 18-year-old boy wants
than to speak at Sacrament.
[Laughter]
Alvin Johansen...
Fihi, voice-over:
If I handle the church part,
this football and all
this other stuff...
they'll just... they'll just
fall into place.
[Laughter]
Mom: We're walking out,
and he's calling Leva out,
and Leva's wanting to go ahead
up, and Fua is like,
"No, not here at the church."
Vita, voice-over: All of our
family... they're all in gangs...
drugs, drinking, drive-bys.
We've been around all of it.
I've had my share of smoking
and drinking and doing drugs
and beer runs and shooting
and all that.
But just... there's a time for it,
and there's a time
to change your ways,
and I've made my change.
I don't... I don't know...
Fua: They're... they're
from the islands.
They're working.
My parents were... my dad was
always out of town.
As soon as he was out of town...
man, we would run wild,
you know what I'm saying?
Vita, voice-over: All my dad's
brothers are in prison.
All my mom's brothers,
they're in prison.
My mom and dad each
have one brother
that's in prison for life.
Newsman: A near riot
allegedly sparked
by a handful of Utah's most
notorious gang members...
Different newsman: A nasty feud
between Polynesian street gangs.
TCG and Baby Regulators.
Newswoman: The other 4 suspects
are associated with
the Baby Regulators gang.
Newsman: The word "regulator"
is tattooed on his chest,
and a tribal band
is on his left arm.
[Indistinct police radio]
Vita, voice-over: My dad
and his cousins, they, uh...
they... they started Regulators.
We were sitting around one day,
and we just started to call
each other the Regs,
you know, just
for the fun of it...
a bunch of little
kids, you know?
Not thinking, foreseeing what
would bring about, you know?
But it was just a bunch of kids
trying to, you know,
just basically trying to make
a name for themselves.
I don't mean to be negative,
but the Bloomfield name is...
it's well-known throughout Utah
in the Polynesian community.
Our Bloomfield names mean people
look at us as if we're mean.
We walk down the street...
"Ah, no. Don't talk to them."
It's not like they can go
into a school and be like,
"Oh, look. We have
the Bloomfields here."
Yeah. No, that's not how it was.
It was always like,
"Their uncle did this"
or "Their dad was
the start of this."
Their families, you know,
they take care of each other,
they watch out for each other.
It's people that
you go to church with.
It's people that you've grown up
around your whole life.
Man, what can I tell you
about the Regs, man?
As I'm crying.
That's my family, man.
I'll never turn my back on them.
[Chatter]
This dude's gonna
make it right here.
He's gonna make it.
They're both gonna make it.
Even Leva is gonna make it.
I know, but size don't matter.
Jerry: Size don't matter?
Hell, no. Tackle Vita.
Go tackle your nephew right now.
Dude, I will hurt him
if I tackle him.
Ha ha ha!
I'm serious, dude.
I will tackle you.
Vita, be ready.
Be ready.
I will hurt you.
Without pads,
but I can, believe it.
[Crack]
[Sharpening knife]
What are you going for?
Dirty?
Rolling dirty, boy.
[Laughter]
That's what happens, dude.
Vita, voice-over: Being a part
of a family that's, people say,
a gang family was really hard
for me and especially Leva
because you see your uncles
and cousins come and go...
either they go back to prison
or come out of prison
or they pass away or they leave
because they got deported.
You don't get used to them
being there.
[Chatter]
But you just know that they're
there for a little bit.
Fua: Man.
I have an older brother
I haven't seen...
shook his hand, gave him a hug
for...over 10 years now.
My little brother... same thing.
How did I escape that fate?
[Sigh]
Well, football.
[Doorbell rings]
Aloha. My brother Lee.
Come in. Come on in.
How you doing, big guy?
Good to see you.
How's everything?
You look good, man.
How you been?
Harvey, voice-over: Offers
just start flowing in...
How you doing?
Harvey: mail every day.
They were all, like, you know,
"There's this Polynesian kid
"who's good at football
and he's good at school.
Let's get him. Let's get him."
He's gonna have
every single thing.
He's not gonna need
one penny from you guys.
If you want to play
pro football,
we have the blueprint.
My highlight of the whole night
was when he sat there
and he said,
"What do you want?"
He said, "I want to be the best.
"I want to be the best.
I'm driven to be the best."
I know he's coming to USC.
Harvey, voice-over:
All the coaches told me
how good my work ethic is
and how crazy it was
seeing me in person because
they thought that I was just
a... a big Polynesian that just
knew how to run over
little, small white
kids in Utah.
If he doesn't graduate
and he leaves to go to the NFL,
we still help him
get back to school,
and we still help him
with the tuition.
If he comes with me,
he's family.
We'll take care of him. OK?
We can even say the
prayer before we leave.
This is a hard
business, you know,
and this is what you
do for a living.
You try to get
good players like this,
but you understand, you know.
You just have to do
the best you can.
Yeah.
Harvey, voice-over: If I keep
making these right choices
and keep my head straight,
then things will just start
falling in place, you know.
I'll... I'll get my degree.
I'll go on and get
a good-paying job,
or I'll be in the League.
We would love
to have you at Utah.
Harvey, voice-over: And if
I'm in the League, you know,
the first couple of checks go
straight to
the family, you know.
It's not gonna go to me,
you know.
The first checks can go to Mom,
the second check to Dad,
you know, the third check
to Michelle, Paul,
and all the way down the list.
I could just... that's how
it's gonna be.
Our dear most gracious
heavenly Father,
We bow our heads and give thanks
in gratitude.
Harvey, voice-over: It's time.
I got to go to SC,
and I'm gonna bust my butt
and show everyone that I can be
a Polynesian running back.
Thanks again.
Woman: Ah. This is wonderful.
Man: Just a coronation with you.
Newsman: Bingham High
running back Harvey Langi,
the top recruit in Utah,
was suspended for the Miners'
opener today against Hunter
for trespassing.
Considered by most pundits to be
the top high-school football
player in Utah...
Police officers said
they smelled marijuana,
and Langi first admitted
that he smoked it.
Then he said he didn't.
Coach: Do you feel like
to break somebody's will
you've got to have that
desire and that passion
before you step on the field,
before it happens?
Sit up and listen, OK?
If you're not paying
attention right now,
act like you're sleeping, OK,
then walk out of
the room right now!
Either get your eyes up
and make eye contact
or get out!
Harvey, voice-over:
Coach Peck sat us down,
and he just started yelling.
"Why is there marijuana
in your guys' case?
"I don't care who you are.
I don't care how good you are.
"I want you to voluntarily
take a drug test,
and if you don't pass it,
you're off our team."
Kalasita: Here you are,
put our family over here.
Here you are putting our family
to what? To hell.
Newswoman: It happened
this morning
at Hunter High School
in West Valley City.
A 16-year-old came to school
armed with a gun.
Sandy, this is scary.
Sandy: Yeah, it really is, Hope.
Police say two 16-year-olds
got into a fight out here
early this morning
before school.
At one point,
one of the students
goes inside the building
and comes back out
with a handgun.
He threatens to kill
his classmate,
then turns the gun on a crowd
that had gathered.
Woman: Hi, Grant. This is Maile.
The young man who brought
the gun to school...
his name is Leva Bloomfield.
He is right now sitting
in my police officer's office.
He's doing the paperwork,
and the police officer
is going to take him to DT.
You say, you say, you say,
"I don't want to do this.
"I don't want to go to prison.
"I don't want to be
like my uncles.
I don't want to do this,"
and then you pull
something like this today?
Well, just, uh...
We were walking back
from [Indistinct] this morning,
and some of the Mexican kids
were smoking outside,
and they pulled
a knife out on...
Yeah. They pulled
a knife out on Leva.
Out of nowhere.
Oh, man.
Leva ran inside
to grab his strap
from the locker, and he ran out,
and he pulled it out on the kid.
I don't...
No.
I didn't even know he had it.
I didn't know he'd
bring it to school.
So then what happened?
Uh, then Leva...
I took it from Leva
when I see... when I see...
So Leva brought it out.
Then he grabs the gun and runs,
like, out to the guy,
and the kid's still
there, waving his knife?
Kauata: Look at your brother.
Now he's in trouble.
He's got suspended
to the district
because he's trying
to look out for you,
but he's not doing you
any justice.
Is he doing you justice, babe?
No.
And do you know
how much he loves you?
He will screw up
everything for you.
He will screw up
his scholarship for you.
Do... do you realize that?
I want to be the proud Mom
who goes in and checks
in at the ticket box
and is like, "My son
is playing today."
"My son is playing
football today."
That's where I want to be.
Honey, you've got to...
you have got to want more.
You know he can't fire.
That's why he's pulling
a frickin' knife.
I don't know.
What do you mean,
you don't know?
Kauata: The gun was loaded,
ready to be shot.
And you... you did know
he had the gun.
Vita: No. It wasn't
the same gun. He had...
Oh, so there's another gun?
Yeah. Exactly.
No one's going to DT but Leva.
Oh, but it's all right
they're gonna keep
that kid who went around
wielding a knife at anybody?
Look, he's asking to get...shot.
See, that's what
I'm talking about.
It doesn't matter.
We can't control
the way they are, Fua.
Fua, voice-over:
Bloomfield, Bloomfield.
We're known as fighters
and gangsters and, you know,
I mean, it's affected me a lot.
You know, that's something
I didn't foresee
when I was, uh,
15 years old, you know.
It's gone full circle for me
and kicked me right in the butt.
You know, this is
something I deal with
and have to deal with
day in and day out.
Man: Gangs or football...
both are violent,
and they both are camaraderie.
It's a continuous
struggle for sure.
Coach: Back in ancient times
when men had to fight
for their very existence,
there was a group of men.
They called themselves
the Lords of Bruges.
They had a family motto.
It is written on the board.
"Plus est en vous."
What that translates, OK,
is "you have more to give."
So when they'd be out
on a battlefield, OK?
And they'd be hurt
and they'd be tired
and they'd start to get
knocked down,
you'd hear this cry:
"Plus est en vous!"
You have more to give!
The past is gone.
The future lays out there
at the 50-yard line.
[Crowd cheering]
[Whistles blow]
[Whistle blows]
Man: Point. Point. Point.
Go get 'em. Go get 'em.
Go get 'em.
Go, D, go!
Game announcer: [Indistinct]
gets the extra point.
[Players shouting]
Coach. Coach.
You got the [Indistinct] baby.
No, hey. Fihi! 23!
[Indistinct] Go get 'em!
[Players shouting]
Coach: Nice.
Hold on. Hold on.
[Band playing]
[Whistle blows]
Come on.
Uh. Oh.
Time out!
Time out!
Yeah, yeah. Let me go.
Man: Hey. Fihi! Fihi!
Harvey: It just sucks having
so much pressure
on your shoulders.
Like, it feels like... like, um,
like I can barely even, like,
carry it sometimes.
Kalasita: I travel with Harvey,
and he has so many chance.
I was so scared.
I... I... I wrote
this little thing here,
and, Paul, look at this.
If BYU offer you $280,000,
do you think you can
accept this offer?
Do you have a mouth? Say it.
OK. This money...
this money is yours, Paul.
This is yours.
How about you, Daniel?
If Stanford offer you
480,000 for 4 years,
they offer you to come
and work for them,
do you think you can take it?
This is your work.
Harvey, voice-over:
My mom, she was like,
"Harvey, drink as much water
as you can."
She bought me water,
apple juice, everything.
She's like, she was so scared...
like, what if that stuff
is still in my system, you know?
Kalasita: Hey, Daniel,
what do you do
for them to don't accept them
and make you disqualified
to go here?
Daniel: Grades?
OK. First is grades. OK?
Second. Harvey, Harvey.
OK, drugs, grades.
And those things,
you don't even have it.
You'll ruin it.
You don't have it
at all with you.
Understand? It's
all going to where?
Garbage. It's...
you'll ruin it so much,
and you can't go nowhere.
It's all in garbage.
Harvey, voice-over: She's like,
"If you fail this, Harvey,
all of your scholarships
are gonna be gone."
That's when it hit me.
If it is in my system
and it is positive,
then I'll just get a regular job
and be a normal person, finally,
and if it come out negative,
I'd promise to myself
that I'm gonna... I'm gonna
make it to the NFL.
He had to take a drug test
or be suspended for
the rest of the season.
He took the test,
and the "Deseret News"
obtained the results,
and they were negative,
so Harvey Langi
was only suspended
for the playoff opener today
with Hunter.
Men: Whoo hoo!
[Beep]
Vita, voice-over: They...
kicked me out of school,
and I got put on probation.
OK.
[Beeping]
Have you done any?
All right. I've got to get
a drug test from you,
so if you're clean...
OK.
And we can get these hours in,
there's a strong possibility
you could be terminated.
Yes.
But I got to get
those hours from you.
All right.
How's your brother doing?
He's doing good.
He goes back to...
to Judge Behrens
to see when he gets out.
[Whistling]
Vita, voice-over:
I miss him a lot
because I do everything
with my brother.
Wherever I go, he comes with me.
It just throws
everything off for me.
[Cell phone rings]
What up? What are you doing?
Man: Nothing. I'm just
driving around
the neighborhood
back at my Mom's house.
What are you doing?
Nothing. Come get me.
All right. I'm on my way
over there right now, sir.
All right.
We feeling [Indistinct]?
Oh, you know what it is.
Yeah.
[Music and chatter]
Man: You're on my
territory, man.
You're on my territory now.
Hey, what's up?
What's up?
Oh, yeah.
Fihi, voice-over: This is kava.
Kava is a root.
Makes you feel good.
It's not... it ain't nothing bad.
It's not drinking beer
or anything.
It just calms you down,
you know?
My hands first got to be clean.
That's a must. Your
hands got to be clean.
Whoo. This kava looks good.
Fihi, voice-over: It's fun
to do it with a lot of boys,
especially when... when they're
jamming on the uke.
Guests: All I want
in my life
Is you
They make believe
When I'm with you,
I feel much stronger
Every chance, every moment
I have with you
Babe, make believe
When I'm with you
I feel so much stronger
Fihi, voice-over: Kava
is our way of holding on
to our traditions
but at the same time
inviting the new.
In my life is you
I mean, we'll play you
at the position
you want to play.
If you feel like...
I'll play any position
you want me to play, Coach.
I'll just, you know...
Aaron: That's a...
you know, that's a big thing
for us is, we're trying
to win a football game.
Yup.
Do you guys have scholarships?
Yes.
For athletics?
Yup. What's your
academic interest
in college?
Uh, psychology.
OK.
A lot of the NAIA schools
are gonna be private
institutions,
very educational-based.
We like to think
that NAIA football
is a little bit better
than Division III football,
more similar to
lower-end Division II.
Yeah. OK?
Yeah.
It's good to meet you.
Thank you, Coach.
And, um, I'll be in touch
early next week.
OK. Thanks, Coach.
Fihi, voice-over:
Football is not always gonna
be there for me.
I maybe have a good body...
body type to be, like, you know,
speed and stuff, but that's only
gonna last so long,
and I got to figure out a place
like school and a job to get,
you know, a career, so...
As far as him as a player,
he's... he's awesome.
He is... he's a great athlete.
Plays with a lot of passion.
Uh, he was the heart
and soul of our team.
Fihi, voice-over:
I like smaller schools,
but, um, I'm thinking about
going on my mission, so...
Fihi, voice-over: The Mormon
Church, when you turn 18,
they give you a place
to serve your mission...
two years...
give me time to think
about what I want
and what I'm going
to do, you know?
3. [Whistle blows] Move!
Fihi, voice-over: But right now
I really don't know.
It's gonna be hard to go back
into football after two years.
Kalasiti: Hi. Whoo!
OK.
I'm gonna do it right.
Kalasita: BHS...
Bingham High School
at the top of my head.
Harvey: It's all my bros.
All the injured.
Kalasita: Make the people
to cheer
and the crowd to make noise!
A good spirit for them
to win the game.
You need to open your mouth
and cheer for the team.
Man: 9 minutes.
Let's go. 9 minutes.
Dear Father in heaven,
we bow our heads
before thee today,
express our love...
[Chanting in foreign language]
[Crowd cheering]
[End of national anthem playing]
[Crowd cheering]
Kalasita: Come on, guys!
Whoo!
[Crowd cheering]
[Cheering]
[All shouting]
Kalasita: Is only two schools
we have to pick from,
which is Utah and USC.
Boy: Utah or USC?
I think Harvey should
go to U. Of U.
Pffft!
Because...
Sam: Hey, just wait
for your turn, OK?
He can stay close
to the family here.
Yeah. All right, well,
I think Harvey should go
to Utah just because
he'll be close to home.
I think that he should
go just wherever
his heart wants to.
For me, I want Harvey
to go to Utah.
Harvey: Thanks, everyone,
for your guys' opinions.
I'm stuck, you know?
Because I told myself
I'm gonna make it one day
so I can help out you guys.
The problem is... the problem is
I said to myself...
And then this stupid thing
that happened with the police
and stuff, and I got suspended.
Everyone hated me.
I went to school.
No one liked me.
But then when I do good
in football and all this stuff,
they come up, like,
"Oh, what's up, Harv?"
And then right when
I leave, they hate me.
They talk crap.
All my best friends,
they talk crap.
They just say they're
my friends and stuff
just because of
my success right now.
The world is yours until
you just do something stupid.
Vai: The thing that's difficult
for the kids that are growing up
is that their parents expect
them to play in the NFL
at the cost of everything else.
It's hard to get in there,
and it's hard...
it's hard to get in there.
It's even harder to stay.
Um, and if kids grow up
thinking,
"Well, that's all I'm gonna do
and nothing else,"
um, it's... they're a long shot
to succeed in life, period.
Kauata, voice-over: Leva right
now got referred by the courts
to Decker Lake Youth Center,
a juvenile jail.
It's been two months.
Vita, voice-over: He could
get an early release,
but I don't think...
I don't see that happening.
Just all of those
charges from before...
assault on a police officer,
um, assault with
a deadly weapon,
burglary.
They're all felonies,
and he has 5.
Woman: Can I help you, please?
Kauata: Yeah. We're here for.
Leva Bloomfield's hearing.
You need to put
all your personal items...
your phones, purses...
in your vehicles.
So they only gave him
15 months and time served.
They were supposed to add on
two more years to this...
Yeah. And they didn't.
Man: Why?
Because every aggravated charge
that he got... and he has 5...
is 6 months for each
aggravated charge,
but they decided not to
because of his
athletic abilities
and for his future. Future.
This is very rare,
what they did today.
He tries to act like he's...
it doesn't faze him,
but he wants to get out.
He's getting out in a year.
February 2012.
He won't be able
to play football at all.
He's not playing football.
His senior year.
He misses this whole year.
Ah, he weighs 215.
He weighs 215.
Kauata: He's never been
over the 200 mark.
He is so excited right now.
It just sucks he's gonna
not be able to use it
until he's in college somewhere.
But he's gonna... he'll be ready.
Man: Somebody's touching it.
He's about to give it
to his girl.
He's about to
give it to his girl.
No, wait...
[All talking at once]
Put that shirt on!
[Chatter]
[Fart]
[Laughter]
You...smell like...
Aah!
[Shouting]
Oh, man.
Fihi: This is it... senior year.
Um...
I can't even think right now.
Um, the game's tomorrow.
It's the last game of my life.
Man: Let's go. Bring it in!
Bring it in nice and tight.
Let's go!
Let's go, baby.
Get it on, baby!
Get it on, baby!
Let's go. Whoo!
[All shouting]
Make your own history!
Let's go, baby!
Come on, baby!
[Players chanting]
Hey, let's go.
What do you do with a chance?
What do you do with a chance?
Let's go. What do you do
with your opportunity?
Let's go. Let's go.
Yeah.
Here. Come on up here.
Good luck, Fihi. You're awesome.
[Cheering]
[Shouting]
Coach: Right now they're...
whipping your ass!
Those little...been
talking...in the paper
all...week!
They look and see a big fat...
and they're saying,
"You can't block me!"
And you're proving them right!
Let's go!
[Whistle blows]
Fihi, voice-over:
It felt unreal.
We won by stopping them
at their goal line
in double overtime.
It just hurt not being
in the game
because I... I worked
so hard and so long
to be in that moment.
Man: Game face: serious.
If one of you guys
cracks a smile,
you got to do it again.
All right, go back
and do it again.
Player: You don't smile
in this thing.
Man: Because you're showing not
only why you're All-Americans
because of your ability
but because of the character
that you possess, and you're
the example for every young man
in this great country.
Harvey, voice-over:
Being with the best players
in the nation...
Man: [Indistinct]
Harvey, voice-over: getting
wined and dined every day,
hanging out with soldiers
every day...
[Crowd cheering]
Harvey, voice-over: I'm
an All-American, you know?
I can't believe it.
Don't forget that. The 27th.
Harvey, voice-over: If I do get
playing time at SC,
you already know for a fact that
NFL scouts are looking at you,
and just being away from home,
I can grow up.
After my first year,
I'd be a man, you know?
I'd know how to do things
on my own.
I've never done that.
Boy: Dad, can we go on the field
and talk to Harvey?
Sam: No.
No.
[Shouting]
[Whistle blows]
Harvey, voice-over: But I can
feel right when I got there
that I wasn't gonna get
that much playing time.
Um, there was kids missing
from practice every day
to go get interviewed,
and when they came back,
they were already
in front of me.
It's gonna be a long day.
Harvey, voice-over: There's too
many names at SC right now.
There's already, like,
6 running backs.
Like 5 good
running backs, and...
I know I can go over
there and compete
and probably get
a fullback spot,
but I'm not a fullback,
and I'm not
a linebacker, either.
I'll go play linebacker,
but they're already stacked
in linebackers too, I bet.
That sucks, too, sort of.
My mom's 20 minutes away...
[Imitating Kalasita] Harvey!
Why do you not go church today?
Don't know will God bless you.
[Beep]
Man: Harvey Langi, USC Trojan,
Cardinal of gold, baby,
and I'm thinking about you.
I want to talk to you,
see what's up.
Different man: Harvey,
Norm Chow at UCLA.
I don't want you to
forget about us, brother.
Third man: Hello, Harvey.
My name is Colin [Indistinct].
I'm with WeAreSC.com and ESPN.
Give me a call back...
[Overlapping voices]
Man: I'd like to pick
your brain a little bit.
Different man: Please call me
back when you get a chance...
[Crowd cheering]
Man: All right, Bob.
Thanks so much.
Well, take a look
at this beautiful scene here.
The Langi family has
come all the way
from South Jordan, Utah,
to celebrate the bigger brother
Harvey here, who is
a linebacker, one of the best
in the state, and he's got
a big decision to make here.
Harvey, you've got
Stanford, Utah, and USC.
You've been thinking about this
for a couple of years,
but this is the moment
where everybody's waiting to see
what you're going to do,
so where are you going to play
your college football?
Harvey: Well, sir,
um, I got to stay home.
I got to go to U.
He's staying home, and I think
that makes everybody happy,
including the mom
and dad who are
back on the other end.
Bob, big pick-up here for Utah.
Harvey: What's up? What's up?
Something in my eyes.
Kalasita: Stand by Harvey.
I'm gonna take a picture
on my camera.
Fihi, voice-over:
We won the championship,
and it feels like, you know,
those people who go to war
and then, you know, they won
and they come back,
they don't even speak
about it, you know?
The ACL is gone.
It's just completely torn,
and then the inner
and the outer meniscus
are all torn, and so they
had to fix it all up.
After I tore the MCL,
I kept playing,
and then I tore the meniscus.
Then I kept playing,
and then I tore the ACL.
I guess the adrenaline
is pumping and stuff,
and I really couldn't
feel it that much
until after the game
it started hurting really bad.
And so I just... I talked
to the bishop about
going on my mission,
and I went through confession,
and so I just poured out
everything to him
on my mind and stuff that...
that I've done
and stuff that, you know,
I regret doing.
This is good. Ha!
She's gonna miss me.
I know she will.
Melinda: We will celebrate
on our way home.
Yes!
Probably like, "Send money!"
[Players chanting]
I'm just gonna go out there
and do whatever I can
for this team.
Harvey, voice-over:
It's like battle.
I feel like I'm a gladiator
or something,
going into an arena.
It's gonna be crazy.
[Crowd cheering]
[Band playing]
Game announcer:
The last 15 months
have all built toward this:
the beginning of the Pac-12 era
for the University of Utah
and Utah football.
Today the Utes begin
the next chapter
in their long and storied
football history,
at the Coliseum against USC.
[Whistle blows]
Oh...
Announcer: The training
staff coming out
to tend to John White.
Harvey Langi on, and what
a place for Harvey Langi
to make his collegiate
debut... at the Coliseum
in a tight game
here in the fourth quarter.
17-14.
Langi in the backfield
behind him.
Harvey gets his first carry.
Gets a yard, maybe.
He's gonna be tripped up right
about the line of scrimmage
for no gain.
[Bell gongs]
Well, the issue with Harvey
as a freshman:
can he pick up pressure?
Can he pick up a blitz?
Wynn backs up in the gun.
Langi next to him.
3 wide receivers.
Here comes the pressure.
Jordan rolling out to his right.
Jordon looking down the field.
Just has to throw it away.
He wanted Harvey Langi to cut
that route up the sideline,
and Harvey wasn't quite
sure what to do.
Troy, voice-over: My rookie
year, I didn't play very well.
I couldn't learn the defense.
I didn't learn the playbook.
So I really questioned it,
and I had a real deep
inner conversation with myself,
like... like,
"Man, I don't have it.
"This is what I've had
my entire life,
and it's all slipping
away from me."
[Buzzer]
[Laughter]
He's here. Ha ha ha!
[Laughter and chatter]
What's up, Tom?
Tom: What up?
Kauata: It's kind of crazy.
Woman: So good.
Kauata: I know! It's so great.
Hey, it feels great.
It feels great.
Leva, voice-over:
When I was a little kid,
I wanted to go to Decker Lake.
I wanted to go see
what it was like.
All my uncles went there,
and I wanted to turn out
just like that.
That's how... that's
how dumb I was acting.
1, 2, 3.
You only got two options.
You're gonna get up and do good,
or you're gonna fall, so...
that's basically
how it was in there,
so I chose to get out.
Boy: Leva's back!
Ha ha ha!
Boy: Leva's here.
Hey.
Oh.
Dude, what's up, dude?
Aha! What's up, man?
Ah.
It's nice, finally, you know?
Our whole family
is complete now.
Kauata: Vita's, like,
smiling ear to ear.
But it's nice he's so happy.
Hey! What's up, bro?
Ha ha ha!
How you been?
What's up, bro?
Oh, dude.
Leva, voice-over:
When I got locked up,
my little brothers
and sisters wrote me,
and they just wrote me pictures
and, you know,
they were just writing
how much they love me
and stuff like that, and I was
just like, "Dang. You know what?
I'm done. I'm done with
all this gang-banging."
I see my little brothers...
I just want the best for you...
because I'll do anything
for my brothers.
[Laughing]
Leva, voice-over: I hope
they never go through
what I go through, you know,
and just living this life style
which my brothers never have to,
and that's why
I try to teach them
what I know so that
they don't have to
go through this
and they can go out and
experience life the right way.
Amanda: Oh, my gosh.
Fihi: The smallest hands.
I know. I know.
Fihi, voice-over: When I got
my mission call,
I took the envelope and started
dancing on the street,
was about to rip it open myself
so I could just read for myself,
and my grandma goes, "Eh.
Give me the envelope," you know.
"Give me the envelope.
We're not gonna do that.
"We're gonna open it
in front of the family
so the family sees
what you work towards."
Amanda: I'm sad, and I'll
definitely miss him a lot,
but I'm... mostly I think
it's really good.
[Whistling]
[Singing in foreign language]
Fihi: All right,
what's everybody's guess?
New Zealand.
Germany. Germany.
Evanston, Wyoming.
[Laughter]
And the answer is...
Uh, "Dear"... Oh, freak.
"Dear Elder Kaufusi,
"you're hereby called
to serve as a missionary
"of the Church of Jesus Christ,
"the Latter Day Saints.
You're assigned to labor
in the Texas, Dallas, mission.
[Cheering and applause]
This elder's gonna take him up
and check him in
and help him get
to his room, so if you want to
give him a big... one last hug...
OK.
Man: Thank you for sharing him.
Thank you.
He looks like
he's gonna love it.
Fihi: I'll phone you, Mom.
Bye! Bye! Love you guys!
I love you.
Man: Watch out, Dallas, Texas.
Don't worry.
Man: Thank you.
Fihi: Yeah. Thanks, man.
Bye, guys!
Take it easy.
We'll take care of him!
See you guys.
Harvey, voice-over:
"Is Langi ready?
"Like, is he... is he
even ready for college?
Was... college came
too early for him?"
Right after I read that, dude,
I put that thing on my locker...
my locker and just went to town.
Hey, way to make a play!
You didn't know
where to go anyway.
You have no idea where to go.
I have no checks.
Right.
Newsman: Harvey Langi is leaving
the University of Utah
football team to go
on a two-year IDS mission.
He came into Utah
out of Bingham High
as one of the highest recruited
players in state history.
He barely played
at all last year.
Perhaps Langi saw this
as a good time
to serve a mission.
Exciting. Very exciting.
Let go of the things
he loved the most.
He loved to play football.
Loved school and loved Utah.
He can leave it behind...
his coaches...
his...friends,
girlfriends, Mom and Dad,
brothers and sisters, and...
oh, my gosh.
Harvey: Mom.
Kalasita: Uh-huh?
I'm trying to hurry up
and make this quick
so we can go to
the carnival after.
OK, then you need
to go and get ready.
I'm not getting ready
to open up my call, Mom.
I'm not wearing
a buttoned-up shirt
to open up a piece of paper.
So, just do what
Mom asks you to do.
I'll put on some socks,
and that's it.
Kalasita: Go and put on
church clothes.
I'm not showering, either.
Kalasita: No, son. Stop it.
Sorry we're so late.
We could not find your house.
It's OK.
How are you? Good.
Are you excited?
Yeah.
[Chatter]
Harvey: A lot of people think
I'm just doing my mission
because maybe I'm scared
of football
or scared of not playing
because I didn't do good
my first year.
[Crying]
Harvey, voice-over:
I'm not scared.
I can still play ball.
I'm gonna be a running back.
I'm gonna show that Polys
can be a running back
in the League, and... and I know
I have the ability to do it.
[Chatter]
I'll be back in two years.
[Crowd cheering]
Vita, voice-over: Just being
an older brother
is a huge role in my family.
My dad always told me,
"Whatever you do,
your little brother's gonna do."
That's why I was
so mad at myself.
Oh, I'm so proud of you.
Oh.
Woman: Vita!
[Cheering]
[Applause]
Vita, voice-over: It took him
to go down in a situation,
in a negative situation like
that, like the gun thing
that happened at school,
for him to change.
Hopefully he has changed.
Woman: Sometimes
I can just feel it inside
It takes me by surprise
And I just can't hide
And sometimes
I get this feeling inside
It takes me by surprise
Woman: And I just can't hide
Oh, my gosh! Oh!
Mwah mwah mwah mwah!
I missed you!
Hi!
What's up?
Hi!
Woman: I, I, I, I, I
Just can't hide, hide
I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I
Just can't hide, hide
I, I, I...