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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... |
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