MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The record number of homicides in Memphis this year is troubling enough, but it also includes more than two dozen child victims.
The Memphis Police Department said more needs to be done to save kids from violence.
FOX13′s Lauren Coleman spoke with a football coach who said Memphis youth need special attention now more than ever to keep them safe and off the streets.
They say he is more than just a football coach.
Some may even call him a superhero who is bringing strength and hope to his community.
Three days a week, Chavis Daniels can be found on the football field behind MLK Prep in North Memphis.
The 27-year-old is the founder of the North Memphis Steelers.
The North Memphis Steelers is a youth sports and mentoring program.
“Some days they show up and some days they don’t,” Daniels said.
“We are going to make it fun, but there is always going to be a lesson in the fun though.”
For Coach Daniels, football is about more than just touchdowns and tackles.
“School First,” Daniels said.
“That’s what’s on the back of our uniforms. We try to teach that period. Like you could be the best athlete on the field, but if you aren’t meeting classroom standards then it doesn’t matter.”
Daniels told FOX13′s Lauren Coleman he learned this at an early age.
His high school football journey is featured in the 2012 Oscar-Winning documentary “Undefeated.”
The movie follows Daniels and his Manassas High School teammates through their 2009 football season.
The film depicts Daniels as a hothead with severe anger issues, but by the end of the movie he turns his life around; takes responsibility for his actions and helps to lead his team to victory.
“I can say football helped me change my life,” Daniels said.
According to a recent University of Memphis study, one of the ZIP codes in the neighborhood surrounding the football field where the students practice ranks among the most distressed in the state with more than 65 percent of children living in poverty.
Learning from his own time spent in juvenile detention, Daniels has made it his mission to keep young boys off the streets and out of trouble.
“But the kids, they just want to be a part of something,” Daniels said.
“And I think a lot of these kids just want you to notice them. Like if the kid aren’t getting noticed somewhere else, they want you to point out the good stuff they’re doing.”
The team is now in its fourth season with more than 70 players.
“This team brought a whole lot to this community,” Daniels' Mother Lavondasha Cobb said.
“Parent who didn’t have basic relationships with their kids or fathers who didn’t even know what their kids were capable of until we started this organization.”
Daniels' mother, who helped to start the team said she sees her son in many of the players.
“With me, I’m just glad I can see this day,” Cobb said.
“That my son has prospered into a man. His character, his sensibility. He is just wonderful in my eyes. And I know he’s not perfect, but I know he loves these kids.”
FOX13′s Lauren Coleman asked Daniels what motivates him to come out three days a week to be with the kids.
“Even though I coach football, I probably know every child on my team’s birthday by heart,” Daniels said.
“Because I want to have a personal relationship with everybody. I don’t get paid to do it. It’s just what I love, and I want to be an impact. I mean it’s what I do. I ain’t doing it for no particular reason other than for the betterment of the kids.”
Daniels went off to play football for Lane College after playing for Manassas High School.
The North Memphis Steelers will host a 2020 Saving our Sons Bowl Game on November 28.
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