Brown gave us a tour of the classrooms, church, and football field of the small academy that Wuerffel, the Executive Director of the Desire Street Ministries, watches over from his office in northwest Florida. The school wasn't always in Baton Rouge. It was a New Orleans school until Hurricane Katrina destroyed everything but the gymnasium, leaving the academy without a place to call home.

Wondering if children were still alive and trying desperately to communicate with staff members, Wuerffel set out to restore order and find a new place for the academy. "We had some incredibly heroic efforts from our staff members," he said. In the aftermath of Katrina, the staff members went into shelters to find their students. Later in the year, the school was moved to Florida. Now, Desire Street has set up shop in Baton Rouge and continues to provide education, shelter, and guidance to those who have no place else to go.

"They've been able to experience some things that they would never have experienced somewhere else,"
Wuerffel said about the DSA students. "They'll get a sense of who they really are. A sense that they're loved. A sense that they're special."

As Oscar the Disciplinarian showed us around the school, he opened classroom doors revealing attentive students, all wearing a uniform, completely unfazed by the camera that was recording them. They're used to it by now, and it probably takes a lot to rattle them. There are no more than 18 kids per class, and the larger classes have two teachers in them.

"We know what it takes to educate these kids," Brown says. The goal is to prepare them for college and put the students in situations where they can be successful. They learn subjects such as Math, English, Spanish, and of course, football.

"For the DSA Lions, football is so key," Wuerffel said. "I mean, they grow up with a passion to play."

Wuerffel has been involved with Desire Street since 1997, just after he was drafted by New Orleans. He used to be more active with the football team, but now Wuerffel's main function is fundraising, traveling, and other administrative duties. He believes in education and he believes in football as a way to learn about life.

"Football is such a huge arena that teaches the lessons of life," he said. "The ability to work hard, the ability to get knocked down and get back up."

Desire Street got knocked down. Desire Street got back up. It might not be in New Orleans anymore, but that doesn't seem to matter now.

"I don't think the location makes the school," Brown said. "I think the school makes the location."