Dunbar's Jefferies Is a Leader of Men

Like many sports fans, I enjoy NBC's "Friday Night Lights" -- the drama adapted from H.G. Bissinger's book of the same title chronicling the religion that is high school football in small-town Texas. If life in fictional Dillon revolves around its football team, the same cannot be said of Washington, which seems too big to embrace small pleasures.

So it is left to people such as Craig Jefferies, head football coach of Washington's perennial public school power Dunbar, to create such an atmosphere for his players in the neighborhood (six blocks from the Capitol). Jefferies has run a successful if not idyllic program that's been to the city championship game nine straight years (winning seven) and produced a number of major-college players and NFLers such as San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis and Cleveland wide receiver and special teams star Joshua Cribbs.

If fighting the D.C. school bureaucracy, monetary struggles, the temptations and traumas his players face daily and not receiving the perks bestowed to successful coaches elsewhere has discouraged Jefferies, he doesn't show it.

"I believe this is my calling," he said the other day before practice. "I make a difference in these kids' lives. If you can take 50 kids from the inner city every year and have them do something constructive and positive in the classroom and on the field, I've done my job."

Jefferies, who earns $2,100 a year to coach above his pay as a teacher, prefers to look for small wins that can turn into major victories, such as the Crimson Tide playing Coolidge on ESPNU last year and the installation of an artificial turf field (five other DCIAA schools are getting fields as well).

Last week, he took his team by bus to Canton, Ohio, for what turned out to be a 38-8 loss to North Canton Hoover High ("we played better than the score shows") with a stop at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and a chance to watch the Browns practice and visit with Cribbs. Dunbar's share of the gate at Hoover covered the cost of the bus, meals and two nights in a hotel.

"Colleges are recruiting kids in our league," Jefferies said. "Our offseason program keeps the kids in study hall and weight room and builds togetherness.'' He sets team rules: Players must respect teachers, may not wear hats and must wear their pants above their waists.

And when a star athlete such as Michael Vick falls from grace, Jefferies uses the opportunity to remind his players that "they're accountable, they'd best know who they're hanging around with and choose friends accordingly because some people want to see you fail."

"Coach teaches us to focus," junior quarterback Tyree White said. "He tells us about things that can bring you down. What to watch for, how to stick together as a team. I like that. A lot."

Redskins Questions

The Redskins go into their final week of practice before Sunday's season opener against Miami at FedEx Field with more questions than answers. Such as:

? Is running back Clinton Portis (sore knee) ready to start the season without playing a single down in the preseason?