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Great article on Danny Wuerrfel


goldenster95

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Say what you want about Danny Wuerrfel the QB . . . then read this article about what he does off the field . . . it makes his continued presence just a little more tolerable . . .

http://www.timesdispatch.com/sports/redskins/MGBO89ML4AD.html

QB's charity work music to their ears

But Wuerffel's commitment year-round

BY PAUL WOODY

TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Dec 25, 2002

When he entered the ninth grade, Danny Wuerffel had to choose between music and football, between marching in the band on Friday nights or calling plays in the huddle.

Wuerffel chose football. He went on to lead Fort Walton Beach, Fla., High School to the state championship, the University of Florida to a national championship and to win the Heisman Trophy. He now plays for the Washington Redskins.

Wuerffel chose wisely.

But he never really left music behind. He still plays the trumpet, harmonica, guitar and piano.

"I'm not really a musician," Wuerffel said. "I don't claim to be very talented. I just play to relax and have fun."

Wuerffel's public face is devoid of emotion. He is 2-2 as a starter this season, and his demeanor has been the same after victory and defeat.

He is low-key to the extreme.

"I'm even keeled, but I love to have fun," Wuerffel said.

He also loves to serve his religious faith.

It was that combination of fun and service that led Wuerffel to record a CD for the Desire Street Ministries, an inner-city charity in New Orleans.

The CD, "Heaven and Nature Sings: Christmas with Danny Wuerffel, Family & Friends," contains 14 songs, and sells for $15. All the proceeds go to Desire Street Ministries, and the initial run of 10,000 sold out.

After expenses, Desire Street Ministries made between $75,000 and $100,000.

Another 10,000 copies of the CD were ordered.

Wuerffel sings on some of the selections, plays trumpet or piano on others and arranged several of the songs. Family members who perform on the CD include Wuerffel's wife, Jessica, a flutist, WUERFFEL his mother, Lola, also a flutist, and his brother Ben, who is on a music scholarship at North Florida University.

If Wuerffel did nothing else to support Desire Street Ministries, the CD would seem to be more than enough.

But the CD is a small part of Wuerffel's contributions to the charity. In fact, the idea for the CD didn't come until Wuerffel had spent five years working with Desire Street.

Wuerffel is one of the most religious members of the Redskins, but he doesn't preach his faith in interviews. He prefers to practice it out of sight of the public eye.

New Orleans is a fascinating place to visit. The French Quarter and Garden District are some of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

Just beyond those areas, though, are some of the toughest places to live in the country. The poverty is readily apparent and penetrates to the heart, soul and bone.

The Desire Street housing project has been described as the "worst of the worst."

According to figures from the New Orleans Community Data Center, 63 percent of the families in the Desire Street development earn less than $15,000 per year in income, and 62.4 percent of the families there live below the poverty level.

Forty percent of the population is under the age of 17, and 100 percent of the children under the age of 5 live in poverty.

At times, the Desire Street area has been known as the murder capital of the United States.

Into this seeming abyss in 1990 came Rev. Mo Leverett, who moved his family from Jackson, Miss., to live in the Desire Street housing project. His idea was to revitalize the neighborhoods of Desire Street through spiritual and community development.

Wuerffel began his pro football career with the New Orleans Saints in 1997. And when he heard about Desire Street Ministries, he sought out Leverett.

"I was very surprised he wanted to meet me," Leverett said. "After all, he's a Heisman Trophy winner.

"Danny is a very important person in the life of our ministry, more for the relationship he has with us than as a fund-raiser."

For all the money Wuerffel's CD has made, Leverett said it represented about 10 percent of DSM's 2002 budget.

"Danny is not the typical NFL player," Leverett said. "He really believes what he believes and shows that with his actions."

An NFL season is mentally and physically grueling, and the offseason is a time of rest and recovery for the players.

Many take comfort in warm climates and pristine beaches. Most take part in some type of charity work, often through celebrity golf tournaments and other fund-raisers.

Wuerffel makes his offseason home in New Orleans, and he is a regular at the headquarters of Desire Street Ministries.

"He teaches Bible study classes," Leverett said. "He helped us organize our urban institute, which also serves as a seminary extension. And he has taken classes on a variety of topics at our urban institute. He is very tangibly involved in this community. He's on the front lines.

"We don't seek out superstars. The superstars to us are the ones who show up here on a daily basis."

In the movies, the quarterback wins the game, gets the girl and saves the city. The NFL is not a movie, though, and Wuerffel's professional football career has met with mixed results.

That hasn't deterred him from doing what he can to try to save one corner of one city.

Wuerffel, it seems, is pretty good at making wise choices.

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