Long Beach Poly High School has sent more players to the NFL than any other high school in the United States. Head Coach Raul Lara has even mentored and helped train a number of those football stars in recent years. Here, Jacksonville Jaguars tight-end Marcedes Lewis looks back on the time he spent playing for Poly.

For Lewis, football was a core around which he could build a strong foundation. Coach Lara and Lewis' fellow Jackrabbits weren't just included in a team he loved, they were an integral part of what kept Lewis striving to better himself in and outside of school.

"I'm a strong-mind guy," Lewis says. "But I would've definitely got off track. Poly definitely gave me something to look forward to every day."

Thanks to the support of great coaches and supportive friends, Lewis graduated from Poly in 2002 and became known as the No. 1 tight end coming out of high school that year. In 2006, he was the 28th pick in the NFL Draft and has gone on to make it to the Pro Bowl, proud of his days at Long Beach Poly and eager to show other hopefuls what they can accomplish.

Tune in for the series premiere of "4th and Forever" Thursday, May 26 at 9/8c to see if this year's Long Beach Poly Jackrabbits have what it takes to succeed. For more on the show, visit http://current.com/4thandForever

If you're on the left coast and would like to preview "4th and Forever" before the premiere, we have an exciting event going down Wednesday in Anaheim, Calif.:

Join Current TV and Time Warner Cable as we preview the never-before-seen first two episodes of "4th and Forever." Hosted by Bob Gibson and Rich Estrella from Time Warner Cable’s SoCal 101 High School Sports show, the event will include a Q&A session with Poly Coach Raul Lara immediately following the screening.

Also in attendance will be local high school students from the community, and Long Beach Poly alum and NFL free-agent Darnell Bing.

When: Wednesday, May 25, 2011, @ 5:00pm - 7:00pm

Where: AMC Downtown Disney 12

Address: 1565 South Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA 92802

“'4th and Forever' is representative of the meaningful entertainment and compelling storytelling available on Current TV. The stories in this show are stories that resonate across the country— like the challenges posed by teen parenting, teen gangs, the pressure to get college scholarships – and there is something that everyone in the audience will have some connection to,” said Current's Executive VP of Distribution Courtney Menzel.

“We are proud to partner with Time Warner Cable to bring this special preview to the Anaheim community and hope the audience will continue to watch the series on Current to see how the stories unfold.”

Shot on location in Long Beach, Calif. and throughout Southern California, "4th and Forever" will explore how the team is a point of pride for a community that struggles with poverty, drugs and gangs, and will document the personal relationships the players have with their “families” on and off the field.

For Coach Raul Lara, whose full-time job is working the graveyard shift as a deputy probation officer, the football program provides its players a way out; everyone is pushing ahead for that "golden ticket" -- a college scholarship and a better life.

Don't miss the premiere episode of "4th and Forever" on Current TV on May 26, 9/8c. Follow the series on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and exclusives!

There's nothing like the coach's pregame speech, and this is a big one.

It's an hour before kickoff and all the hard work the team has put in during the offseason is about to be put to the test.

"Last year is gone," Coach Raul Lara tells his team, trying to put a 6-6 season out of the players' minds. "Now it's redemption time."

Long Beach Poly's high school football team is all about family, but Coach Raul Lara is pulling double duty.

He's the patriarch of the family on the football field, and he's also the father of backup quarterback Manny Lara.

In this clip, the coach takes some time away on a rare day off to have dinner with his son and talks about trying to split his time as a coach and a father.

Quarterback controversies are never fun, but they're a part of every football team. Football fans know that when things are going badly, the most popular player on the team is the backup quarterback.

But at Poly during the 2010-11 season, a quarterback controversy is a little more complicated than most. And that's because the backup QB is the coach's son.

"Family on three! One, two, three…"

This picture could tell more than its requisite 1,000 words. In this sneak peek from Current's new series, "4th and Forever," a new team photo symbolizes the beginning of a new season -- and behind each face is a long list of hopes and dreams that are about be put into action.

A film crew from AT &T-Uverse hung out at Long Beach Poly last week to shoot a special behind-the-scenes look at Current TV's newest series "4th and Forever."

The shoot mostly took place on the practice field and in the coach’s office, and I was there to help. Both spots are filled with action as spring practice for next year’s Poly football team is in full force. Those guys don’t stop -- seriously. Football is a year-round endeavor and the players from next year’s squad are working in the weight room like they all want to compete in the "World’s Strongest Man" competition. (Wait, this is high school? They can bench press THAT?).