VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — On the football field 12-year-old Jeremiah Alexander is a utility player.
“I play quarterback, tight end, receiver, kicker, nose guard,” he said.
His coach makes sure that all Timberwolves players are well rounded.
“We do the sports, but we also trying to teach them about the game of life,” said coach and Timberwolves founder Glen Yearling.
Last week, the program took a hard hit when thieves stole lawn equipment from outside Yearling’s Norfolk home. Players started a lawn business and use the equipment to make their own money.
“I just save it so my dad can take me to a reptile convention on Aug. 3,” said 9-year-old Elijah Williams.
Soon after 10 On Your Side shared the story, two team players from the community recovered the fumble.
One of them, STIHL, donated a brand new riding mower, trimmers, sprayers and blowers.
“This story hit us personally and we wanted the opportunity to make it right with you,” said James Adams, Mid-Atlantic STIHL regional manager to Yearling.
The other, Taylor’s Do It Center, supplied gloves, glasses, hearing protection and more.
To the coach, the local donors are the MVPs.
“I want to thank everybody involved for all of this stuff,” Yearling said. “It’s a blessing.”
The kids could not be happier to get back to work.
“We gettin’ a lot of jobs now,” Alexander said.
The utility player is pumped to try out the new tools that will help him and other players get their biggest gains off the field.
“Because that’s the most important thing,” Yearling said, “because sports is not guaranteed, but work is.”