In football, "third and long" is a desperate situation where a team must gain monumental yardage for a first down. The children helped by theThird and Long Foundation face similar challenges when battling situations of delinquency, drugs, violence, crime and unemployment. The programs inner-city children live in communities where high levels of convectional literacy often are neither expected nor
rewarded. Just as sacking the quarterback in a third and long situation slows the other team's momentum, Derrick Thomas hoped that the foundation would "sack illiteracy" in the lives of the children in the program. The Foundation, founded by Derrick in 1990, has achieved prominence in the Greater Kansas City community and recognition on a national level. "These grade levels often determine whether many kids make it and go on to success, or are forced into discouraging situations."
