4th and Long is an American reality television series hosted by Michael Irvin that premiered on Spike on May 18, 2009. The winner of the show earned a spot at the Dallas Cowboys training camp, with a shot of making the roster. The show puts six wide receivers against six defensive backs. The show was filmed at the Cotton Bowl, with Joe Avezzano as the coach for the receivers and Bill Bates as the coach for the backs.
The athletes have varying backgrounds, including national champions, CFL players, arena league veterans, semi-pro players, and those who have tried to make NFL rosters.
Contestants Position Name Jersey number Age Height Weight College ResultWR Jesse Holley83256'3216North CarolinaWinner in Episode 10WR Andrew Hawkins82225'7175ToledoRunners Up in Episode 10 DB Ahmaad Smith25256'0196Tennessee State DB Eddie Moten24275'10185Texas A&M–KingsvilleDB Moses Washington26286'0164OklahomaCut in Episode 9 WR Montrell Jones84276'2205Tennessee/LouisvilleCut in Episode 8DB Donte Gamble22305'8165San Diego StateCut in Episode 7WR Steve Gonzalez81246'2205Menlo College Cut in Episode 5WR Luke Swan86246'0193WisconsinCut in Episode 4 DB Erick Jackson23246'1195TexasCut in Episode 3WR Preston McGann85256'3203Seminole Community CollegeCut in Episode 2DB Stephen Andrews21255'9185College of New JerseyCut in Episode 1
Episode progress ContestantsEpisodes1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jesse HolleySAFESAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMSAFESAFEWON Andrew HawkinsSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMSAFESAFECUT Ahmaad SmithSAFESAFESAFESAFEBTM 2SAFEBTMSAFESAFECUT Eddie MotenSAFESAFESAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMSAFEBTM 2CUT Moses WashingtonSAFESAFEBTM 3SAFESAFESAFEBTMBTM 2CUT Montrell JonesBTM 3BTM 2SAFESAFESAFESAFEBTMCUT Donte GambleSAFESAFESAFEBTM 2SAFESAFECUT Steve GonzalezBTM 2BTM 3SAFESAFECUT Luke SwanSAFESAFEBTM 3CUT Erick JacksonSAFESAFECUT Preston McGannSAFECUT Stephen AndrewsCUT
The contestant won the competition. The contestant was summoned to the war room. The contestant was cut. The contestant was cut immediately after a drill or practice The contestant performed the best or won the challenge therefore winning the reward. The contestant performed the best or won the challenge therefore winning the reward but was still called into the war room. In episode 6, all of the remaining players were safe. In episode 7, all of the eliminated players returned to compete for one of the remaining player's jersey.
Episodes
4th Quarter Training First aired May 18, 2009 Three of the twelve players were called into the coaches room and given one last chance to explain why they should stay. After careful consideration, Irvin sends Andrews home. Irvin tells Andrews that he is cut and could still play in the NFL, just not for Dallas. Before Steve Gonzalez leaves the roombox, Irvin pulls out a sports bag of jerseys and gives one to Gonzalez and then gives the bag to him to give to the rest.
Bottom 3: Stephen Andrews, Steve Gonzalez, Montrell Jones Bottom 2: Stephen Andrews, Steve Gonzalez Cut: Stephen Andrews for his poor showing in the punt return drill.
Within Your Grasp First aired May 25, 2009
While in the war room, Irvin and the other coaches tell the three players why they are here and let them have one last chance to redeem themselves. Irvin tells Steve he is safe and lets him continue in the competition. The final two are then lectured by the three coaches, Irvin then tells McGann he could still play in the NFL, just not for Dallas. Preston leaves the room and writes a note to the remaining cast members. Irvin pulls out a set of playbooks and gives one to Jones then tells Jones not to lose it or he will be cut immediately. Jones agrees and then is given the rest of the playbooks to give to the team. Before Jones leaves the war room, Irvin tells him to tell the others not to lose their playbooks or they will be cut immediately as well as Jones for not stressing the importance of the book.
Bottom 3: Preston McGann, Steve Gonzalez, Montrell Jones Bottom 2: Preston McGann, Montrell Jones Cut: Preston McGann for his perceived lack of interest in getting physical during the drills.
Game Day First aired June 1, 2009
In a game with unnumbered players rounding out roster spots on two complete teams, the DB's take on the WR's to see who is better at their positions. In one play, Luke Swan (who is billed as "Prone To Injury") stretches to catch a touchdown pass and gets injured when one of the DB's lands on his legs as he hits the turf. As a result, he sufferes a groin injury that hampers his playing ability. His senior year of college play was cut short when he was tackled awkwardly and his hamstrings were torn from the leg bone, ending his season as he recuperated from surgery. One of the coaches questions whether the groin injury is as bad as Swan makes it out to be, or whether he is having "ghost pain" from his earlier hamstring trauma.
During the game, DB's Jackson and Smith are called into the bleachers by Michael Irvin to discuss their lack of aggressive play. One DB is pointed out for "opening the gate" and not jamming the receivers at the line of scrimmage; the other seems to be tentative in tackling larger fullbacks swinging out of the backfield.
Erick Jackson is criticized for his performance. Moses Washington is called in to warn him to practice his football skills. Luke Swan is called in to address his injury situation.
Bottom 3: Erick Jackson, Luke Swan, Moses Washington Cut: Erick Jackson for his poor performance during the scrimmage game.
The Red Zone First aired June 8, 2009
After being called into the War Room, Moses Washington asks Donte Gamble to help him with jamming receivers at the line and coverage on short yardage plays. Donte agrees and coaches Washington on his technique.
The players started the next practice with jump balls in the endzone, simulating a common Red Zone offensive play. Michael Irvin is assisted in his demonstrations and coaching by All-Pro Darren Woodson, who works with the DB's while Michael works with the WR's. The DB's dominated for most of the drills. Because of this, Michael Irvin awarded phone calls to whomever the players wanted, based on performance during the drill in an attempt to get the receivers to play harder.
The next drill was a 100-yard passing scrimmage in single-man (aka "one on one") defense, with only a quarterback and no linemen or running backs or safeties. Because the receivers had more room and the defensive backs had no help downfield, the receivers broke free and dominated. The defensive backs became noticeably winded from all the running. Donte Gamble got burned on a "hook and ladder" score at the end of the drill that Michael Irvin compared to a high school football play.
While this was going on, Luke Swan could not practice for the day due to his injury and spent the time warming up on the stationary bike under the watchful eye of the trainer, Hollie.
The next day they had morning practice and Luke Swan finally practiced but the trainer was not happy with the decision. She said he felt that he had something to prove, but the only thing he was proving was that he was injured. Luke ended up reinjuring himself in an agility drill against a defensive back.
Michael and the coaches reviewed the game tapes and deliberated about Swan's injury and whether his history of leg injuries would haunt him during a full NFL season, or whether they might be cutting a guy that could heal up and have a 15-year career. Donte Gamble was called into the War Room because of his losing sight of receivers during the one-on-one coverage drills and then getting badly beaten by the "hook and ladder" play because he didn't stay with his man. Luke Swan was called in to address his injury situation. Luke expressed regret that he ended his college career with a leg injury, and was now ending his shot at the NFL with another leg injury.
Bottom 2: Luke Swan, Donte Gamble Cut: Luke Swan for his injuries being too consistent to have an NFL career
Halfway There First aired June 15, 2009
The players are awakened in pre-dawn darkness and put on a bus to Irving, where they are each given a football and told to run the 8.5 miles back to the Cotton Bowl. The DB's win the contest and receive a DVD of their scrimmage game against the WR's as a reward.
The next drill is a form of "musical chairs" where the eight players go downfield as seven machines send simulated punts deep. The players have to catch a ball or get another player to fumble his ball, recover it, and bring it back to the end zone. The player who returns without a ball is out. After each elimination, one less ball is "punted".
Afterwards, there is a drill involving "yards after contact", where the WR's run a ten-yard crossing pattern and then have to go through the tackling DB to advance the ball ten yards at a time to score. Gamble is embarrassed when Gonzalez hurdles him. Smith gets beat several times by other WR's. The WR's march down the field before the DB's can stop them and send them back ten yards. The WR's score soon after.
During the call-back to determine who gets cut, WR Gonzalez says that performance on the field should determine whether he or DB Smith gets cut, so a new drill is run, in full pads, with the other players watching. The two players go "best 3 out of 5", with DB Smith defending against WR Gonzalez on simulated Red Zone plays. With each player earning two wins, the final play comes down to Gonzalez running a crossing pattern across the front of the end zone. Smith undercuts him at the turn and manages to break up the pass, sending Gonzalez home to his young family.
Bottom 2: Steve Gonzalez, Ahmaad Smith Cut: Steve Gonzalez for losing the challenge drill against Smith.
Great Sacrifices, Great Rewards First aired June 22, 2009
With 3 WRs and 4 DBs left, the coaches decide to do a kick-off return drill with each player having a chance to receive the ball while three other players try to tackle him. Included in the drill are three black-out players: the kicker (who is eligible to make tackles) and two blockers for the returner. After each candidate has had a chance to return a kick, one blocker is removed and each candidate gets another chance to score. Then, the last blocker is removed, so that it is just the returner and three opposing players (and the kicker). Andrew Hawkins is the only player return a kick for a touchdown, but a fumble is recovered by Montrell Jones on the kicking team and returned for a touchdown.
Afterwards, the candidates are given a chance to play twenty minutes of flag football, with the losing team cooking steaks, corn, and other food on a grill for the winning team.
Later that night, all of the candidates are shuttled in a limo to a club owned by one of the coaches, where they enjoy a good meal, music, and dancing with local women. After being kidded in the limo by the other players because he was the only one wearing a blazer and a tie, Moses Washington ended up meeting the most women (who complimented him on his style). Unbeknownst to the players, this was a test to see how well they could handle the glamour that goes along with being a player in the NFL.
When the players return to the Cotton Bowl, the DBs find that their belongings have been moved into the WRs common sleeping area, so that the WRs and DBs now share the same bedroom, except that there are 6 beds and 7 players, so 1 of them is forced to sleep on the couch in the living room, in which was Moses Washington.
The next morning, the players are put through a grueling series of drills, including running the stadium stairs, until at least one of them decides to quit and turn in his jersey. After 5 hours of physically demanding workouts, none of the players quit (although Montrell Jones did complain of a hamstring injury that was looked at by the trainers), so none of them were cut.
Bottom 2: None Cut: None
The Rivals First aired June 29, 2009