Long Beach Poly High School is best known for football.

And the football program owes some of its success to track.

“Most of our football players that have gone on to the NFL have been track runners,” said Crystal Irving, a former track star at the school who is the assistant varsity girls track coach. “DeSean Jackson, Willie McGinest, Mark Carrier are just a few who ran track, and it is something that has helped quite a few athletes in our school.”