When Last Minute Project premiered on the Philadelphia Eagles YouTube page, it arrived as more than a branded short film. Written and directed by Donavan Myles Edwards, the project blended sports, storytelling, and Black History Month into a grounded narrative about legacy, resilience, and everyday strength in Philadelphia.

Commissioned as part of the Eagles' Black History Month initiative titled Rooted in Strength, the film centers on a young girl racing against time to complete a school assignment, her personal "Hail Mary," while being guided by the steady presence of her father. Through that relationship, the film reframes strength not as spectacle, but as consistency, character, and care.

"There's no need to fear the wind when the roots are strong, and my love, you have strong roots," the father tells his daughter in one of the film's most quoted lines.

A personal vision, a citywide lens

For Edwards, the project was an opportunity to merge two worlds that have shaped his life: sports and filmmaking. "Growing up in sports but wanting to be a filmmaker, I always wanted to find a way to marry the two," he said during a post-release discussion. Black History Month, he noted, provided the creative space to do so authentically.

"Philadelphia is a predominantly Black city," Edwards said. "And there are a lot of great African American players who've left a huge mark on the organization. I wanted to create something that felt creative, honest, and impactful; specifically for this city."

Black history, not distant, but personal

Rather than focusing only on widely known historical figures, the film grounds Black history in family and community. Actor Joel Ashur, who portrays the father, described the film's perspective as intentionally close to home.

"You think of Black History Month, one of the first ones people slap on is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass," he said. "But the beautiful thing is that the Black history is actually in the family. It's not something that's distant. It's her mother. It's her grandmother. It's her father. It's personal."

The young lead, Nashani Watson-Johnson, pointed to the small details that reflect Black culture as lived reality, not a staged theme. She noted the posters in the character's room, "a great representation," as well as community moments such as the store clerk helping her, even though she did not have to. "That just shows how loving we are to one another," Watson-Johnson said.

Fatherhood as the center of the frame

The decision to tell the story through a father-daughter relationship was central to the film's emotional weight. The father figure is portrayed as attentive, encouraging, and present, qualities that Edwards, a special projects producer and editor for the Eagles and soon-to-be father, felt were both powerful and underrepresented on screen.

"It's not just about listening with your ears," Ashur explained. "It's about locking in, seeing your child, and recognizing when a few words of encouragement can change someone's trajectory."

That attentiveness culminates in quiet moments rather than dramatic speeches, aligning with Edwards' broader aim to "show, not tell." Strength in the film is demonstrated through patience, resilience, and everyday guidance, not grand gestures.

Edwards later described the father as "a comprehensive man," someone who can be playful and warm, while still offering sound advice. "He's the kind of dad that can be goofy, but also keep it real," Edwards said. "Someone who can do it all."

Strength beyond the field

Visually, one of the film's most pointed moments comes when the girl's bike is stolen, forcing her to keep going anyway. Edwards said that the decision was not random. It came from his own experience adjusting to Philadelphia after moving from Utah, where he was a videographer/editor for the NBA's Jazz.

"My car got stolen on my birthday, two months later," he said. "They found it. Four months later, it got stolen again. This time they totaled it."

When he wrote the script, Edwards said he did not want resilience to be stated plainly. He wanted it demonstrated.

"I don't want to just hear her say, 'I have strength, I have resilience.' I want to show, not tell," he said. "What more says strength and resilience than getting your bike stolen and running all the way home?"

Watson-Johnson said that scene was also one of the hardest to perform. "When I came out of the store, and my bike was stolen, I had to act really angry," she said. "That emotion for me was really hard."

The contrast highlights a core message of the film: The same traits celebrated in professional athletes, such as perseverance, discipline, and resilience, are lived out daily by ordinary people.

The film weaves football imagery with everyday life, drawing parallels between last-second plays on the field and last-minute pressure off it. "We all know what a Hail Mary looks like in football," Edwards said. "But for her, the Hail Mary is a school project due at the last minute. Two seconds on the clock; she gets it done, and her class cheers."

A production challenge that became part of the process

Ashur described one of the on-set challenges that shaped his performance. After filming Watson-Johnson's coverage, the child actor had to leave, and the production still needed Ashur's side of the scene.

"It was interesting doing the scene without anybody there," he said. "It was more like, imagine someone is there."

What he took from it was practical and professional. "Always be prepared," Ashur said. "Don't be afraid to have an imagination to try things."

Edwards praised Ashur's performance in that moment, saying he delivered strong takes despite the difficult setup. "Every performance, every take he would give when his scene partner isn't there, that's a true testament to his strength, his perseverance, and his focus on the project," Edwards said.

Legacy, faith, and creative pathways

When asked what legacy means to him as a creator, Edwards said he avoids thinking too far ahead.

"I try not to think too much about legacy," he said. "If you think about that too much, you might make nothing at all. I try to remain present and stay true to myself."

He also said he hopes the film encourages creative experimentation, especially from people who do not see obvious pathways into film or sports media.

"I don't think a lot of people probably imagine that the Philadelphia Eagles would do a short film," Edwards said. "I hope it gets people curious to think, what if I blended this and this, two things that typically don't go together?"

Edwards shared that he did not attend college or film school, largely due to cost. Instead, he entered the industry through work experience, which eventually snowballed into major opportunities.

"I didn't go to college at all," he said. "I couldn't afford film school. I started working for a production company, then next thing I know I'm working for the Utah Jazz, and I come to the Eagles."

He also offered advice to Black filmmakers about voice and authenticity.

"Make a film that resonates with you," he said. "There's a lot of talk around we have to make Black films. What does that even mean? Just make a film that speaks to you, and it will inherently be Black because you're Black."

Faith, Edwards added, is part of his foundation and influences the film's emphasis on character.

"That's my rock. That's my foundation," he said. "There are a lot of things we look forward to in life that don't really matter. What really matters is being a good person."

A film rooted in the everyday

Ultimately, Last Minute Project succeeds by refusing spectacle in favor of sincerity. Through a simple story, it reflects a broader truth about Philadelphia itself; about families, communities, and the quiet endurance that defines both Black history and the city's identity.

Watson-Johnson summarized the film's message simply: "Always strive to be better than you were yesterday."

In that way, Last Minute Project stands as a Black History Month tribute not only to past greatness, but also to the strength being built every day, root by root, moment by moment.

Kayla Watson is a senior at Temple University who honed her writing skills as a member of Mighty Writers, the nonprofit organization that empowers students through its after-school literacy program.