The Wren Hurricane
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THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF KELLY BRYANT
By Grant Shugart
The Life and Legacy of Kelly Bryant
I’ll never forget the day. You could sense the excitement in Wren. Hoping to find an explanation for the overwhelming anticipation I asked someone, “What’s going on?” My classmate looked at me overflowing with joy and said, “We got Kelly Bryant”. I quickly found out that Kelly Bryant was a 6’4, 204 pound quarterback from Abbeville High School, the perfect stature for a high school athlete. The anticipation in the school that day was that our Moses, Kelly Bryant, was ready to take us to the athletic promised land.
How would Kelly act? Surely he knew how incredible he was and would carry himself in the arrogant and prideful demeanor that so many athletes had done before him. Surely he would only talk to jocks or the pretty girls. Surely he would be loud and obnoxious, meeting the standard of all confident athletes. Surely he would go to parties and get in trouble, constantly relying on Coach Tate to bail him out. Surely he would be self-centered, completely consumed in his abilities and future, but Kelly Bryant was nothing like that. Starting cornerback Adam Campbell said, “Surprisingly he was quiet at first, then once he became comfortable he started cracking jokes. We soon figured out he was a complete goof ball.”
He fit the body type, the size, and the stature of a college quarterback, but what was different than the expectations was his demeanor. He walked down the hall with a big goofy smile. Kelly Bryant was talking to everyone! He made friends; no one was too unpopular to be with him. He was quiet in class, almost to the point of being afraid to speak. In the commons he was always the center of attention but never tried to be. Everyone flocked around him and left feeling better about life entirely. If Kelly Bryant never picked up a football, he still would have been an incredible student and friend, but Wren didn’t need just an incredible student. We needed an incredible quarterback.
I’ve never seen a quarterback move the way Kelly Bryant did. As if the pocket was a dance floor and his only job was to freely dance without a care in the world. It seemed as if he enjoyed defenders in the backfield. His awareness of who was around him and what to do next was astonishing. When he had finally danced to his content, he showcased his arm. Some people are fearful of an intruder with a gun; I was terrified of Kelly with a football. To say that his arm was a cannon was an understatement. Every time the ball left his hand, a spiral of flames always streaked behind. He was the quarterback we needed, a player you could build an offense around.
But to only talk about how good Kelly was at football would be the shallowest representation of the legacy he left at Wren. To equate his impact to yards and touchdowns would be meaningless. More games will be won; his records will be broken, but his legacy last. I asked Kelly, “What is the one thing you want Wren to remember about you?” He smiled and said, “That there was more to me than a helmet and shoulder pads, more than awards or records. That I was a pretty swell guy that tried to make his Momma proud.”
If Kelly ever taught Wren anything, he taught us what truly matters. How easy it would have been for him to focus on just a game. To constantly boast about his achievements. But he didn’t. Kelly taught Wren that the goal of life is to make it about other people. This idea couldn’t manifest itself more than in the story of Tanner Duniho.
Tanner was a ninth grader diagnosed with Down syndrome. Isolated because of his disability, he was probably the last person that would be friends with the football star. The last thing Wren High was expecting was our athletic savior to be best friends with one of the most isolated students at Wren, but it happened. Kelly intentionally made an effort to love and care for Tanner. Not because it made him look better, not because he could get glory from it, but because he understood what was important in life. While he could have been soaking up the glory of his talent and fame, he chose to spend time with his best friend that happened to be mentally handicapped. With an opportunity to make life about him, Kelly chose to make it about someone else. I asked Kelly, “What was your favorite memory about Wren?” He instantaneously responded with, “Miss Shelby Brown (another mentally handicapped girl at Wren) saying yes to be my Homecoming date.”
Just as moving as the story of Kelly’s friendship with Tanner is the story of the last time he walked off the Hurricane football field. Wren had just been defeated by Emerald in the second round of the playoffs. It was shocking as the Hurricanes looked to be one of the favorites to win the state championship. I watched as seniors wept as the realized their last game of football was a loss. Their dream of winning a state championship would never happen. Out of all the men crying in that huddle, one was crying the hardest. One was weeping the loudest: Kelly. Why be so sad about a high school football game? Everyone knew that Kelly would go one to play much bigger games. Why be so sad because of a loss that is only a stepping-stone in his career? Driving home that night I realized the answer. I was able to ask him later, “Why was the Emerald loss so hard? You knew you were going to play more football.” He choked up before he answered, “I thought it was going to end differently. Our team wanted to be champions so much, it was all we talked about. I constantly look back and think, 'What if I would have done this or not done that?' but it wasn’t meant to be.” Kelly wasn’t sad because the game was crucial to him, but because he loved he his teammates and this community more than himself. To Kelly the game was sad but nothing to weep over, but to his teammates it was their last game; it was heartbreaking. But looking back on the season he proudly told me, “Even though we lost, we still were champions. We were one big family. We had an entire community supporting us; they made it a blessing to play every Friday. We were champions.”
When you love someone, you start to care about what they care about. Because Kelly loved his team more than himself, he was wrecked by the loss. I’ve never been more proud of a player. To have the ability to push aside every selfish thought and love others as your self is truly remarkable. It proved to me that Kelly truly loved people more than himself.
I’m so glad I got to know Kelly. I can’t wait to see where he goes in life and the lives he impacts. I know that Wren left a mark on him, and I can guarantee he left a mark on us.
Did Kelly play incredible football? Absolutely, but what he did on the football is only the smallest part of Kelly Bryant’s legacy. The way he showed people to love others more than ourselves will never be forgotten. We may never have a season like 2013, but we will always love each other unconditionally thanks to the life of Kelly Bryant.
DEVIN'S BIG MOVIE REVIEW: American Sniper
Devin Parks
When January 16th finally rolled around, numbers of people, including myself, flocked to their local movie theaters to see “American Sniper,” the story of American Navy SEAL Sniper, Chris Kyle. The movie is based on the book that Kyle wrote, titled the same. Whether you have read the book and have followed Chris Kyle’s story since his book first became public or you have barely heard Chris Kyle’s name, this movie covers his entire story, so you won’t miss anything. The movie starts from when Kyle first discovers his sharpshooter talents as a young child to his tragic end after he has returned from his four tours in Iraq. Something that makes Kyle special is his confirmed kill count. Kyle is attributed with 160 confirmed kills, giving him the title of “most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.” During his four tours in Iraq, Kyle became famous among his military peers and infamous to the enemy, earning the nickname, “Shaitan Al-Ramadi” or in English, “The Devil of Ramadi.”
Chris Kyle is played by Bradley Cooper, and he portrays him very well. Cooper looks just like Kyle to the very fine details. From their facial hair to their body structure, it is hard to tell the two apart. Other than Cooper looking almost exactly like Kyle, he also comes in with another superb acting performance. Cooper portrays the struggle Kyle has with his mental state perfectly, showing how war and P.T.S.D. can emotionally and physically affect someone. From Cooper’s facial expressions, to his disposition and the way he carries out his actions, you can truly see what Kyle was going through without him ever coming out and saying how he was feeling. Sienna Miller plays Chris Kyle’s wife, who also has a great acting performance. Her part in the movie illustrates the effects of having a loved one with a mental disorder such as P.T.S.D. This is definitely a AAA movie title, as the movie doesn’t suffer from bad special effects or other setbacks that might come from a movie having a low budget or laziness from the director.
The controversy surrounding this movie is more than apparent on social media and on different news outlets. The movie raises the questions, “Was it made as propaganda to help endorse the war that is going on in the Middle East?” While some people may perceive the movie as a way to justify what is going on there, I don’t think that is what director Clint Eastwood was going for as an overall message of the movie. Even though a good fraction of the movie shows fighting scenes between the American Soldiers and the terrorists, that is not the main focus of the movie. The main focus of the movie was to show Chris Kyle’s struggle with his mental state and how it affected his friends and family at home. The majority of the movie isn’t fighting. The hardships that Kyle wrote about are very real. Many veterans go through the same thing that Kyle went through.
If I had to give this movie a rating out of ten, I would give it a 9/10. The acting and special effects are A1. The movie is a great balance between the emotional portrayal of a veteran’s adjustment back to the real world, the action-packed fighting scenes that keeps the audience entertained, and the sprinkling of humor throughout the movie to relieve the psychological tension. The only complaint that comes to mind after watching this movie is that it jumps forward a lot at certain points. This is only a small complaint because it is understandable. There’s only so much you can fit about a man’s life in a two hour and fifteen minute period. This problem can be fixed by doing simple research on Kyle or by just reading his book.
SEMPER FI--by Jessi Davison
Every college senior is asked what they are going to be doing come June. Whether it is getting ready for college, going to Basic Training, or finding a job, everyone has a different plan and a different map. For many of the seniors in NJROTC at Wren, they are looking to into the military. One of those seniors is Zachariah Etchells, more commonly known as Zach.
Zach, who turned 18 in January, has known he wanted to go into the military since he was ten years old. “When I lived in Rhode Island, I had a neighbor. He was always there for me, and he and his wife always came to my sports games. He died of lung cancer before we moved. I found out he was a Marine, and I have always looked up to soldiers. It pushed me towards the decision. Plus, the military feels like home.”
He still has work to do before then. He goes to Physical Training, or PT twice a week, Tuesdays and Thursdays. He describes it as one of the most strenuous things he does. “They push you to do your best, and it is definitely not a walk in the park,” He says, when asked how strenuous it really is. He’s still pretty weak in doing pull ups, but he loves when he gets to run.
Zach sees himself in the Marines for a long time; to put it simply, he says, “I can’t see myself doing anything else.” The easiest part, at least for him, is knowing that he is going to be enjoying what he is doing. Missing his friends and family is a big deal to him, but he knows that he is going to be doing his best everyday to be his best. He says he wants to “always operate at 212,” and that’s the advice he gives to everyone else.
Zach is just one of many seniors who are going into the military come 2015, and he’s working hard towards his goals. He’ll go through his MEPS (Military Entrance Processing Station) examination soon, and then it’s “Semper fi," serving his country, and making us proud.
BE PREPARED--by Skyler Lorey
Most people might see Kyle Wilson as just Coach Wilson--a history teacher and a sports coach. However, he’s actually much more than that. Born in Augusta, Georgia in 1979, he grew up to be a high school student just like you and me. As a student at Chapin High School, he was popular with mostly everyone and procrastinated constantly with his work. He also played both baseball and football for his school. “My favorite memory of high school was definitely winning the state championship in baseball. It really made me realize how much I loved sports.” Despite all the slacking off, he graduated and moved on to college. He began to work on his undergraduate degree at USC where he met his wife and finally learned to stop procrastinating. Next, he went to Converse College in Spartanburg where he began to work on his Masters. Now armed with both his Undergrad and his Masters, Mr. Wilson is now working on his doctorate at USC. The greatest lesson he learned from his school was, “Be prepared and your life will be much less stressful.”
After college, Kyle moved around working different jobs. At one point, he even worked at a casino in Las Vegas. However, he made his way back to South Carolina where he got married and began teaching at Newberry High. The motivation to begin teaching came from wanting the opportunity to influence students’ lives. Next, he made his way to Wren where he has been working ever since.
Teaching and coaching at Wren are now a big part of Mr. Wilson’s life. He says that the best part about his job is waking up in the morning and wanting to go to work. He also enjoys getting to influence students’ lives in a positive way and being able to spend time with his students and fellow coaches with coaching. However, while teaching may be a big part of his life, it also has its complications. “It’s hard to balance time between my family and my work,” he says. “Both are incredibly important to me.” He states that his biggest regret in life is not pursuing a career in education sooner, and that teaching is his favorite job he’s ever had.
While most people only see Mr. Wilson during school, after school he can be found watching/playing sports, going to church, riding his motorcycle, and spending time with his family. He also greatly admires our country’s military; “If I could have any other job in the world it would be a job in the military because I hate having missed the opportunity to serve my country.” If I could sum up Kyle Wilson in one sentence it would be this: He’s a great teacher and person who truly cares about his family and his students. From the time I spent interviewing him, he gave some pretty good advice on how to high school and potentially life. “Don’t stress about the things you can’t control. Also, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, so don’t let fear hold you back from doing the things you love.”