Greg Bryant Jr. was a firm believer in the rebirth of UAB football.
The running back, whose life was cut short in a senseless act of violence more than two years ago, was the catalyst that led others to believe in the program's potential.
Bryant's presence – regardless if you never met him – still flows through every practice, every meeting and every locker room where the Blazers suit up to compete. His steadfast belief in the program has not been for naught, however, as UAB captured their first conference title in the Blazers' second season after the program's resurrection.
Coincidently enough – or maybe not depending on your understanding of the spiritual world – the Blazers are facing Bryant’s father’s alma mater, Northern Illinois, in the 2018 Boca Raton Bowl.
The game is also being played less than 10 miles from where Bryant grew up and attended American Heritage High in Delray Beach, Florida. UAB and Northern Illinois played in Tuesday’s Boca Raton Bowl, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN.
“I’ve been emotional all week long ever since I got the notice,” said Greg Bryant, who was honored and given a UAB jersey at a recent bowl practice. “It’s going to be a special day. I’m going to dwell on the happy times and enjoy the moment. It’s the angel in the sky, No. 4, flying around making this happen. How could it be? I have to just go with it. That’s my angel looking out for me and he just wanted me to have a good time this week.”
A 5-star running back who signed with Notre Dame out of high school, Bryant struggled with grades before leaving the tradition-rich program only to reinvent himself through a local junior college in his hometown. He then made the surprising decision to return to major college football in Birmingham.
"He was so excited about the new start," Doug Socha, Bryant’s high school coach, said. "Didn’t really care so much about what name was going to be on his jersey but wanted to be the guy to bring that program back. Not a week goes by where we don’t think about him or talk about him."
Bryant, 21, was shot while driving home from a West Palm Beach nightclub in May 2016. The case remains unsolved.
Bryant was one of the first high-profile players to show interest in UAB after the shutdown and the loss of such a talented athlete and an overwhelmingly positive individual still haunts UAB coach Bill Clark. The relationship with Bryant’s family never waned but the opportunity to honor Greg never materialized until Sunday bowl practice brought a special visitor to speak to the team.
“It really was a tragic end to a promising young life,” Clark said. “His dad, we’ve stayed in contact with each other since Greg passed and he’s called to check on us as we’ve made these moves. After we ended up in this bowl game in his hometown and practicing at his old highs school – we decided to get him (Bryant Sr.) a jersey all the way back when it happened – we finally were able to present it to him. It meant a lot to him and a lot to out team.”
There’s still a few members of the UAB football team that remember Bryant on a personal level, but his influence has made it around the entire program in the years following his passing. Even Collin Lisa, who is one of four remaining members of the 2014 team, feels the impact of Bryant’s legacy.
“Everyone who knew him here always talks so highly of him,” Lisa said. “Not only the type of player he was but the type of kid he was. Actually, when I was at Buffalo, I was seeing the players UAB was getting and he was one of the ones that caught my eye. ‘Whoa! UAB got Greg Bryant? They’re going to be legit for real.’”
“Even though he was here for just a little bit, he left an impact. His dad came out to practice and had some real good words to say for us to kind of add to our motivation. It’s weird how things come full circle. His dad said it wasn’t coincidence that we’re playing in a bowl game where Greg is from, where he went to high school and against the team his dad played for in college.”