The parallels between the University of Alabama-Birmingham and one of its recruits Greg Bryant, former Notre Dame running back, would have been one of a program and a player making a comeback. That ended for Greg Bryant on Sunday when he was declared brain dead after he and a passenger were found shot along I-95 near West Palm Beach early Saturday morning.
While details of what is now a homicide investigation are still coming out of the West Palm Beach Police Department, one thing is certain - the player who had a second opportunity at football has tragically died along with his dreams.
As Coach Bill Clark began his journey to rebuild the
canceled program, Greg Bryant who played for American Heritage School in Delray Beach, Florida, whose annual tuition according to their
website is $33,557 for senior year, struggled early on in his college career with grades. His dream at Notre Dame came to an end due to academic eligibility. But, this was not to be the end for Greg Bryant as a player, in fact his failures were the catalyst for both player and school to find a way to succeed.
The program at UAB is building for their 2017 season return, and Bryant was one of those comeback kids whose short football career was about to grant him two things, an opportunity for a college degree and a second chance to play football. After his grades slipped, he overcame the obstacle by returning home to Florida and working towards his eligibility. That dream is now gone with many wondering what happened?
The days or weeks ahead will certainly be focused on the criminal investigation as to what happened in the early morning hours of May 8th, Mother's Day, when a young football player's life was taken while visiting his family. Birmingham will see college football again; it will not see Greg Bryant live out his dream on the field at UAB.
