PETTICOAT JUNCTION — De'Angelo Bryant feels a sense of urgency in his new job as Silver Bluff's head football coach.
There's no outside forces imposing that on him – the exact opposite, actually. He's felt the love and support from the Bulldog community, as is customary when the hometown legend returns to lead the alma mater.
Instead, the pressure is self-inflicted, his own competitive spirit driving him to want to restore Silver Bluff's championship legacy. It doesn't matter that Bryant, introduced as the Bulldogs' new big whistle in late March, has had to hit the ground running – he wants it now.
"I want these seniors to have something very special," Bryant said Friday after wrapping up a week of spring practices. "They're a great group of guys, and this group of seniors had the opportunity to play under my former coach, Coach (Al) Lown, and some of those guys have got a taste of success where they've gone to a state championship.
"Very few of them have played in it, but just to be able to try to get those guys back to glory would really mean a lot to me to be able to send them out. They're just a great group of guys. I'm already enjoying them."
The senior leadership has already impressed Bryant. He's seen his players take initiative, approaching him to ask for their cleats or a football so they can get to work without even knowing the system he's installing.
The hunger is there, especially after a couple of seasons that didn't live up to the program's high standards. And now the Bulldogs are getting to work.
PHOTO CREDIT: Kyle Dawson/The Aiken Standard
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