The Throwback: Street’s love of football shows on gridiron
Published 12:32 pm Tuesday, August 8, 2017
A quick chat with Unaka junior Bryson Street makes it apparent that the inside linebacker is excited about the 2017 season and what new head coach O’Brien Bennett brings to the table.
However, talk to Bennett, and he will tell you that he is thrilled with what Street will bring to the field this year.
“He is a guy that knows what’s going on,” said Bennett. “He understands the defense and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together. When we call our fronts and coverages, Bryson is the guy that makes sure that everyone is where they are supposed to be and ready to do their job.”
Street racked up 98 tackles during his sophomore campaign, two shy of being the team’s leading tackler. Where does all of the toughness come from that allows Street to recorded so many tackles? Well according to Bennett, Street is what he calls a “football guy.”
“He is one of those guys that is a throwback,” said Bennett. “He loves the game. He loves to hit, and he just loves playing ball. That is what you need on the defense that a lot of guys don’t have anymore. Finding defensive guys is hard in the modern game because most players just want to catch passes and score touchdowns. Bryce is a guy that wants to hit.”
For Street, playing Unaka High School football has been something he has always wanted to even when he was just a small kid.
“Every since I was little, I was ready to wear that ‘U’ on my chest,” he said. “Now that I am up here, that pride that I have, I know that my teammates have the same amount and that is what it is going to take to win games this year.”
The Rangers will open up the 2017 season at North Greene on Aug. 18.
“I know there are going to be a lot of nerves in that first game because of a new coach, new everything,” said Street. “We have a great coaching staff, great players, and great leaders, and we just need to show that there is a change in how we do things. It ain’t the same old Unaka football team, anymore.”