Ella Strong: Ella Bresee never far from Bryan's thoughts as Saints pick him in first round |
Ella Bresee is never far away from the minds and hearts of her family and her presence was evident when her older brother Bryan, a former defensive tackle at Clemson, was picked in the NFL Draft Thursday night.
Bresee was nabbed by the New Orleans Saints with the 29th overall pick in the draft, and he took the call from the Saints while sitting in the family living room in Maryland. His father Richie, mother Meghan, two sisters, brother-in-law and grandmother all wore Ella Strong shirts that pay tribute to Ella’s courageous battle with brain cancer. She passed away last fall. "She loved watching me play, she loved being around just the atmosphere of football," Bresee said. Bresee was dealing with injuries and Ella’s sickness while trying to play last fall, and he feels like those experiences have made him a better person and player. "I've gone through a lot… a lot of things that make you grow up very quickly," Bresee said. "Just a lot of things that mature you pretty fast and a lot of people don't go through them and should never have to go through them." He also learned a lot from watching Ella’s fight. "Watching her battle every single day and always keep a smile on her face and just stay so positive through all that was amazing to see," Bresee said. "It makes me think whatever I'm going through is not even as close to as hard as what she was battling every day." Bresee entered Clemson in 2020 as the nation’s No. 1 prospect in his recruiting class and also earned Freshman All-America status that season in addition to earning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. This past season, he earned All-ACC honors and was named as a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Now he gets the chance to display his talent at the next level. "It's been a lifelong dream of mine to play in the NFL," Bresee said Thursday night on a conference call with New Orleans media. "Getting that call has been a moment that I've definitely always looked forward to, and to get a call from the Saints was something you can't even imagine until it happens." The Saints plan to use Bresee in a variety of spots. "This player is an exceptional talent," Saints coach Dennis Allen said. "He's big, he's physical, he's athletic, he fills a position of need and I think he's going to be an outstanding addition to our team. His athleticism and size is pretty impressive. His movement skills inside, they used him a lot on the move at Clemson. His ability to move and penetrate is something that we like." Allen said Bresee has already proven he has the mental makeup to overcome challenges thrown his way. "This guy went through a lot, and that's challenging to have to go through," Allen said. "He's shown a lot of fortitude in his ability to overcome adversity." Pure joy 🧡 @bryan_bresee pic.twitter.com/uZEePzaaDv just an absolutely incredible moment.@bryan_bresee 🧡 pic.twitter.com/scGaYUiRWl What a moment, what a story.
You've got a whole community behind you @Bryan_Bresee.
Go be great 🧡 pic.twitter.com/LICz00Yw43
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