It was Mother’s Day weekend in 2016 when the shocking news came out of West Palm Beach, Florida that former Notre Dame running back [autotag]Greg Bryant[/autotag], Jr. had been shot and ultimately killed.
You can discuss the what’s, how’s and why’s to this for days on end and not come up with anything that makes any sense. It was shocking and made no sense then.
Six years later it still stings to think about and still lacks any answers.
Bryant wasn’t perfect – none of us are.
He was a young man who happened to be a really gifted football player who was adored by his teammates.
His second season at Notre Dame in 2014 he took a significant step, scoring three rushing touchdowns and at the time, recording the longest punt return of the [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] era at Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s second-leading rusher in 2014 seemed primed to take a leap in ’15.
2015 never came for Bryant at Notre Dame though as he was ruled ineligible and left campus, stopping at a junior college in Miami before announcing his commitment to the restarted UAB football program.
While home from UAB on Mother’s Day weekend Bryant was out late before the shooting took place. Is that important to mention where he was? Some say yes because perhaps it helps tell the story they’re hoping to tell despite knowing any exact facts.
To me, Bryant went to a place that plenty of 21 years old males have attended before and plenty more continue to do. Some people like to act like he was asking for trouble by doing such a thing, but was whatever went down worth taking someone’s life over?
I don’t know what happened there or after he left but I do know whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t worth a 21-year-old man losing his life.
I don’t know if Greg Bryant, Jr. would have made the NFL but he was on his to graduating from college, something he never wound up getting the chance to do.
Accomplished way to much to stop here. Got so much more to accomplish.
— Greg Bryant J.r (@GregBryantJr2) April 18, 2016
Greg Bryant, Jr. never got a chance to walk down the aisle and get married.
Greg Bryant, Jr. never got to see his middle years and share nights reliving the glory days with his old high school buddies.
It stung then and still stings just as much now when you take a moment to remember Bryant.
With the untimely passings in recent years of both Josh and [autotag]George Atkinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Louis Nix[/autotag], III just over a year ago, this time of year serves as a reminder of just how precious life is.
See photos from Bryant’s time at Notre Dame below.