Ella Strong: Clemson DL Bresee’s bond with young sister who died of brain cancer drives him
Capital One Orange Bowl’s starting Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee has had an unimaginable football season.
And that has nothing to do with the torn ACL he sustained in the fourth game of 2021 after being named the 2020 Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Bresee’s 15-year-old sister Ella died of brain cancer on September 15, eight days after she addressed the Tigers on the Wednesday heading into the Sept. 10 home opener against Furman. That game was pegged to be the “Ella Strong” game, but she collapsed and was hospitalized Friday. Bryan’s family urged him to play against Furman, which he did, then returned home to be with his sister the week she passed.
The season had unraveled for Bresee, whose 11-2 Tigers face the 10-2 Tennessee Volunteers at 8 p.m. Friday at Hard Rock Stadium. But it didn’t stop. After Ella’s death, Bresee was diagnosed with strep throat twice, pneumonia and a severe kidney infection that resulted in his being hospitalized for several days and gaining more than 40 pounds because his body wasn’t expelling water.
Bresee, now a fit, 6-5, 305-pounder from Damascus, Maryland, addressed reporters Wednesday from the Orange Bowl media hotel Le Meridien in Dania Beach. After starting six of his nine games, he will be there again to face the Vols. And he will be thinking of Ella.
‘She’s with me’
“Every day,’’ Bresee said, when asked how Ella fits into his life. “I think about her. She’s with me all the time. Before every game I’m talking to her. She’s with me...’’
He said the season has been “really tough,’’ but that the support shown by the Clemson, South Carolina, community — and beyond — “has been tremendous.’’
“They were just behind me completely throughout this whole thing. Thirty or forty guys came up to Ella’s funeral... A bunch of coaches and other universities reached out to me and sent me letter, mail. It kind of puts in perspective that football is more than a game.
“My parents losing a daughter, my two other sisters losing a little sister. ...Just having each other still is what we rely on.’’
Bresee, who started most of his games as a tackle for Clemson’s nationally heralded defense, played on the outside of a three-man front against North Carolina in the Tigers’ Atlantic Coast Conference title game victory on Dec. 3. He could play end at the next level, but said Wednesday he isn’t dealing with any NFL Draft decisions before Friday’s game. This is his third season, but he classifies as a redshirt sophomore after last year’s injury. Among his 301 snaps as a second-team All-ACC in 2022 were 14 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss, 2 1/2 sacks, two pass breakups and seven quarterback pressures.
‘Emotional toll’
Clemson defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin described Bresee’s emotional season as “devastating” to watch him endure. “You know, we hurt for him. Clemson is such a close-knit family. Just knowing them and watching him struggle has been a huge, huge challenge.
“It took an emotional toll on our team. He’s battled and not only gone through that but the injuries and being in and out of the lineup. But he’s a special young man, and he’s persevered. And he’s honored his sister and his family.”
Said Bresee: “I knew there were better days to come. I just kept grinding and staying after it and it’s all working out now. ...Staying positive through it all has been super important. You just gotta keep pushing forward to what’s next. It helps keep your head on straight.”
