In Pursuit

Below is the Player Feature Story in the Flames Illustrated game programs for the UTEP game on September 14 (story provided by Fanword.com).
By Brylan Green

I'll never forget the feeling of being on the field with my teammates last season.
We were in sync.
One unit, one mission, no egos.
Together, we led Liberty to a 13-1 record, a conference title and an NCAA-leading 21 interceptions.
I finished the season with five of those interceptions, tied for the sixth most in the country and was named an All-American.
Those accolades are cool, but they don't tell the whole story.
There were a lot of guys on our line who did the dirty work every snap so we could make the flashy interceptions.
Our team had a breakout year because we fought together.
We put the world on notice.
This season, we're ready to do it all over again.

Starting Out
Sports are kind of like a religion in my family.
When I was four years old, I started playing flag football.
I remember telling my dad I wanted to keep playing, and he did everything he could to make sure that happened.
I was having a blast, so I kept pushing forward. I kept meeting new coaches who took me to the next step or helped me get into the next league.
But it wasn't until my sophomore year of high school that I thought I might be able to take my skills to the collegiate level.
I was focused on baseball at the time, but after my sophomore football season, I got a few offers and realized that I might have a future in football after all.
After everything I'd put into the game, I was thrilled by the possibility.
But I never thought I'd play at Liberty.
Actually, I didn't realize Liberty was even an option.
It was a freezing cold day in February of my junior year.
I was just about to get out of my car to go to baseball practice when Liberty reached out to me.
I wasn't super familiar with the school or their program, so I honestly thought it was a scam.
But I hadn't gotten a lot of other offers I was interested in yet, so I gave him my number.
Who was I to play God?
The coach called me, and I really enjoyed our conversation, so I decided to visit campus.
It was 16 hours away from home, but I still fell in love with the place.
The coaches, the people, the atmosphere – everything about Liberty felt right.
After getting to know the people and seeing everything Liberty had to offer, I knew I wanted to be a part of it.
I committed to play football at Liberty, and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Growing together
My first season at Liberty took a rough start due to injuries.
I had two herniated discs from the Virginia Tech game, which led to several epidurals and missing most of my spring football season with a flare-up in my back.
But I tried not to let those injuries define my story.
My coaching staff had my back, and I was able to start my sophomore season of football with a stronger mindset.
I was grateful to see a lot of success last fall.
I honestly just feel like the defense we run fits my style of play perfectly.
Our coaching staff always challenges us toward excellence, too.
Our preparation for each game separated me from a lot of defensive backs in the country.
The more prepared I felt, the freer I played.
I felt more confident to take those risks to jump in front of receivers and break up passes.
And then of course, when I intercepted a pass, it was fun to celebrate with our slightly scary-looking Joker mask.
The Joker mask was a fun tradition we started last year.
The Joker idea came from the "Jokers" Liberty students who sit by our opponents' fans and tease them.
I didn't even know we had a Joker mask until my teammate, Kobe Singleton, got the first pick of the season, and he put it on after the game.
After I put it on, it just blew up. I mean, everyone was talking about the Joker mask.
It was such a fun way to bond with my teammates, and it's a great reminder that we're all in this together.

Keep Moving Forward
Our team's word of the year is "pursue."
We're not going to rest on what we accomplished last year.
We want to keep pushing - toward a conference championship and national championship run.
We just have to each fulfill our role.
For me, that means leading by example.
I believe in our potential.
It was an honor to be named to some preseason watch lists, but at the end of the day, that just means they're all going to watch me, so I have to show up for my team.
We have everything we need to be successful.
And we're going to pursue our goals together.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Brylan Green

Kobe Singleton

In Pursuit

Players Mentioned

Brylan Green

Kobe Singleton

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