Eric Brantley, Valdosta defensive lineman
Today’s interviewee is Valdosta defensive lineman Eric Brantley, whose team will play at home tonight against archrival Lowndes in the Winnersville Classic. Brantley is a returning first-team all-state player with 96 career tackles for losses. He committed to Colorado in December of 2022. In February, Brantley suffered a gunshot wound that threatened his senior season but was ready by the Wildcats’ Aug. 18 season opener and recorded 11 tackles in the victory against Washington.
1. As a senior looking back on your high school career, what were some of your proudest moments playing for this team and what has your football experience taught you overall? “Some of my proudest moments playing for this team are definitely last year [when Valdosta doubled its victory total to eight and beat Lowndes for the first time in six years.]. When we come together and become more of a team in practice every day and come to work is a proud moment. To see us grow and get better as a team and some of our players step up and become more leaders is a proud moment. The main thing I learned was definitely our four core values: discipline, attitude, toughness and effort. With those four core values, there’s a lot you can learn.”
2. You’re playing Lowndes this Friday in the Winnersville Classic. Can you talk about the feeling of playing this rival? “Oh my God, playing this rival is a lot of emotions. The history goes way back. I definitely want to win this game, and it definitely means a lot to the community, me and the coaches. So we definitely have to come out, win this game and play our best. The game plan is simple. Start fast and dominate the whole entire game.”
3. This February you had an unfortunate gunshot accident. Could you talk a little about the journey to recovery? “My journey to recovery has been a long one. But it hasn't been as hard as everyone thought it was. When you have the right mindset and keep pushing yourself to get where you want to go to reach your goals, you can do it. Actually, I feel like I’m back and better than I was before all of that happened. Right now my stats are looking higher and better than what it was last year at this point.”
4. You’re committed to Colorado. The Buffaloes have been getting a lot of great attention this season. What are you most looking forward to when playing under Coach Prime [Deion Sanders], and what drew you to the school? “Definitely the whole experience. I’m graduating early in December and going to college in January, so I’m looking forward to going to college and playing for Coach Prime. I’m actually trying to start my freshman year. I definitely see myself coming in and helping Colorado a lot. If you’ve been watching the game, we definitely need help, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I feel like I can come in, and knowing my ability and what I can do, I can help, especially coming in early. I can learn the playbook faster, lift weights, and if they make the bowl game I can start practicing with them and getting a couple of reps in. So I can see myself really helping the team out.”