PROGRAM SUCCESS – SEPTEMBER 2011
PAGE 7
John Bryan, Lee Bryan, B-CU Coach Brian Jenkins
and B-CU Athlethic Director Lynn Thompson
Bryan Family Donation Aid B-CU Football Program
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The latest gift from John and Lee Bryan to the Bethune-Cookman University football
program will literally and figuratively keep the Wildcats in good shape for the rest of the 2011 season. Two of the most
ardent supporters of B-CU football, the Bryan family presented a check for $20,000 to Head Football Coach Brian
Jenkins and Athletic Director Lynn Thompson earmarked to help the team’s nutritional needs.
“We wanted to make sure Coach Jenkins has everything he needs for the year,” Lee Bryan said. “Coach Jenkins has the
alumni excited ... we’re able to go to the games, sit back and not work as hard to help them win the games because they
have everything under control.”
“Coach Jenkins has been to every alumni chapter and has taken the time to meet with us,” Lee Bryan added. “He makes
you feel appreciated for everything you’ve done for the program and the players.” Jenkins has had a special relationship
with the Bryan family since his arrival on the B-CU campus back in 2009.
“They’ve been like a mother and a father to me and my family,” Jenkins said. “In the Bryan family, you’re talking about
a group of people who represent the spirit of Mary McLeod Bethune. They keep giving not only to our football program,
but to the university. They have it in themselves to make a difference and keep this university going. They do it with a
smile. They do it willingly, openly and wanting nothing in return. They just want to see Bethune-Cookman University
flourish. Whenever you have people like the Bryans involved, the school will always be at the top.”
What John Bryan feels he gets in return is the opportunity to help players become future leaders in the community. “I
always admired Coach Jenkins’ priority of building young men by putting God first, then as men and finally football
players,” John Bryan said. “We’ve been very blessed and it is a blessing being able to share with others.”