Bresee: Ella, her battle ‘motivates me every day’
By: Staff Report March 1, 2023

Losing his sister, Ella, to cancer motivates Bryan Bresee to push forward and make an impact both on the field and off of it.

The former Clemson defensive lineman and top 2023 NFL Draft prospect spoke about that on Wednesday when he met with the media at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“It was definitely a tough situation, losing her,” Bresee said. “Just seeing her battle through cancer, it was tough. But just knowing what she went through motivates me every day, the fight that she put up and how much she loved watching me play. That’s something that definitely just motivates me to continue to work and do right by her.”

In 2021, Ella began experiencing frequent headaches and fatigue, and she was diagnosed with a brain cancer called medulloblastoma. After a long fight, including months of chemotherapy and radiation, Ella passed away on Sept. 15 of last year at 15 years old.

The way that Bresee persevered through the tragedy and a very trying 2022 season certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Bresee’s former Clemson teammate and fellow defensive line draft prospect K.J. Henry.

“Bryan is the strongest human being I’ve ever encountered in my life, physically and mentally,” Henry said at the combine. “To be able to go through what he had to this year with it being his family, and not only did he not fold but he was there for his teammates all year in a capacity that I really couldn’t understand as a leader and an older kid.”

Bresee was asked if he’ll use his platform to help others who go through similar struggles, now that he’s going to be in the NFL.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Bresee said. “I plan to do as much as I can.”

–Photo for this article courtesy of USA Today Sports Images 

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