By Christian Davis
C & G Sports Writer

ROCHESTER HILLS — Admittedly, the thought of disassociating himself with Rochester Hills Stoney Creek football crossed his mind, if only for a second.

But instead, senior Drew Brummitt was standing in his coach’s office Oct. 8 putting footballs in a plastic bag to keep them dry prior to starting a wet practice session.

A year ago, Brummitt, a starting defensive lineman, would have been in the locker room putting on his pads and gearing up for a game with Farmington High.

But things changed this past December when Brummitt said he suffered a severe concussion in a wrestling match.

“After that match, I couldn’t breathe right and started vomiting,” he remembered. “I knew it was a bad thing, so I went to the hospital.”

Brummitt said he learned after subsequent doctor’s visits was that he wouldn’t be allowed to participate in any contact sports or he would further risk permanent injury.
He learned the official word of his status in April.

“I was crushed,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep. It was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to overcome.”

Brummitt had already been selected captain at last year’s season-ending banquet by the past captains — a tradition at Stoney Creek. With that in mind, he approached coach Calvin Gross and asked if he should still lead the team.

For the coach, it was an easy decision.

“When you talk about character, you talk about Drew Brummitt,” the coach said. “He is Cougar football. He loves Cougar football. He lives, breaths, eats, you name it — it’s all about Cougar football.”

Brummitt said he thought about how hard it would be to watch from the sidelines and wondered if not being a part of it would be a better decision.

“It crossed my mind, but I knew that football was too much a part of my life, to big a part of my life, to give up that easy,” he said. “Looking back now, I don’t think I could ever really go without the football season. It really means a lot to me, and it’s still my team. I love every player on the team, and I want to support them.”

So instead of making tackles and throwing blocks, Brummitt does his best to make sure his teammates are performing at theirs.

“He’s just like one of the coaches,” said Gross. “It’s exciting having him here, and I don’t know what we would do if he wasn’t here.

“I know it kills him every Friday night that we’re out there and he can’t play, but he’s on the sideline cheering guys on and pushing them to be their best.”

Gross added that the team’s first game against Troy Athens was dedicated to Brummitt.

“The kids went out there and played way above their capabilities, probably, and we won (42-0). That was because the kids wanted to play hard for Drew,” the coach said.

Fellow senior captain Eric Fisher said Brummitt’s dedication has been an inspiration to all of the Cougars.

“That just defines him as a person and how much he loves the sport of football,” he said.
Brummitt admitted that every snap he misses hurts, but he’s determined not to feel sorry for himself.  He’s even found a bit of a silver lining in that he’s found a passion for coaching.

“It’s hard,” he said. “But then again, there’s other parts where if you tell a person to do something and he does it better than he would have before, that’s also very rewarding.”

Brummitt said he plans on joining the powerlifting club this winter and the track team in the spring, but it’s this experience that has taught him valuable lessons about life, commitment and his new role in Cougar football.

You can reach Sports Writer Christian Davis at cdavis@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1062.