Though Lakeland High School is the crown jewel of the city of Lakeland, Kathleen has produced some of the best athletes the city has seen. Most noticeable, NFL future Hall of Fame line backer, Ray Lewis. The torch has been passed on through the years and several Red Devil players have departed to continue their education and play football, in a few seasons Brendan Gant could be one of those athletes we talk about for years to come.
As head football coach Irving Strickland is headed towards Kathleen football history (winningest head football coach) he has had the pleasure to work with Gant and watch the maturation process, “Brendan had to learn that you must work hard on and off the football field, be humble, have patience and things will happen for you. As a 9th grader he was pressing to hard to live up to all the hype that was placed on him by peers in the community. With strong parent backing and his desire to get better each day, Brendan has become one of the defensive leaders and a team leader.”
So as we rave about him athletic and football ability, his coaching staff has been more impressed in the development of his work ethic and character. Kathleen has a tough road ahead, nothing the team hasn’t seen before. But, for the Red Devils to be at their best and make a deep playoff run, the better players on the team such as Brendan will have to be at their best.
Take a look a Gant’s 2017 spring game performance below.