Pickens senior Brayden Powell
PICKENS — You always hear coaches talk about their players needing to be “all in” for their program. Or that powerful word of “ownership” – that is huge for a successful program.
Pickens High School senior Brayden Powell (No. 50) is that certain type of athlete on the Blue Flame football team. He’s a 5-foot-11, 230-pound offensive lineman at PHS. He bench-presses 300 pounds and squats around 450 pounds. Plus, he has a 4.0 grade point average in the classroom.
“He (Powell) is what I call the emotional leader of our team,” said Pickens varsity football coach James Reynolds. “Brayden always wants to do his best and he pulls his team along with him to do their best. He’s a constant presence in our weight room and he does a great job in all areas of school life.”
Powell started every game last season and this season on the offensive line. He’s played a versatile role on the O-Line at center, guard and tackle. And if needed, he’s even played some inside linebacker on defense for Pickens.
Added Coach Reynolds, about his senior captain, “We can count on Brayden always knowing what to do and to the best of his ability.”
Powell’s favorite NFL team is the Green Bay Packers and his favorite player is Clay Matthews. His favorite college football team is Ole Miss and what Coach Lane Kiffin has done with the football program.
Powell enjoys the “brotherhood” of the Pickens football program. He just helps lead the team from the trenches.
“I just try to keep the team up and make sure we all have motivation,” he said. “If something bad happens (in the game), make sure we stay up and stay together. Some teams fall apart.”
Powell fully realizes the role of the student-athlete at school and that the “student” part comes first.
“It’s just focus and hard work,” Powell said, about being a student athlete. “You have to sit up front in the classroom and just make sure you ask your teacher questions if you don’t know. You have to make sure you do the academic part when school starts and when you get home. It doesn’t matter how late you stay up because your teachers, parents, coaches and your players are always counting on you to make sure you are doing your best on the field and in the classroom.”
The great thing, too, is that Powell is enjoying every minute of it during his senior year at PHS and on the football team.
“What I’ve enjoyed is that there’s never a dull moment here,” Powell said. “There is always something going on. You’ll always have a laugh at the end of the day. You always know that people will be there for you. At the end of the day, you’ll always have a smile on your face.”