Kelton Brackett didn’t want to play football anymore. The decision by University of Alabama at Birmingham to discontinue its program left him devastated.

Instead of responding to UMass defensive coordinator Tom Masella, yet another coach trying to court him to his program, Brackett flipped his phone over and went back to playing NBA 2K15.

“That was probably my low point,” Brackett said. “After losing the program and my family, I just wanted to forget about football.”

Brackett’s girlfriend Kendra Gilchrist knew he needed football and felt tired of the “black cloud” surrounding him. She took matters into her own hands by posing as Brackett and texting Masella back.

He didn’t know Gilchrist had been on his phone until the second text from Masella came through. Now that she had expressed interest, Brackett felt obliged to at least give UMass a chance.

He met with Masella in Birmingham and then visited the UMass campus before becoming a Minuteman for his senior season. Though he’s seen limited action at cornerback this season due to injury, Brackett has found a new home at UMass. He’s leaning on four years of experience at UAB — which recently reinstated its football program — to help his new teammates realize the opportunity in front of them, an opportunity he had temporarily snatched away just 10 months ago.

“He enjoys playing, has a great presence and has a smile on his face,” said head coach Mark Whipple. “… He fit right in and we’re really fortunate to have him.”

In his junior year at UAB, Brackett battled foot and leg injuries playing in just three games. When the program was shut down for financial reasons, Brackett planned on healing up, finishing out his senior year as a student and getting his degree.

After Gilchrist answered that text, things changed. During the second day of Brackett’s visit to UMass, she noticed during a phone call that Brackett seemed rejuvenated by the prospect of playing again. Without taking any other visits, he committed two weeks later.

He thought about the past and worried about his future throughout that summer. During the transition to a new team he found himself thinking of what could have been during a senior year in Birmingham.

“Of course he tried to say that everything was okay, but he had devoted all these years and hard work to that football team,” Gilchrist said. “He had these relationships with all these players and coaches and it was taken so suddenly. So no matter how good UMass seemed initially, there’s no way it couldn’t affect him in a horrible way.”

The first weekend upon arriving at UMass, Brackett played paintball with some of the other defensive backs. He had never been before and got shot a lot, but just being invited on the trip made him feel welcomed.

After working out and practicing with the whole team for the first time, Bracket realized while he could never recreate the past, being a member of a tight-knit team wasn’t exclusive to UAB.

“If you feel like you can hang out with the person beside you, you’re going to die for him on the field,” Brackett said. “The little things they did…helped me feel at home.”

Now he passes advice on to younger players. With three years of experience under his belt, Brackett makes for a great football resource. But the lesson he preaches most to young players isn’t about coverages, playing balls in the air or stepping up to defend the run.

It’s to make the most of the opportunity in front of them.

“After football was taken away from me at my first school, I get a special feeling every time I step on the field,” Brackett said. “This season, I look up at the lights and I know I’ve got my second chance.”

Published on October 7, 2015 at 9:16 pm

Contact Liam: lpsull01@syr.edu