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High Honor: Driskell named finalist for Landry Award
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
His playing career at McKinney Boyd may have ended last month, but senior running back Bryan Driskell continues to rack up prestigious honors.
Driskell was recently nominated for the 2012 Landry Award, which honors the top high school football player in North Texas who demonstrates positive character and leadership attributes. It's the second straight year Driskell has been nominated for the award, which Boyd head coach Don Drake said speaks to the special player he is.
"It's a great honor for him," Drake said. "Two years in a row to be a finalist for such an esteemed award is quite an accomplishment. I'm very proud of Bryan. I think he holds just about every offensive record we have, every return record that we have. The kid's broken just about every record he can break offensively for us and that's pretty outstanding."
Boyd is one of five candidates alongside Allen's Oliver Pierce, Arlington Martin's Kyle Hicks, Southlake Carroll's Kenny Hill and Jesuit's Jake Oliver. Boyd and Oliver are the only two players to be nominated for the award in each of the last two seasons.
"His leadership is the biggest thing," Drake said. "Bryan stepped into a leadership role for us this year, becoming more vocal to go with how he's always led by example. He grew in that area quite a bit."
The award, which recognizes the Metroplex's top high school football player, is chosen by a panel of former coaches, players, media members and local leaders.
This season Driskell rushed for 23 touchdowns and 1,882 yards off 247 touches for an average of nearly eight yards per carry. His career stats are even more impressive. Driskell rushed for more than 5,000 total yards and scored more than 400 points. He also rushed for more than 330 yards in two different games in addition to setting the school record for the longest run and touchdown run from scrimmage at 94 yards.
"As far as his abilities, he's a phenomenal athlete," Drake said. "The most impressive thing is the amount of consistency he was able to display over his entire career for us. He came out and played every week, he was very durable. He's maintained his high level of excellence throughout his time at Boyd. It's pretty impressive and not easy to do."
As for which of Driskell's many accomplishments impressed him the most, Drake pointed to the more than 5,000 yards and 400 points.
"The over 5,000 career yards is probably the most impressive since it goes back to the whole consistency thing, being able to produce over and over again," he said. "Right along with that would be the points. Both of those are probably the most outstanding."
Drake said Driskell's depth as a player goes beyond his stats as he routinely defers credit for his many accomplishments to his teammates.
"Bryan has great character," Drake said. "I've seen him for years defer all the praise to other people, and that shows you the type of person that he is."
The leadership abilities the senior running back displays are not limited only to the times he suits up for Friday night kickoffs. Drake said Driskell's character is just as strong off the field as it is on it.
"He has a ton of humility," Drake said. "He's very well respected by his peers, the guys that he plays with, but also the teachers and the other students on campus. You'd be hard pressed to find somebody who had something negative to say about him. That's a credit to him and the way that he carries himself off the field."
If Driskell does win the award, Drake said it would be a fitting end to the remarkable career he's had at Boyd.
"It would be an outstanding credit to his many accomplishments," Drake said. "He's a complete student athlete. He's what you want as a coach. It would be quite an honor for him to receive it and what he's committed himself to become, the type of young man that he is."
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