Today’s interviewee is Buford coach Bryant Appling, who won a state title in his first season as head coach in 2019. Appling was an assistant and most recently the defensive coordinator before getting the top job.
Bryant Appling, Buford head coach
1. Buford won its 12th state title, but first since 2014, last year. What was the story of your season in 2019? Was there something about that team that makes it a little different than other championship teams that you’ve been a part of? “I think first and foremost what made the 2019 different than any other I’ve been a part of at Buford is that I was the one leading this team as the head coach. That brought a whole new perspective to last year’s title that I’ve never experienced in the other seven [state titles] that I was fortunate to be an assistant coach. When I look back and think of the story of our 2019 team, I have to first mention our senior class. Just a group of young men that bought in to what myself and the coaching staff preached every day about the expectations of a Buford football player. These are foundational concepts that were ingrained in our program from legendary coaches Dexter Wood and Jess Simpson that we feel separate our program and our players. Those seniors didn’t listen to any of the doubters or outside influences and just focused on finding a way to be the best version of themselves each game, each play. Secondly, I think you have to look at our underclassmen. We played a lot of young kids last year that were able to step up in big-time situations and follow the leadership of our seniors. That’s always been a focal point around here. Your seniors not only have to play the best football of their lives, but also have to be able to lead those around them to that level as well. Our kids were tough, resilient, and never thought we were out of any game. I think that was evident in both winning three games, including the state championship, on the last play of the game and the fact that we were able to win four straight road playoff games on the way to the state title against some really good opponents.” [Buford defeated Warner Robins 17-14 in overtime after trailing 14-7 in the final minutes of regulation.]
2. When you came to Buford, it was a Class 2A school. Now Buford is about to enter 6A. How are the school, the football program, even the city, different now? What has that journey been like? “It’s different, but also the same. The differences lie in the fact that our school is double the enrollment of when I first started at Buford. It’s different in the fact that we moved in to a brand new, incredible building last year that gives our kids the best there is to offer. Our football program is definitely different primarily in that we have grown in numbers to be able to play a significant amount of kids during the season. When I first started here and we were in lower classifications, around 80 to 90 percent of our kids played both sides of the ball. Our starting running back was a starting linebacker, just about all linemen played each way, and as a defensive coach sometimes I would just hope that we’d start out on my side of the ball just so I knew my starters would all be fresh and ready to establish a tone. That’s definitely changed as we have grown into a 6A school with the ability to keep many players on one side of the ball and build depth at positions. It is a necessity if we want to compete at this level. I think the thing that has remained the same in all of this is the Buford community. Yes, we have grown, but the bottom line is that we have always had the full support of our board of education in putting our students and players first. There is a love for our school, our kids, and a pride in this community that is unlike any other. That hasn’t changed since I’ve been here. As a head coach, I can’t ask for anything more than to feel supported by those around me in consistently doing things first-class.”
3. What’s the outlook for Buford this season? Are you returning many starters, or is there some significant rebuilding that must take place? “We lost some talented players last year to graduation. As I said before, one of the positive things for our team this season is that we were able to play a lot of underclassmen last year, whether it was by talent, need or other reasons. These kids played in close games, hostile environments, and were ‘in the fire’ as we pushed to a state title. So, in that aspect we do feel confident in those kids coming back. However, there will be an adjustment for some of these kids who are now stepping into leadership roles on our team. There is a huge difference in the ability to be led versus taking on the role of a leader. Looking at this year’s team, I would say our strengths lie in our offensive and defensive backfields. We return a really talented group of running backs and fullbacks as well as three kids who all contributed at the quarterback position for us last year. Defensively we have a lot of trust in a strong group of linebackers and defensive backs that are all playmakers on that side of the ball. We are replacing several linemen from graduation on both sides of the ball, but the kids stepping in were all able to see significant minutes last year. Honestly, one of the biggest losses for our program will be losing an all-state kicker and four-year starter [Hayden Olsen]. That was such a huge luxury for us, especially in big moments last season.”
4. This has been an unprecedented offseason with the pandemic. How is your football team dealing with safety of players and planning for a season during this time? “First, we have been tremendously blessed with an athletic trainer and his staff that have pored over the guidelines from the CDC, Department of Public Health and GHSA to put together a great plan for our athletes. We have been extremely intentional in screening our athletes and exhibiting precaution at all times. Second, we have the full support of our athletic director in always doing what is best for the student-athlete. If we want this season to happen, there is no gray area. The restrictions and screening we have in place are absolutes, and it is extremely helpful to have leadership in our school on board with always erring on the side of caution. There is nothing I want more than the opportunity for these kids to play this season, but we have to be mindful of the situation we are in. We will be in our second practice with pads today, so there is definitely some excitement in getting to hear pads popping and knowing that we are moving in the direction towards starting the season. I think we’ve all learned that with this pandemic each day brings its own new challenges, so there are so many lessons that we can bring to these young people in these times that reflect the game of football; the ability to adapt and react, to be selfless and others-centered, to flush the negative and find joy in the process.”
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