Father, leader, conqueror: Brian Nance shows no quit
Ask Brian Nance about his road traveled, and he's not ashamed of the story. He doesn't duck questions that might embarrass others. He owns his past without hesitation.
No, he didn't have the perfect story of a student-athlete transitioning successfully from high school to college. Nance's journey to Baylor first included a stop at postgraduate school in an effort to improve academically. It also included academic suspension at Baylor last fall, from August until December.
And no, he can't tell the days of living what some would call the "normal" student-athlete lifestyle. The life of a young father is never normal to the outside looking in -- and, as someone who just turned 23 over the summer, he's a proud father of 5-year-old son Jayvon and 14-month-old daughter Brielle.
In fact, "proud" may be too soft of a word.
"I love it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world," said Nance, a senior defensive end for the Bears who returns to the field for the first time since 2015. "A lot of players ask me that a lot: 'What it's like being a father?' When you have your own and see your children grow, it's a heart-touching moment.
"I'm not really a heart-touching person, but when I see them, I just love it."
While some will dub his past as semi-checkered, Nance sees it all as an opportunity for a testimony. He comprehends the story of the past as the featured storyline of his present and future. Graduation day for Nance is scheduled for Dec. 16. He is expected to receive a bachelor's degree from Baylor in kinesiology and leisure studies.
As for dad life, Nance's face lights up every time someone asks about his children. He said fatherhood has made him a better person, someone who wants to to be a role model and show his son and daughter that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
"With everything, I feel like everything happens for a reason," Nance said. "I went to prep school for a reason. I moved to Texas from Buffalo, New York, for a reason. All these little things happen for a reason. It's made me a stronger man and will help me down the road to be a more successful person."
Beating the odds
Nance will wear No. 5 when Baylor opens its season next Saturday at home against Liberty. He was No. 15 in previous seasons, but Rhule awards single-digit jerseys to the most influential and toughest players on the roster (offensive linemen are usually not included, as they wear numbers from 50-79). Nance was one of the first three to earn a single-digit jersey, the others being senior linebacker Taylor Young (No. 1) and senior safety Taion Sells (No. 2).
Think about it: Nance is a guy who wasn't even supposed to be back. Some might go far enough to say he's a guy who shouldn't have been at Baylor from the jump. A 2012 graduate of Euless Trinity High School, Nance signed with Baylor but ended up attending
Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, for a postgraduate year. In 2013, he was a practice- squad player and was redshirted. In high school, Nance was a stud linebacker ranked as high as No. 6 nationally in his class. He was moved from linebacker to rush end in college. At 6-foot-3 and nearly 250 pounds, the move made sense. In his first two seasons, Nance accounted for 15 tackles and two sacks. After not playing a season, he is just as hungry to show his worth as the handful of freshmen trying to score immediate playing time.
"He's just motivated," defensive end K.J. Smith said. "You can see it in his eyes." With all of the opportunities to completely part ways with Baylor, Nance refused. He did what he could to stay in shape, even though he admitted he first met with head coach Matt Rhule carrying "a little dad weight."
Nance said he thought about transferring to another school after the academic suspension, but after further review, sitting out the year was the best option. It gave him a chance to focus solely on academics, and the decision paid off. Nance was named to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll for the spring of 2015.
"I took the route to sit out that year because I bleed green and gold," he said. "When you come in that class, everything we've been through, I couldn't give that up. I wanted us to go out on a good note."
The first meeting
Nance's daily schedule is one that would make most college students (not just student-athletes) cringe. He is usually up for 6 a.m. workouts by 4:35 a.m. He doesn't live on campus; in fact, he lives about 35 miles away from Waco in Temple, Texas, with his girlfriend and children. He'll leave his house around 5:15 a.m. to arrive on time for the morning workouts.
"It was difficult at first, but I'm so used to it now," Nance said. "I don't even think about it. I just tune into what I got to do when I get there and even when I come back."
Nance, long story short, has persevered. His decision to persevere is something Rhule values and something he enjoys talking about when Nance's name comes up in conversation -- particularly after seeing him compete in spring and fall camps.
At Big 12 Media Days, Rhule spoke of Dion Dawkins, a former Temple offensive tackle who was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. He talked about meeting in his Temple office with Dawkins shortly after announcing his departure to Baylor and chatting with him about a player who could help his new team.
"It was one of the first names that I kind of heard," Rhule said of Nance. "[Dawkins] said [Nance] was kicked out of school last year and was suspended for academic reasons. I sit there saying to myself, 'I can't wait to meet this kid and figure out what's going on.'
"[Nance] came to the office when we first got the job, and he wasn't even on the team. He introduced himself and talked to us, and we got to know him. This is a young man who's raising his family and playing Division I college football. He is a committed father, a committed partner."
Rhule's level of respect is sky high for Nance. The feeling is mutual.
"Coach Rhule is real. I'm honored he feels that way about me, and I feel the same way about him. One thing he preaches about is family, and I love that a lot about Coach Rhule."
When he met Rhule, Nance laughs at how unpresentable he was. Along with the added weight, Nance recalled meeting the new coach while badly needing a haircut. He said he was short on funds and was focused primarily on school and his family. Physical appearance was secondary. But the conversation was thorough. It also was extremely productive.
"We talked about Dion, and we talked about how he talked to [Rhule] about me," Nance said. "I pretty much broke down my situation with what happened last year. I was one of the leaders of this senior class with Taylor.
"He trusted me, and I took off and ran with it." And on Sept. 2, look for that trust to elevate. Nance is considering the first game as the first of many to take advantage of the second-chance spotlight given.
June 17, 2016 was the ultimate roller coaster ride for Nance. The day had its down: It was the day he found out he was academically ineligible for a semester, weeks before what was supposed to be the start of an anticipated breakout season. Hours before that call, the day had its up. He and his girlfriend celebrated the birth of their second child. With everything that's happened to Nance, nothing can take his joy after being with his two children.
Jayvon, Nance said, is now a 5-year-old ball of energy who "just wants to be great." He is his father's shadow, doing his own version of drills he mimics with dad and his teammates. Flag football footage shows that he may be on Baylor's watch list sometime around the Class of 2028.
Brielle is now a happy 1-year-old who likes to follow big brother around. And Nance makes sure she bleeds green and gold, as well.
"Them looking at me and seeing how hard I work ... that's motivation," Nance said. "Every day I see their faces, and I ask 'What can I do to get better?' It's hard work; nothing comes easy." Defensive coordinator Phil Snow is one of the first to recognize what Nance does on a daily basis.
With the complex defensive playbook, a full load of classes, two young children at home and the fact that Nance hasn't played college ball since 2015, Snow said his mind is blown in how Nance juggles everything. "Nance is really a special guy," he said. "He has two kids, he drives from Temple every day, and he's never been a second late. He works his butt off. He's a special kid."
Consistency is Nance's answer in how he conquers each day. Everything is done in businesslike fashion.
Even being a full-time father is done as if he's being evaluated. Nothing is completed without passion, and Nance is one to never think too far ahead. He said he takes strength from his girlfriend, who recently graduated from Baylor with a 4.0 grade-point average. She had every opportunity to complain about how hard life was -- but she never did. And Nance won't, either.
"I got email after email from professors in the spring and the summer saying what a joy he is to have in class," Rhule said of Nance. "To me, if there's an example of the great things that are happening at Baylor, it's Brian Nance and the commitment he makes day in and day out to be a great father, to be a college graduate and to be hopefully a tremendous defensive end, which I know he will be."
Nance rarely speaks about personal goals in public, but he said he's excited about his future. He wants to first help Baylor become bowl-eligible in Rhule's first year. From there, he's hoping to lead the Bears to a Big 12 championship.
If the NFL calls, so be it. If it doesn't, Nance said he wants to use his degree to either coach or mentor youth. He wants young athletes to hear his story and do his part to make sure they have it a little easier than he did. In looking back at his road, however, he wouldn't trade it for anything.
"I grew up in a rough neighborhood and had the chance to move to Texas and play for a powerhouse in Euless Trinity," he said. "I went to the prep school and everything. My road wasn't the best, but I just want to show them that this is what hard work gets you.
"If I get a shot at the NFL, I'll definitely take it and run with it. If not, it's not the end of the world. I just want to be a leader. I want to finish on a good note and close this chapter as a good leader. I take nothing for granted."