Home-schooled student now a well-schooled football player

MADISON – For a young student changing from a home-schooled environment to attending public school is sometimes a taxing endeavor. To add participating in a new sport, in a different surrounding with a throng of fellow students in a hustle and bustle type backdrop could be an overwhelming event even for the best of students.

For Brendon Jethroe, he has faced all of those situations and has done so with upmost success in the classroom, socially and in the sports arena of high school football.

“I chose to begin attending public school after my eighth grade of being home-schooled because I wanted the social aspect and doing something that for most young people are high school dreams,” said Jethroe, a senior at Bob Jones with a 3.3 grade point average. “Plus, my stepdad encouraged me to try playing football and told me to give him one year of football and he would be happy. That was my first try at sports and I didn’t know my body would hold up to the game of football.”

Jethroe weighed 400 pounds at the time of his decision to attend Bob Jones High and attempt to play football for the Patriots. Through four years of being dedicated to his new surroundings and the attempt to lose weight, the son of Donnere Burewell (step father) and Patrenna Ayers has reshaped his life starting with losing 100 pounds to his current weight of 300 pounds to go along with his 6-foot, 5-inch frame. He is the starting left tackle for the Patriots and has already received a scholarship offer to play college football at North Alabama and would like to study aerospace or electrical engineering.

While being homeschooled, Jethroe attended the on-line education of Connections Academy while living in Triana where he stayed home during school hours with his older sister, who was also home-schooled, and his aunt. He worked at his own pace, which is something that was totally different once he went to Bob Jones as a freshman when he said his biggest adjustment was academics due to classroom time limits. At home, he spent the first three hours of his day tuned into his school work via his computer and then participated in an assortment of activities including his Play Station and building projects with Legos.

“I would tell others who may be thinking of being home-schooled to know your own pace and you must like the fact you’re isolated most of the time,” added Jethroe. “If you’re sociable, work fast and are very outgoing, choose regular school. For me, I wish I attended middle school.”

After he and his mother attended several family meetings for the team and met Bob Jones head coach Kelvis White, he was set for his freshman season of play, but broke his left leg two weeks prior to his first scheduled game and was forced to sit the entire campaign. With some assistance from a personal trainer, adding more water to his diet and having the pure dedication of wanting to lose weight, Jethroe lost 50 pounds by the time spring practice came along for what would be his sophomore season of action. Although he saw some limited action on the varsity, Jethroe was regulated to mostly the junior varsity squad as a sophomore and weighed in at 320-pounds.

For his junior season, Jethroe weighed in at 310-pounds and was a wellused second string player on the offensive line. Now, in his senior year, he is a starter and has played both left guard and tackle.

“I feel I’m strong, a hard worker, give good effort on every play and possess good foot work,” said Jethroe of his play as an offensive lineman. “I love to pancake my opponents when I can and I feel I’m a better run blocker.”

The 17-year old’s transformation with his weight loss has been nothing short of remarkable. He currently wears pants sized 42-inch waist, XXL-size shirts and size 15 shoes. He has gone through an assortment of emotional changes both socially and academically, but seems to have come through with flying colors and has, what many would call, a tendency to be a little “old-school” personality. That shows by the song he listens to prior to each game, “For Once In My Life,” a 1960’s mega-hit for superstar Stevie Wonder. “Yeah, my grandfather turned me onto that classic song and it hits home for me as I listen to it on my phone headset after pre-game activities and just prior to the game.”

“When I made the decision to attend regular school and leave behind home-school, people told me I was a little awkward as I was large in size, very quiet socially, but I was looking for the change I needed and found it at Bob Jones,” he added.

Jethroe has made his changes in life by learning social skills, football skills and the skills needed to achieve academic success all within a short time span, but one thing for sure is the fact, when he walks among the hallways with fellow students, his size easily makes him standout, but it’s that broad smile that shines as a beacon of joy of his transformation.