Entire Louisiana Tech team writes notes to Bresee family

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney had never met Louisiana Tech coach Sonny Cumbie prior to Saturday night, but after a kind gesture by Cumbie and his Louisiana Tech team for Bryan Bresee and his family, Cumbie has a new fan.

Swinney said following Clemson’s 48-20 victory that the entire Louisiana Tech football team wrote letters by hand for Bryan Bresee and his family.

Bresee’s younger sister — Ella Bresee — passed away on Thursday after a battle with brain cancer. Bryan Bresee did not play in Saturday’s game but is expected to rejoin the Clemson team on Sunday.

“I wanna just say how encouraged I was tonight by just the class of coach Cumbie and La. Tech,” Swinney said. “The entire team took the time to write Bryan and his family a letter. And man, that’s everything that’s good about college football.”

Cumbie also wore an “Ella Strong” shirt during pregame and wrote a letter for the Bresee family as well that he delivered to Swinney.

The Bresee family will hold Ella’s funeral on Tuesday and Swinney and several members of the Clemson football program will be in attendance.

“I’ve never met coach Cumbie. But I’ll be a fan of his for the rest of his career. And as I told him after the game, this right here is why he’s going to be successful,” Swinney said. “Because that really tells me how he’s wired and how he thinks. And I’ll be pulling for him forever. Really, really appreciate their kindness, their thoughtfulness. And then just sharing in the pain with the Bresee family, somebody they don’t know.”