Towne Athlete Meet

TOWNE ATHLETE

By Tom Worgo

You don’t often hear this from standout two-sport jocks: that they’re a better student than athlete. But that’s especially true when it comes from a senior like Bryce Purnell, who has been aggressively recruited by a bunch of Division I college football programs.

The Archbishop Spalding student carries a weighted 4.6 grade-point average and started taking advanced placement classes in ninth grade. “Obviously, I am happy about being a better student than athlete,” Pur-

nell says. “But it’s expected, too. I am not trying to sound cocky about it, but I have worked really hard in school through the years to reach this point.”

It’s not surprising that Purnell, an Edgewater resident, has been pursued by Dartmouth College, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania. He’s strongly considering those Ivy League schools and brimming with pride that they are interested in him.

“It’s definitely exciting and it would be a great opportunity and experience,” Purnell explains. “It would set me up well for the rest of my life.” Purnell knows what he wants to do for a career: to be an attorney.

“I want to be in a career where I can help people and still make money,” he says. “I am just really interested in law. I took AP government my sophomore year. All that law stuff really interests me.”

His coaches say the 17-year-old is a student athlete with a great makeup. Purnell talks about helping the underprivileged through community service. He volunteered at Edgewater’s Joy Reigns Lutheran Church thrift shop two days a week last year during the summer and he also has spent his Christmas Eve delivering gifts to homeless shelters.

“He is as high a character person as we have in our football program,” Spalding Football Coach Kyle Schmitt says. “And in our school, I think frankly he really cares about people and has a lot of empathy.” Schmitt says Purnell has so much potential. The 6-foot2, 240-pound Purnell didn’t develop as much as he wanted to during his junior season, which the pandemic limited to two games. So, he went to eight college football camps last summer to help develop his skills and learn about sophisticated schemes. Colleges such as Villanova, William and Mary, Lafayette, and Fordham.

“I didn’t have a lot of tape from junior year, so they wanted to see what I could do,” says Purnell, who also wrestles for his school. “They wanted me to work out, and I did really well in the workouts. They helped me improve. The experiences gave me things I can add to my game like different pass-rush moves and defensive line stances.”

Purnell excels at stopping the run and rushing the passer. He’s a two-year starter at defensive end on the varsity squad after playing both offensive tackle and defensive line on the jayvee as a freshman.

“I think any college in the country would love to have him,” Schmitt says. “His best quality is his relentless effort and will. He is extremely talented for his size. He’s got great strength and he runs very well. And he really finishes plays well.”

Schmitt values Purnell’s leadership skills as much as his football talent. He is a role model for the Cavaliers’ underclassmen. “He is the type of guy the young guys can follow,” he says. The Spalding coach talks about Purnell’s academic achievement as much as his performance on the field. Schmitt has never coached a player with as high a grade-point average as Purnell.

“I told him jokingly, ‘Can we take a little bit of your grade-point average and pass it along to a few other guys?’ They may need a little more of a bump.”