For a young football team like Silver Bluff, developing young talent is vital for the future of the program.
And sophomore quarterback Garrett Greene is the future for Silver Bluff, and his improvement this season is a testament to the hard work he’s been putting in since getting the starting role.
"I think he has been a part of what we call that group that's kind of gotten better every week,” said head coach Lemuel Lackey. “And he's matured as he's kind of gone along through the season. It's been tough on him. He's never without criticism, but man, that kid has been working so hard and has done everything every coach asks, even through the mistakes. And this is something that needs to be noted. Even through his mistakes, then he comes back and asks for more. He's always consulting with the coaches. He's a really good kid to coach. A really good kid to coach.”
In the Bulldogs' recent 53-7 win over American Leadership Academy on Oct. 16, Greene finished with four touchdowns on the night with 259 yards, one of his best performances of the season. While it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Silver Bluff this season, the Bulldogs sit at 3-5 overall and fourth in the region with a 1-2 record; Greene has continued to help lead the team even in tough moments.
Lackey said having a game like last week helps with his confidence as he starts to see that hard work pay off.
“ I think that's the biggest thing, just the fact that he's had to step up,” he said. “And he's had to kind of lead a young team. But more importantly, he's just been one that, when he makes good plays and he does good things, and people do things around him, it helps him so much and just kind of takes a little bit of that load off. He threw some great balls this past weekend, and more importantly, he just kind of lined us up in the right way and took some tough shots. But you know what? Every time that he went down, he got up, and he was strong about it, and he's mentally tough. He's probably one of the more mentally tough kids that I've ever coached, and I think that's a huge part of his success.”
Off the field, Greene has embraced the spotlight and the leadership role that quarterbacks are expected to take on, no matter what year they are. He not only leads his peers once the whistle blows on Friday nights, but he also finds ways to keep morale high in the locker room as they navigate a difficult schedule in a new Class AA region and with a new coaching staff.
For Lackey, Greene’s patience with the process and dedication to learning from his mistakes have made his job easier as a coach as he establishes a new culture at Silver Bluff in his first year at the helm.
"He has kind of enjoyed the ride a little bit,” Lackey said. “The guy who has just come in and kind of embraced the kids, just being able to step up and joke around with them in the locker room. He's always got a smile on his face, and that's important. He's always conversing with the coaches on off-field stuff and just doing what you want a leader to do, and that's called being involved. And you know what? It's good to deal with him because his work ethic is shining, and I'm so happy for that kid because he truly has put the work in and has endured throughout the season.”
The regular season is winding down for the Bulldogs, and as Lackey looks ahead to the end of the fall, he’s also looking back at areas he wants to improve in during the offseason. Since so much of the team is younger, he’ll have many of the same players to continue working with into the spring.
For Greene, what he wants most from him in the final two games of October and the postseason is for him to continue honing his passion for the game and stepping into that leadership role. Lackey said he’s been putting the work in the weight room, on the field, and off of it all season long to be the best he can be for the rest of the team and to lift everyone else up around him.
There is still a lot of work to do for the young quarterback, but he’s welcoming the process and the work it requires to be one of the best.
“He's always trying,” he said. “He's always thinking about his teammates, and he's always thinking about trying to make them better and hoping they get better. But more importantly, he's embracing the role as the leader because naturally on any football team, the quarterback's kind of got to be that leader, and he's the one that'll put people in place and make sure they're lined up the right way. But more importantly, he's the guy off the field that will speak to everyone and make sure everyone is embracing the moment, and I think he's like that. And God, he's grown so much, but he's got so much further to go that it's almost awesome to watch right now.”