Former Tulare Union standout joins Fresno State football team, reunites with cousin
Former Tulare Union High standout Braylan Henderson always wanted to be on the Fresno State football team.
His hope, too, was to be teammates with Bryson Donelson — his cousin.
This week, Henderson was on the road when a North Dakota phone number popped up on his caller ID while en route to his home from the gym.
He didn’t pick up.
But there was a voicemail.
Henderson, an offensive lineman, listened and the following was said to him: ‘Braylan this is coach (Matt) Entz here at Fresno. Love your film. Give me a call.’
“I sprinted to the car and called back,” Henderson said. “He offered me and then called me again and was like can you come up to Fresno and then I committed in our face-to-face talk.”
Oh yeah. He is now teammates with his cousin, Donelson.
It was something he hoped that would happen, even when he tried to get Donelson to join him at Tulare Union.
Henderson said he even tried to get Donelson to play for his 8th grade team and Donelson didn’t budge.
“Me and Bryson grew up together. We went to the same school here in Tulare at Oak Valley, a little country school,” Henderson said.
“But ever since I saw him playing football, I always wanted to be on the same team. I believe God had brought me back together to play with him at the biggest stage.”
This past season, Henderson played at Snow College in Ephraim, Utah.
Henderson said he was chasing an offer at Fresno State and was ready to commit to Murray State because he didn’t think the new coaching staff would notice him.
He was happy to be wrong.
“It’s a Godsend so I knew I had to commit,” he said. “I love the new staff and the direction they want the program to be and I love their plan for me within that. Also, just the family being a pig part being able to return so close to home is so great and I’m very excited to be playing with my little cousin Bryson Donelson.
“I’m looking forward to being an impact player for Fresno and really being a guy there. I promise I’m going to give it all I got and Bulldog Fans got a real dawg! I thank them for the support and I’m gonna put a show on for them.”
This story was originally published December 26, 2024 at 12:38 PM.
