Riley Bryan

NCAA DIII Week: Piedmont's Riley Bryan Featured in Carolina Panthers Social Campaign

By Danielle Percival: Assistant A.D. of Communications

DEMOREST, Ga. - Piedmont women's basketball freshman Riley Bryan had quite the first season in the green and gold, including the opportunity to be featured on the big stage. 

Bryan was featured by the Carolina Panthers in a video highlighting Derrick Brown, the 2022 Carolina Panthers Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. Brown was nominated based on his work in the community and giving back, including through his scholarship, the Derrick Brown Foundation Scholarship. 

Riley Bryan was a recipient of the Derrick Brown Foundation Scholarship which helped afford her the opportunity to pursue her dreams. She was contacted about the opportunity to be involved in a promotional video for Derrick and jumped at the opportunity.

It was a crazy experience! They told me it was a promo video for Derrick, so of course I couldn’t turn it down. I had no idea what it was really for until we started filming. It was a super cool thing to be a part of and I’m so glad to have gotten the opportunity.
Riley Bryan, Piedmont University freshman women's basketball player

During the course of the interview, Bryan was asked about her playing career, her history with Derrick and and the Browns and growing up in the Sugar Hill, Georgia community. 

Derrick Brown is from Sugar Hill, Georgia and a graduate of Lanier High School, the same high school that Riley Bryan graduated from in 2022. 

The Bryan family is close friends with the Brown family and that made it even sweeter when Riley was selected as a scholarship recipient last year. 

Riley's mom, Linley, was fortunate enough to be involved in the interview process with Riley while the Panthers were on Piedmont's campus, making a memorable experience even more unforgettable. 

My mom was SO excited about this. She wanted to come and watch just to be a part of it, but having her be in the video happened on accident just because of all the sweet things she said behind the scenes. I’m glad she was there, and she was really, really grateful for the scholarship opportunity as well.
Riley Bryan, Piedmont University freshman women's basketball player
Linley Bryan
Linley Bryan, Riley's mother, being interviewed by the Carolina Panthers' video crew
It was very emotional and impactful to be included that day. To see your child be part of something greater than herself, in such an important way, meant so much to me. Being her first year away at college, it was exciting to see her take this leadership opportunity to the next level, in her own unique way. I was so very grateful for the experience and the relationships formed that special day. Having this experience at Piedmont University has given us an added sense of belonging in the Lions Family.
Linley Bryan, Riley Bryan's mother

As the interview was coming to a close, it was revealed that Derrick Brown was the 2022 Carolina Panthers Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. It was an emotional moment for both Riley and Linley Bryan hearing that someone so dear to them was being recognized in this special way. 

It filled my heart with so much joy! Seeing Derrick on and off the field through the years, overcoming adversity, and rising up to every level made me so proud for him, his family, and the Lanier community. It really is an honor to be able to watch and support this level of greatness from the sidelines.

Watching the NFL Honors and seeing him being recognized on stage for his philanthropy and community work reminds us that you never know what kind of an impact you have, and that everyone has the ability to make a difference and reach your dreams.
Linley Bryan, Riley Bryan's mother

For Riley Bryan personally, it was a memorable experience to be in the spotlight, but it also gave Piedmont air time on a regional and national stage. 

After the video came out, I got a lot of comments from my friends, professors, teammates, peers, everyone! They made a lot of jokes about being famous now, especially on a small campus. Many people asked how I knew him or asked about what the scholarship was and thought what he was doing giving back to his community was really cool.

I also heard after the video came out there was a spike in admissions...so I wonder if that was due to any exposure!
Riley Bryan, Piedmont University freshman women's basketball player

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