Ithaca's Brady Hessbrook remembered as much more than a high school football star
Brady Hessbrook spent much of his life in the Ithaca football program.
He started as the water boy for the high school team his father, Terry, led to major success, before becoming a manager and then eventually starring as the Yellowjackets' quarterback under the Friday night lights.
Brady, who died Friday at the age of 20, is being remembered as much more than a decorated football player.
"The first thing that stands out to me when I think of him is he was always in a good mood," said Ithaca football coach Jordan Hessbrook, who is Brady's cousin. "He was always smiling and he was always laughing. He was a person that when you were around him, no matter what you had going on, you just felt better. Everybody has described it as an infectious smile and that's true. Just his personality and the person he was. He was just a great person to be around. He always left you feeling good about yourself and about life."
While football was a major part of his life, Jordan Hessbrook said Brady also had a passion for fishing with family and friends, playing video games and spending time with his girlfriend.
"He was a very, very good football player, but he was an even better person," Jordan Hessbrook said.
Brady was a 2021 graduate of Ithaca and continued his football career at Wayne State. He was a second-year student majoring in global supply chain management
"The Wayne State Athletic Department was heartbroken by the news of Brady's passing this weekend," Wayne State interim athletic director Erika Wallace said in a statement. "Our sincere condolences go out to the Hessbrook family and the entire Ithaca community during this difficult time."
From December 2020:Completely healthy, Brady Hessbrook shows full abilities while becoming AP player of year
Brady is survived by his parents, Terry and Kristy Hessbrook, and a sister, Kelsey.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Ithaca. Visitation will be 1-4 p.m. and 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday at Smith Family Funeral Homes in Ithaca.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking contributions be made to the B#4 Foundation. The foundation will provide an annual scholarship to a student-athlete who exemplifies greatness in their sport, school and community. It also strives to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention through education, outreach initiatives, advocacy and community service.
The foundation also is raising money through T-shirt sales at Mid-State Screen Printing. Shirts can be ordered by calling 989-875-4163 or emailing info@midstatespe.com.
"Out of all of this — it's a horrible, horrible tragedy but it's the wish of the family that we can grasp at something positive to be made out of this and trying to prevent any other families from having to go through this situation in the future," Jordan Hessbrook said.
Contact Brian Calloway at bcalloway@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @brian_calloway.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Ithaca's Brady Hessbrook remembered as more than a football star
