State championship lights, Friday night hits and spring afternoons on the mound have all shaped Sulphur senior Kale Brakefield into one of the Bulldogs’ most visible leaders. “In football, I play quarterback and linebacker. In basketball, I’m a power forward and in baseball, I play pitcher, third base and first base,” Brakefield said.
His favorite memory came on the biggest stage. “Making it to the state championship my senior year with the football team! Even though we did not win, I would not trade that team for anything.”
The grind across three sports has changed how he handles adversity. “It has taught me how to battle against adversity and find a way to push forward, which is preparing me for the inevitable problems I will face later on in life,” Brakefield said.
Faith and family anchor his outlook. “My great-grandma, she is the most Godly person I know and I strive to just be half the person she is,” he said. A former teammate and relative pushed him early. “Hayden Milner in football,” Brakefield said. “He is my half-brother and when I was a freshman, he was a senior. He was really hard on me and made me realize that football is not easy and needs real time put in to be successful.”
Being visible around town comes with responsibility. “I get to be a role model to the younger kids in the middle school down to Pre-K, so it’s really important for me to set a good example,” he said of his favorite part about representing Sulphur as an athlete.
One short phrase guides him in tough moments. “Play for Jesus, not people,” Brakefield said of the best advice he has received.
He makes sure to recognize those who have always believed in him. “My parents, they have always believed in me,” he said.
On the professional level, one former Heisman winner and NFL quarterback stands out as his model. “Tim Tebow; I feel like he truly used his platform as an athlete to promote the gospel and bring people to God,” Brakefield said.
