Joe Gaiter: What does football mean to you?
Brett Stlve:Football to me is more than a game. If it wasn’t for football, I know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Football has help me build a lot of character. Football to me is hope for my family, that my nephews will not have to go through tough times. This is also allowing me to fulfill my dream of making it to the NFL, each day it feels closer and closer. This means that I must work harder, increasing my work ethic. I once heard that “You do not get what you want, you get what you work for.”
Joe Gaiter: How did Hammond HS help create the monster you are today?
Brett Stlve:Hammond High taught me to be patient but hungry. I spent most of my high school career playing defense, when I knew I wanted to play running back. We had a stable of backs and I had to wait my turn, most notably, Jeremy Smith who played at Louisville. At my school it was only a handful of us who wanted to make it out, so we pushed each other. On the field and in the weight room, it was always a competition. My hunger was born through always being told what I could not do. You tell me what I can’t do, and I am going to do it 10 times over. I like a challenge, because a little adversity never killed anyone.
Joe Gaiter: What made you choose Kentucky State?
Brett Stlve: Honestly my mom played a role in me choosing Kentucky State. It was a different atmosphere then I was used to. A chance to play in a premier HBCU conference and opportunities to play against some good competition. With this being my third school, I was truly searching for a home which I found at Kentucky State. My choices came down to going back to Southern University as a regular student with uncertainty about football or continuing to Kentucky State to have another shot. The decision was not too hard to make at that point.
Joe Gaiter: What makes you a great running back?
Brett Stlve: What makes me a great running back is that I am coachable, and I am never content with being just good enough. I am always adding to my game, whether it is studying a player to see how he uses certain moves or even the technical things like footwork or being a better blocker. You must be your own biggest critique, and always be open to criticism.
Joe Gaiter: What were some of your stats last year?
Brett Stlve:Last season I only had a chance to play one game with my brothers. I finished the game with 20 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns. I totaled 212 all-purpose yards that game.
Joe Gaiter: KSU lost all of their games last year, What do you think caused a 0 – 10 season?
Brett Stlve:There was not one thing that contributed to the record last season. No one person is to be blamed because this is a team effort. We had some key injuries on both sides of the ball and we just had a hard time finishing games. We were in at least 7 of the 10 games and it might have been one blown assignment late in a game that cost us. We have a chip on our shoulder coming into this season, but we’ll take the underdog card. We have a point to prove and its’ not going to be done with words I can tell you that.
Joe Gaiter: What is your prediction for KSU Football season this year?
Brett Stlve: We have a lot of talented guys on the roster this season top to bottom, and we have all been grinding and working our tails off. I have big expectations; we will finish amongst the top teams in the conference and you will see us back in the championship game this season.
Joe Gaiter: Who are some of the players besides yourself, we should look out for next year?
Brett Stlve:We have a couple guys who are returning that had big off seasons, one being Chris Roberts who is on a mission this season. Another being our senior receiver Jonathan Powell, that’s just to name a few. You will have to tune in to watch the show.
Joe Gaiter: What is your major? And what will you do with it?
Joe Gaiter: Brett Stlve: I am a business administration major, with a focus in management. I plan on being an entrepreneur, I have a couple different business ideas that I am going to implement as soon as I graduate. If there is one thing that I learned from football is that if you want something bad enough you are going to work for it, and no one can tell you that you can’t but you.
Joe Gaiter: What game are you looking forward to most this season?
Brett Stlve:Me personally, I am looking forward to our return to the Circle City Classic in Lucas Oil Stadium. The atmosphere the last time we played was electric and I am coming from a state where the Bayou Classic is the biggest college football event in the state. I always wanted to play in that game, so I use this as my Bayou Classic so to say. Not to mention the fact that we get to play a talented Jackson State team, this allows me to showcase my talents against better competition.
Joe Gaiter: How did you deal with adversity last year?
Brett Stlve: Mindset is everything, after the adversity I went through last season I just sat down and prayed, and I am coming into this season with a new mindset.
Joe Gaiter: What is your untold story?
Brett Stlve: Well as I mentioned before, I only played running back for one year in high school and that wasn’t even a whole season. I started off as a slot receiver my senior year. I went to Louisiana College my first season and it was a lot of factors that played into that. I finished my freshman season and I wanted to play on a higher level, so I made the jump to Southern University where I planned to walk on. Everything there was not going as I had hoped coming into the situation and it was to the point where I wasn’t doing what I loved, and classes were really kicking my tail. I eventually got to the point where I was ready to hang up my cleats, I felt like no one would truly give me a shot. Especially coming from a DIII school. One day I went for a walk and called my mom told her how I was feeling, she called my dad and within minutes he called me and was in my ear. He told me before you call it quits exhaust all your options, so I called the coaching staff up at Kentucky State and they happily excepted me into the Thorobred family, and the rest is history.
Joe Gaiter: Will you enter into the 2019 NFL Draft next year?
Brett Stlve:At this point, this is something that I want to do, especially with me being so close to the end of the tunnel. Being in the NFL has always been a dream of mines, hearing my name called would be a great feeling.
Joe Gaiter: Final words?
Brett Stlve:I want to thank Gaiter Sports for the opportunity and the platform. I also want to thank my family as well as my Kentucky state family.
Joe Gaiter: Shoutouts?
Brett Stlve:I want to shout out Mike Simpson, who was our quarterback, he made me aware of this platform. Shout out to my mother and father, Stacy and Bernard Sylve as well as the rest of my family. Big shout out to my O-line.
