BOCA RATON – Larry Brihm is nearing the end of his college football career.
As a redshirt senior for Bethune-Cookman, the Village Academy (Delray Beach, Fla.) 2013 alum makes it his business to keep things in perspective at all times. By doing that, Brihm goes out of his way to compliment his teammates for a job well done and thank his coaches for the opportunity to play the game he loves.
And when it comes to losses and any other setbacks, Brihm tends to take responsibility for it by finding out ways to learn from them and get better.
These attributes were on display shortly after Bethune-Cookman (1-2) suffered a crushing 45-0 loss to FAU (1-2) on the night of Sept. 16 at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton (Fla.).
“It didn’t go as planned,” said Brihm, who was 9-of-19 passing for 56 yards and 1 INT in the shutout defeat. “We weren’t focused and prepared enough for this game.”
Bethune-Cookman, a FCS school that’s in the MEAC, will be facing off against Howard (1-2) on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1 p.m. Brihm hopes he can lead his team to a sustainable winning streak in the weeks ahead.
“We have to pick up from here and get ready for conference play,” Brihm said. “We can’t let this loss get us down for the rest of the season.”
After three games played, the 5-11, 209-pound dual-threat quarterback has thrown for 622 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. His best game so far was in a Week 2 win against Southeast Louisiana, when he was 25-of-39 passing for three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and one interception.
“I just have to keep pushing and working hard,” Brihm said. “When it comes to using my legs, I know what to do in those situations. But I want to show off my arm because anybody can be mobile and run the ball. We want to get the ball in the air more this season.”
Brihm said he’s confident in his team’s ability to turn the season around. It also helps that he has three fellow Palm Beach County players to help him out: redshirt senior receiver Frank Brown (Palm Beach Gardens 2013 alum), redshirt junior defensive end Todney Evans (Delray Beach Atlantic 2013 alum), and redshirt junior defensive back/punt returner De’Andre Bozeman (Dwyer 2013 alum).
“They’re my boys,” Brihm said. “Me and Todney are a door down from each other at our apartments. Me and Frank talk all the time and play on the field together. And Debo (Bozeman’s nickmane), he’s always laughing and joking. I’m glad they’re here, and they make me feel like I’m at home in Daytona Beach.”
After Brihm’s senior season ends at Bethune-Cookman, he will be in preparation mode for a chance to earn a roster spot in the NFL next year. But he understands the fact there are no guarantees in the game of football.
“My goal is to make it in NASCAR if the NFL doesn’t work out for me,” the business administration major said. “I would move to North Carolina and be a pit crew member. Ever since I was 14 years old, I developed a love for cars. I learned how to drive a car with my dad, and that’s what made want to learn more about how cars are built. Hopefully in the future I can get cars to run off something other than gas.”
Brihm credits his high school coaches for their unwavering support through both the good and challenging moments in his five season at Bethune-Cookman.
“There have been hard times when it wasn’t my day here,” Brihm said of former Village Academy head coach Donald Hanna and his coaching staff. “I can call on them for advice, and I know they’ll be with me every step of the way. They built me to get here. Without them, I don’t know if I would be in position right now. So I thank them for everything they have done for me.”
