ASHLAND — Ashland football coach Leon Hart remembers Bryant Combs in the early days.

�As a freshman, he was a little, skinny kid out there running around,�� Hart said. �He was slow, weak and didn�t really like contact.��

From every visible indication, it appeared Combs� high school career would be short at best.

�He was so frail-looking,�� Hart recalled while sitting in his office Monday. �You wondered about Bryant getting hurt. Even our smallest set of pads drooped on him.��

When Ashland�s coaches looked a little closer at the 95-pounder, however, they discovered something more.

�He always had an air of determination about him,�� Hart said. �He wasn�t going to give up or give in.��

Tomcat assistant coach Tony Love, who talked Combs into coming out for the wrestling team that year, saw the same spark.

�Even though (Combs) wasn�t very strong, he had a good work ethic,�� Love said. �That�s the thing that helped him climb the ladder. You see that in certain kids. It separates them from the pack a little bit.��

Combs was a regular for Ashland�s voluntary weightlifting program last winter.

�I don�t think he missed a day,�� Love said.

Combs� persistence has paid off. After playing freshman football and spending the next two years mostly on the JV level, Combs is pushing for major playing time with the Tomcats this season.

The wide receiver and defensive back, now listed at 6 feet and 165 pounds, took another step last Saturday with two catches and an interception in the Tomcats� scrimmage against Campbell County.

�I�m really pleased with how he played,�� Hart said. �Bryant could end up starting both ways. We rotate four wide receivers and three people at cornerback where he plays.��

Ashland�s home opener is Aug. 29 against Raceland. Whenever Combs gets his chance to step into a starting role, the moment will be special.

�It�s going to be a pretty big rush,�� he said. �I will feel like all that hard work paid off. Wow! At the end you can celebrate being on the field, but it�s all business out there.��

Combs called his father the biggest influence in his life. William Washington played high school football in Roanoke, Va., and also wrestled.

�He always pushes me to do my best,�� Combs said. �He says that if you are not doing something, you can go work out and do some push-ups or sit-ups.��

Combs isn�t one to sit around. He has a part-time job, carries a 3.8 grade-point average and is a member of Beta Club, National Honor Society and Future Business Leader of America. Combs and classmate Aris Rogers placed second in the state with a FBLA project.

Hart called Combs a great example of what can happen when a young person sets their mind to something.

�He may be the player that has come the farthest in the six years I�ve been here, as far as a guy being obscure on the depth chart and our expectations of where he could get to,�� Hart said. �It isn�t how far I think somebody can come, it�s how much they believe.��

Combs credits his family, coaches, teammates and friends for encouragement and support.

�You think about the people behind you pushing you all the way,�� he said. �I�m very thankful for that.��

Ashland is looking for a turnaround on the field after finishing 2-8 last season.

�The team has worked incredibly hard in the weight room and gotten so much stronger�� Combs said. �We�re building team chemistry.��

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.