by Malcolm Butler

 

Sometimes there are things more important than wins or losses. 

 

Even in the billion dollar industry that has become college athletics. 

 

On Saturday night ironically in a place nicknamed Death Valley, Sonny Cumbie and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs reminded us of that. 

 

They didn’t do it for the fan fare. 

 

In fact if Clemson Head coach Dabo Swinney hadn’t talked about it during his postgame press conference then most people outside of the inner circles of the Bulldogs and the Tigers wouldn’t have known. 

 

It was a gesture. And anyone who knows Cumbie knows it was sincere and heartfelt. 

 

Clemson all-everything defensive tackle Bryan Breese didn’t suit up for the Tigers against the Bulldogs. He was back home with his family, mourning the loss of his 15-year-old sister Ella who lost her 18-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer earlier in the week. 

 

Football was on the back burner Saturday night for Bryan and his family. And rightly so. 

 

The Clemson Family had been fighting by Ella’s side. Just last week Ella was supposed to have been at Death Valley with the Tigers when they took on Furman. 

 

However she took a turn for the worse and was admitted to a hospital back closer to home in Washington DC.

 

A few days later, 15-year-old Ella lost her battle. And Bryan lost his sister. And the Clemson Family lost one of their biggest fans. 

 

During pregame warmups Saturday night, Swinney wore an Ella Strong t-shirt in honor of the young lady. Not surprising. 

 

But so did Sonny Cumbie. 

 

Again, really not that surprising if you know Sonny. That’s who the man is and what he lives. 

 

Cumbie also delivered a personally handwritten note to Swinney for the Breese family. Along with dozens of similar handwritten notes from the Bulldog players and coaches. 

 

It was a gesture that Swinney addressed during his postgame presser.

 

“I didn’t know Sonny Cumbie (before tonight),” said Swinney. “But he forever has a new fan in me. Class guy. Class act. His whole football team. 

 

“He came out with an Ella Strong shirt. He gave me a note that he wrote Bryan. And I think his team wrote letters. It makes my heart smile. In this competitive world we are in (that) there are people like Sonny Cumbie and that LA Tech crowd. Class group.”

 

The postgame video about the gesture by the Bulldogs quickly found its way to social media through the Clemson accounts. 

 

The Bulldogs may have taken an L in the scoreboard column Saturday night but Sonny Cumbie won in a much bigger way.