Kyvaune Brammer joined the Brooklyn Tech football team to be closer to his friends.
New to the sport aside from watching it or playing Madden video games, he found it intriguing. It became a lot more than that — the 6-foot-3 wide receiver recently verbally committed to Buffalo of the Mid-American Conference.
Brammer took to football in a hurry, grasping different routes, blocking methods and ways to absorb contact. Last fall was his breakout campaign, with 17 receptions for 368 yards and six touchdown catches.
He received his first college letter during his junior year from Boston College, a thrilling moment. The next day, one came from Buffalo. It was a different kind of letter, a personalized one inviting him to the school’s Junior Day for possible recruits.
“I felt like they really took the time to write the letter to me,” said Brammer, who plans to be a pre-med major in pediatrics. “All the pieces fell into place after that.”
Buffalo kept coming, with lead recruiter Matt Simon at the forefront expressing how much the Bulls wanted Brammer. He was sold and rather than string out the recruiting process, opted for head coach Jeff Quinn’s program, joining Christ the King running back James Coleman in the Bulls’ 2013 recruiting class.
“They really came after me,” he said. “It felt like the right place to be. I felt a closeness to them — that’s what I was looking for.”
Ironically, Brammer, 17, picked a college before good friends and teammates James Gales and Thomas Plonski, who were big names as sophomores and will play Division I like Brammer. Yet he landed the first offer and the first commitment. He credited them and the Brooklyn Tech coaching staff with pushing him to this point, making him a better player.
“Being his coach, it didn’t surprise me,” coach Kyle McKenna said. “I know the type of athlete he is. He had a really good game against Curtis, he showed a lot of things, and with that and the rest of his highlight film, and also going to camps and combines, that showed people a lot. … He had a good junior year on a team that didn’t necessarily pass the ball a whole lot. When he had opportunities to catch the ball, he did a lot with it.”
Now, after his senior year, Brammer is headed to play Division I college football, impressive considering his late start.
“It’s a cool feeling,” Brammer said. “Every high school player wants to play college football. It’s another goal I accomplished. It’s something I can cross off my list.”