DSU standout TE comes from football family with unique name, pedigree
Nov. 8—DICKINSON — From one Galen to another, Gaylon, it all makes sense how much impact one's moniker has on their personality and place in the world. Having spent a few minutes with not only Galen Brantley III but also his father, Galen Brantley Jr., it's easy to tell why they stand out not only on the gridiron but also in the classroom and among their communities.
"Actually, my Grandpa's name is Galen, and he was the fourth or fifth kid in his family so I think my Grandma was running out of names," Brantley III said with a laugh. "So, when they were in the hospital there was some kind of thing there about the Greek doctor and she liked the name, and I think that's how he ended up having it, and then he passed it down."
The Galen that Brantley III is referring to was a physician also known as Aelius Galenus due to his Roman citizenship, and he is more commonly recognized as Galen of Pergamon. He was born in what is now known as Bergama, Turkey, and the Anglicized name "Galen" is a more common representation and reference to the doctor and philosopher who made some of the earliest advances in the study of anatomy during his life from 129 to 216 AD.
"I'm a biology and chemistry major and I want to go to medical school, so that's kind of how I know that story and know who Galen is," Brantley III said.
As Brantley III takes to the field each Saturday afternoon, he knows he has strong support from his father and all the residents of his hometown in Soldotna, Alaska—a small town on the Kenai Peninsula just southwest of Anchorage—with a football pedigree that is not only famous statewide but also across the country. Brantley, Jr. has been recognized as the winningest high school football coach in the state, having won 18 consecutive Railbelt Conference titles and 13 Division II state titles, along with his career record of 156-9, which makes him one of the winningest coaches, percentage-wise, in American high school football history.
As for Brantley III, you won't see his statistics lighting up the scoreboard necessarily. However, as you peruse the team's stellar rushing statistics, a clearer picture emerges. The blocking skills that contribute to the team's 207.8 rushing yards per game are evident, and Brantley III's partnership with fellow tight end and teammate Nathan Schumacher creates ample space, enabling standout running backs Braden Zuroff and Derion Brown to find room to run and roam. This support helped them score a combined 19 rushing touchdowns between the two of them and contributed to a team total of 23 for the 2023 season.
What's even more frightening is that Brantley III is only a junior and will be staying on at DSU for the 2024 season, while Zuroff is only a junior and Brown is in his sophomore year. That just means Brantley III's Dad gets to make another trip here — as he does every year after his prep football season in Alaska concludes (this one with another Division II title after a win over Lathrop, Alaska) — to enjoy his son's athletic and academic pursuits.
Brantley III was born in Minot, and while Brantley, Jr. is a native of Soldotna he has deep roots in North Dakota. He was a teacher and football coach at Bishop Ryan Catholic School when the family lived there for a few years, and was "lucky enough to be part of a state-championship coaching staff in 1999 and learned a lot from those guys," but wound up back in his hometown (pop. 4,342) to coach prep football when the opportunity arose.
"He's been there since we moved up to Alaska in 2002, and he's been the head coach there for probably 15 or 16 years," said Brantley III, who also played hockey and was a track & field standout in Soldotna. "We won the state championship all four years that I was there in high school and only lost one game to a school twice our size."
Brantley III's desire to move to Dickinson was spurred by not only his DSU-alumnus grandmother, Janet Riplinger — who grew up in Beach, ND — but also two of his favorite high school teachers who were Dickinson State University alumni, along with his high school principal — Todd Syverson — who played golf and football for the Blue Hawks in the late 1970s and early 80s. Additionally, the former defensive coordinator while Brantley III was at Soldotna High School, Phil Leck, is a DSU alum. All these folks had a strong influence on the young football and track recruit to get his education in Southwest North Dakota.
"My Grandma was the principal at the elementary school in Flasher for a long time, actually, and my Mom grew up in Flasher," Brantley III said. "We've made lots of family visits back here in North Dakota."
But it's also the uniqueness of his name that makes Brantley III stand out — as this writer can attest to, having met only three outside of my Dad — and the line of Galen Brantleys clearly extends backwards three generations. It's a difficult "handle" to handle, Brantley, Jr. said, and carries with it some difficulties ... but the good outweighs the bad as it potentially generates not only personal character but also a singularity in those who have it on their birth certificates.
"If you carry the name Galen around, you've probably gotten teased and picked on and you've got some tough skin," Brantley, Jr. said. "It's almost like the Johnny Cash song, 'A Boy Named Sue,' so you've had to learn some patience along the way. But it also — in a way — makes you unique, because not a lot of people are carrying around that handle."
With all that said, both Brantleys are happy to be so closely connected to DSU and the Dickinson community — not-to-mention Southwest North Dakota in general — because, "It's been a great fit, and I brought him down here for a visit after he graduated and he was able to meet with the coaches and I feel like I knew he wanted to come here even before he did." In fact, as Brantley, Jr. was in attendance to see the Blue Hawks win their ninth-consecutive North Star Athletic Conference title, he came to the Nov. 4 win over Valley City State with two of his Soldotna Stars — Ala Tuisaula and Hakoa Montoya — for a visit to the campus, as Alaska graduates get in-state tuition at DSU.
"Just knowing my own son's character and what he's made of, I just knew he would thrive here and he really has," Brantley, Jr. said. "But not only do I have my son here, my daughter is a sophomore here, Emma Brantley, and I've sent another one of my kids who played for me in Soldotna — Dylan Dahlgren, number 95 — is on the roster."
Brantley III also is a standout track & field athlete who throws the shot-put, hammer and discus for the Blue Hawks and was named an All-American in the NAIA for his efforts there.
"I wasn't sure, right away, that I wanted to come here, but I knew that my high school principal and my coach (Leck) had a good experience here," Brantley III said. "Coming down, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but being down here — I think, education-wise — I've gotten everything that I could have possibly needed and more."
He added, "Athletically, I've been very successful and so I think I've had a fantastic experience here and I definitely think I've developed from when I was in high school to where I am now because — as a person and in the classroom — I've definitely matured a lot here in Dickinson, and I think it's definitely set me up where I'm in a good spot next year when I start applying to medical schools because I'm going to be a good candidate."
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