Note: The following appears in the Florida State football gameday program.
Nestled 32 miles west of Baltimore, 29 miles from Washington D.C. and 445 miles northeast of Clemson sits the quiet town of Damascus, Md., which is known for its local parks, small businesses and now, as the unlikely home of two Clemson football standouts.
With a population of only around 17,000 people, Damascus rarely makes national recruiting headlines, as Clemson has only brought in nine Maryland players in the last 15 years. Yet somehow, from the same practice fields and hallways of Damascus High School, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee and center Ryan Linthicum both traded their time in the Old Line State to join the Tigers’ lines of scrimmage.
Their story, though, started long before either player set foot on Clemson’s campus.
“During my freshman year of high school, we started hanging out,” said Linthicum of Bresee. “We’re from a small high school and you don’t really see a lot of people make it out from there. So we were both on the same page and started going on visits together and bonding.”
In Bresee’s senior season and Linthicum’s junior year, the pair led Damascus High School to a 13-2 record and state championship. Bresee totaled 80.5 tackles for loss and 35 sacks in high school, landing him as the No. 1 recruit in his class. A year later, Linthicum followed suit in excellence, being named the top center in the country by Rivals.
Bresee committed to Clemson in April 2019 after receiving over 20 college offers, and Linthicum signed his letter of intent five months later in September, choosing the Tigers over 10 programs. Although the pair made visits together, Linthicum is adamant that his choice was his own.
“Bryan never told me to come to Clemson,” said Linthicum. “He let me go through the process myself. But he was telling me how college works, so I was prepared for that mentally when I got there, and it was cool to have him, because he went through the experience already.”
What followed for Linthicum after his commitment was what Head Coach Dabo Swinney famously calls the “crock pot,” a slow-cooked development style that includes extra lifts called “power hours” and learning from veteran players.
“It was showing up every day, learning how to practice, learning from the older guys, taking every rep like a game rep and coming here every day and working,” said Linthicum of his first 50 months in Tigertown.
Four years after committing, Linthicum earned the starting role in 2024 and became one of 12 Tigers to start every game. After playing only 103 snaps in his first three seasons, Linthicum has logged 1,443 snaps in 22 consecutive starts so far in his final two years.
“A lot of people like to leave, but I knew that Clemson was the place. I’m loyal to Clemson and they’re loyal to me.”
Linthicum’s performance, a product of his loyalty, paid off, as Swinney named him the team’s “MVP” through his first two starts. He also garnered First-Team All-ACC honors from Sports Info Solutions at the end of the 2024 season.
Had he left, Linthicum would not have been able to be by his best friend’s side as the Bresee family grieved the loss of Bryan’s little sister, Ella, who lost her battle with a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer in October 2022.
Linthicum and the town of Clemson rallied around the Bresees, wearing “Ella Strong” wristbands, pins, shirts and hats. The ACC Defensive Rookie-of-the-Year missed two games to be with his family before returning to deliver a pass breakup that sealed a win over Wake Forest.
“I knew that’s what Ella would want me to do,” said Bresee after the game. “She loved watching all of us play. My family being here and being together, it brings my family joy watching us play.”
For Linthicum, this moment was unforgettable.
“To see the joy on his face and his family was huge. They’re like my second parents. Those are my best memories.”
Times have changed for Linthicum and Bresee. Linthicum is now a graduate leader on the Tigers’ offensive front, while Bresee is in his third year playing for the New Orleans Saints after being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Still, their bond remains deeper than distance. Bresee surprised Linthicum by sporting a #53 jersey to Clemson’s season opener against LSU.
“It was really cool to see Bryan in my jersey. I didn’t know he was going to do that. It’s a blessing. His family means so much to me. It’s a friendship we’ll have forever. His parents were texting me before the game, and it was awesome to have Bryan there.”
Linthicum also went to watch Bresee play the Atlanta Falcons during an open weekend last season. Although the schedules did not align this year for Linthicum to visit Bresee in New Orleans, he still carries a piece of his family every week, wearing his “Ella Strong” tie to every game.
“I’m going to wear it every week. She always has a special place in my heart, and I want to carry her legacy on forever.”
Nearly a decade after they first strapped on pads in Damascus, the two have played together, cheered together and supported each other through triumph and heartbreak. Although hundreds of miles away, a piece of Damascus will always be in Clemson.
