By: Garrett Mitchell, Staff Writer
garrett@thewoodrufftimes.com
A brotherhood is one of the strongest bonds there is, a test time cannot beat, and a connection that binds those who share it forever.
Since they were six years old, four Woodruff Wolverines have shared that unflappable relationship with one another on every field they have ever stepped on.
Connor Davis, Addison Davis, and Jaylen and Jayden Lyles have never not been teammates, nor have they ever not been inseparable. From the rec league fields of Woodruff, to the brilliant shine of the Friday night lights of Varner Stadium, to their personal lives, four small-town football players have always been there for one another.
Connor and Addison are actually first cousins while Jaylen and Jayden are fraternal twins. Connor is the Wolverines’ starting quarterback, Jaylen the starting running back, Addison a starting safety, and Jayden a linebacker.
“The brotherhood is really strong with any of those three guys and not just because Addison is my cousin,” explained Connor. “Like me, Jaylen, and Jayden, we always make jokes. We’ve always been close. It will be that way for the rest of our lives. We really are like brothers.”
He means it in the most literal sense.
The four can bicker like brothers, have their own inside nicknames, and when push comes to shove, if you mess with one, you have them all.
“We know each other so well, it helps in practice when practice gets intense,” said Addison. “We yell at each other, compete with each other, but it’s not personal at all. After practice we get together and joke with each other about it.”
It has been that way for a long time.
Connor, Addison, Jaylen, and Jayden first became teammates on the six-year-old maroon team in first grade. They played on the same team throughout rec ball, through two years on the Woodruff Middle School team, then spent two years together on the Wolverines’ junior varsity squad. Now, they are among the leaders of a Woodruff varsity team that has very real state title aspirations.
“Being on the maroon team all the way through rec ball, we would always have these team dinners at Demeter’s. That’s what I always remember,” added Addison. “Then we were together in middle school and on the JV team together, too, because nobody got moved up. Now, our senior year together, it’s kind of surreal.”
The chemistry shared among them is immense, too. Connor is among the state leaders in passing yards and touchdowns, while Jaylen is one of the state’s top rushers. Addison and Jayden each make their mark on the defensive side of the ball, and each one complements the other.
“It feels good having a twin brother out here playing,” Jayden said. “He gives me motivation to keep getting better. We’ve been playing with AD (Addison Davis) and Connor for years, and chemistry-wise we are really close.”
Said Jaylen, “It’s fun. Connor has been my quarterback since we were little kids. I think me and him have the best chemistry of any quarterback and running back duo in the state of South Carolina.”
While not identical twins, growing up Jaylen and Jayden looked so much alike that the Davis family gave them nicknames. Jaylen was ‘Big Lyles,’ and Jayden was ‘Little Lyles’.
The monikers have stuck throughout the years, though it is more of an inside joke amongst themselves that only they can share.
“It’s ‘Big’ Lyles and ‘Little’ Lyles,” joked Connor. My dad (Tony Davis) came up with that when we were tiny because nobody could tell them apart and he couldn’t remember their names.”
Jayden added, “We got those names growing up because they couldn’t tell us apart and I was always smaller, so they called me Little Lyles.”
Maybe the most important part of a brotherly bond is the ability to give emotional support and pick up family when the chips are down. That has always been a common practice for the Davises’ and Lyles’ too.
Through tribulations of injuries and self-doubt, the brotherhood among them has always stayed strong when it mattered most.
“I remember, two years ago, Jayden got hurt and tore his labrum, and we were all there for him, and he stayed with the team because he loves the guys, loves the brotherhood, like that,” recalled Connor. “You don’t always see that, guys who are hurt, that hang around even though they can’t play.”
And then there was Jaylen. An extremely talented running back in his own right, he was behind 4-star recruit Aiden Gibson on the depth chart for three years. Sometimes Jaylen wondered if he would ever get his chance, and in those darkest moments of doubt, his quarterback was there to bring him back.
“That meant a lot,” admitted Jaylen. “There were multiple days when, honestly, I didn’t want to play football anymore. Connor was always there for me, and it always helped.”
Time is running out for Connor, Addison, Jaylen, and Jayden as teammates. There are just three games remaining in their senior regular season. Should Woodruff make it to the 2A state championship game, the greatest number of games they have left together would be eight.
They admit to visualizing what it would be like to raise a state championship trophy together and end their careers as champions. The thought is ever-present.
“I’ve thought about it,” Connor said. “That dream scenario where you win a state championship, and everybody’s celebrating. But I would immediately go to those three guys. Really. We were all part of the maroon team, and we always won championships, so it would not be anything new. I hope that moment happens.”
Addison agrees, adding, “It would mean everything. Ending how we started would be really cool.”
It is true that one day, sooner than later, their time together on the field will finally come to a close. As for their brotherhood?
That lasts forever.
