College-bound
Bronson heads to McNeese
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

MALCOLM BRONSON, center, signs a letter of intent with McNeese while father Michael Bronson, left, and brother Ryan Bronson, right, and Jasper Head Football Coach Thomas Brooks look on.

Malcolm Bronson takes his multi-sport talent over to McNeese State University. He signed a letter of intent last week to play football but will also be able to play baseball in the spring.

Malcolm had other college offers but his selection, he said, was based on the friendly atmosphere he encountered when he went there to visit.

"When I went to visit McNeese, I felt as if I was at home," Malcolm said. "I like the community and they have a good athletic program. I like the atmosphere of the school and the people there seem to like me."

He is undecided about a major and wants to keep his options open for now.

He says that he thinks he has developed mental skills in high school that will be an asset in college.

"I've learned to always work hard," he said. "It's not how you start, but how you finish. If a game or a season starts badly, you don't just quit. You don't give up. You always keep fighting."

Like his teammates, he also sees the 2007 Silsbee football game as a defining moment.

"My special memory in high school football is when we played Silsbee for the last spot in the playoffs," he said. "It brought out the best in me and the rest of the team. I had never been to the playoffs before and it felt good. I knew we had to win."

Malcolm is the son of Michael and Aretha Bronson.