Nate Schneider
Sports Scene
Bryce Veasley checks all the boxes on being a prototype quarterback.
His size, 6-4 and 230 pounds, gives him the ability to see over defense and the strength to avoid pass rushers.
But for a big quarterback, he also has plenty of mobility that he flashed last season when he guided West Bloomfield to a 6-5 record and a Division 1 district final.
Veasley, who committed this summer to Bowling Green, is poised to lead a loaded Lakers offense in 2017 that has the potential to be one of the best in the state.
“I think this is going to be a really exciting season because of the team bond,” Veasley said. “We all love to compete and get after it every day to make each other better.”
Last year, Veasley threw for 2,515 yards and 22 touchdowns. With all the talent around him including Wisconsin commit wide receivers Taj Mustapha and A.J. Abbott, it seems without question that he will surpass those numbers in 2017.
West Bloomfield head coach Ron Bellamy knows he has a special talent in Veasley, a quarterback bigger in size than anyone he’s coached in his eight years at the prep level and someone with the talent to back up the accolades.
“He has unbelievable leadership qualities,” Bellamy said about Veasley. “He has the physical tools. He’s a big, strong kid who can stand in the pocket and take command of the team. Bryce is essentially a coach on the field for us.”
Field turf was installed at West Bloomfield over the summer, with the players still waiting to step foot on it in the early practice weeks. It should give an added speed burst to a team chocked full of athleticism.
“They haven’t let us get out there yet,” Veasley stated. “But we’re anxious.”
After stepping away from football in middle school, Veasley resumed playing in high school at Southfield-Lathrup but once the school closed he wound up in a perfect situation at West Bloomfield.
His outstanding junior season plus time spent at college camps earned him interest from schools around the Midwest, which led to him eventually deciding Bowling Green was the right place to continue his football career.
“The coaching staff is great and the education system there is top of the line,” Veasley added. “And another thing is, the offense they run is similar to what we do here so that comfort level of being in the spread and throwing the ball a lot excited me.”
But for now, Veasley is focused solely on the prep season and ending his career with an MHSAA state championship title.
“This year we’re kind of looking at it as state championship or bust,” Veasley remarked. “With all the seniors, that’s our main goal. But we’re going to take it game-by-game and win each one.”