Family and loss fuels Cary's Rylan Vann's football journey

By Pat Welter, WRAL multimedia sports journalist

When Rylan Vann looks at his Cary High School teammates he sees a family.

"Ever since I've been on varsity, we love each other, we play for each other whether not we win or lose," the senior offensive and defensive lineman said.

The word family is written on the front of Vann's helmet and every helmet on the team.

"Family is something we started years ago at Cary High School," head coach Coleman Tyrance said. Tyrance was the Imps defensive coordinator the previous three seasons. This is his first as head coach.

"One thing we wanted to keep among ourselves is being a brotherhood," Tyrance said.

Vann emodies the team slogan. As a sophomore he got to play with his actual brother Davin Vann who is now a defensive lineman at NC State.

"It was awesome playing with my brother," Vann said. "I played offense and when I would go off the field I'd be like okay do something for me this drive. They'd end up getting an interception and he'd be like alright put it in the box for me."

That was the first time the two brothers got to play on the same team. Next year Vann is committed to join his brother at NC State.

"Being around NC State already and growing up having a couple people in my family liking NC State it was just the best choice."

Vann understands how special this opportunity to play with his brother is. He's learned to never take time with family for granted.

A difficult year

"It was a normal day," Vann remembers. "It was me, my brother Davin and my older sister Kayla in 2013. We went to the pool and me and Davin were diving off the diving board and it ended up the lifeguard blew the whistle... everyone had to get out of the pool. And they pulled my sister up from the water."

To this day Vann and his family don't know exactly what happened.

"We know it wasn't like she couldn't swim, because all three of us were on the swim team," Vann said. "It's said that she probably dove into the pool and then hit her head on the bottom or her and her friend were having a holding their breath contest and she ended up passing out on the bottom of the pool and her friend didn't notice until it was too late."

Vann remembers what it was like at the hospital that day.

"Davin was in so much shock," Vann said. "I had to take on answering questions to the doctor and stuff. It was just a rough experience for that whole 2013, 2014 year was tough."

Finding Purpose

Vann was 9 years old when he lost his sister, his brother Davin was 11.

"For a long time I always blamed myself for it," Vann said. "When I got into 7th grade and could actually play football I figured out a way to transition all of my anger towards life into a sport that I coud play."

Sports helped Vann cope with the loss. Along with football he also wrestles and throws shot put and discus for Cary. Kayla loved sports, Vann believes she's watching over him from above.

"She was just a sweet girl," Vann said. "She protects me."