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The street next to Franklin Park, located between Franklin Park and the Pike County Health Department, will now be known as Leroy Brant Drive. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Leroy Bryant’s sons Ken, left, and Marcus, right, hold up replica signs of Leroy Bryant Drive. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves played for Leroy Bryant in the 1980s. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Leroy Bryant Drive is named in honor of longtime youth baseball coach Leroy Bryant, who led the 1991 Troy All-Stars to the city’s first youth World Series Championship. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Bryant coaches during Troy’s run to the Dixie Youth World Series in 1991. (Messenger file photo)

On Thursday, the City of Troy held a dedication ceremony in honor of the naming of a street after longtime youth baseball coach Leroy Bryant.

Leroy Bryant’s sons Ken, left, and Marcus, right, hold up replica signs of Leroy Bryant Drive. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

The street off of Franklin Road, travels right by the field that Bryant coached on for so many years, will be known as Leroy Bryant Drive.

“This is an awesome, awesome thing for the City of Troy to do,” Coach Bryant’s son Ken Bryant said. “We appreciate it so much and it’s an honor, a true honor. Dad loved Troy and he loved Pike County. His legacy speaks for itself and it will live on. We’re just honored to be able to share him and what he was able to do.”

Leroy Bryant, who passed away earlier this year, led the Troy All-Stars to the Dixie Youth World Series in 1991, the first recreation team in the city to win a World Series.

“When you look back to the years that Coach Leroy Bryant was involved locally in recreation, that was without question the glory years of youth baseball and softball in many ways,” Troy Parks and Recreation Director Dan Smith said. “He was admired and respected by everyone and he was a perfect example of what you would want in a coach and a leader.”

Along with coaching recreation baseball for decades in Troy, Bryant was also a coach and employee in the Pike County School System for more than 30 years. During his time at Pike County High, he coached girls basketball, baseball, junior varsity football and varsity football.

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves played for Leroy Bryant in the 1980s. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

Leroy Bryant’s other son, Marcus Bryant, was a member of that 1991 World Series team.

“I’m really proud,” Marcus Bryant said. “He put a lot of work in out here with the kids and he loved everybody. He just loved baseball and he enjoyed it and it was his passion. We played a lot of ball out here. This is really special.”

Al Renfroe was a teammate of Marcus Bryant on that 1991 team.

“I think it’s very fitting, especially the location of the street, and I think he deserved to be honored,” Renfroe said of Coach Bryant. “I’m really appreciative of the city and the recreation department and everyone else that had a part in getting this done.”

Troy Mayor Jason Reeves also played for Bryant in youth baseball in the 1980s.

Leroy Bryant Drive is named in honor of longtime youth baseball coach Leroy Bryant, who led the 1991 Troy All-Stars to the city’s first youth World Series Championship. (Photo by Josh Boutwell)

“To me, figuratively and literally, Coach Leroy Bryant was a giant,” Reeves said. “Not only because of his looming size but he was just someone you always felt protected you. He could make you feel like everything was going to be okay. There are a lot of billboards up here now – and Troy is certainly a baseball town – but there was one group that was first when it came to a World Series and that was the 1991 team coached by Leroy Bryant.”

Reeves said that it was time to have a permanent tribute to Leroy Bryant and it was only fitting to do it right next to his old field.

“For years I would ride by here and I would always think of Coach Bryant and smile because I would see his picture down there on that field (on a billboard),” said Reeves. “As time has gone on – and weather destroyed that billboard – it has been replaced as other teams did well, I knew that we needed to do something permanently to honor Coach Bryant. I want to thank the City Council, Dan Smith and his incredible staff, the 1991 team but most of all, the Bryant family for allowing us to do this.

“The time will come where we’re all going to be gone. I won’t be able to ride by here and smile and think of Coach Bryant but long after we’re all gone other people will ride by here and know that he was here and he was a winner, but more than anything he made a difference in young men and young people.”

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