Brothers back together at BGSU

Greenes reunite for 2nd time with Falcons’ squad

8/16/2014

BOWLING GREEN — Do not misunderstand: Travis Greene enjoyed last season as much as any member of the Bowling Green State University football team.

Greene played a huge role as the Falcons marched to the Mid-American Conference’s East Division title in 2013, then upset Northern Illinois to win the MAC Championship Game before earning a berth in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.

For Greene, something was missing.

Or, to be more accurate, someone was missing.

So yes, Greene is excited for the coming season because of the expectations of a repeat title. But he’s also excited because his younger brother, Trenton Greene, is back on the BG roster as well.

“I’ve been working hard to get him back [here],” Travis Greene said. “I really want to play with him again.”

The Greene brothers, both juniors in terms of eligibility, came to Bowling Green from Monsignor Pace High School in the Miami suburb of Miami Gardens, Fla., along with Anthon Samuel.

Samuel and Trenton Greene both left the program before last season.

“Last year was good — it was great,” said Travis Greene, who is 22. “But I came to college to play with Anthon [Samuel], so him leaving was bittersweet.

“And when Trenton came here, I thought, ‘This is great because we’re all together.’ So when they both left, I was by myself.”

Trenton Greene, a 20-year-old linebacker who saw action with the Falcons on special teams in 2012, practiced with the Bethune-Cookman team in the spring of 2013, but did not stay with the team in the fall.

“I was going to play there, but I didn’t like the vibe of the team — they didn’t have the same atmosphere as here in Bowling Green,” he said of his time at Bethune-Cookman. “So I decided to come back here. And there’s such a family here, they welcomed me back.”

Meanwhile Travis Greene replaced Samuel as the Falcons feature running back — and flourished. He ran for 1,594 yards, a school record, and scored 11 touchdowns while earning All-MAC second team honors in leading BG to its first MAC title since 1992.

“I wished I could have been a part of that,” Trenton Greene said. “But those were my brothers, so I was excited for them.

“I was excited and proud that Travis got a chance to shine. He got a chance to show what he can do on the field.”

Travis Greene has been held out of practice the past few days because of an injury suffered Monday during practice.

Trenton Greene and the rest of the Falcons will compete in the team’s second fall scrimmage today in preparation for the team’s opener Aug. 29 at Western Kentucky.

While expectations are high for Bowling Green, the team picked to repeat as MAC champs, both brothers said the expectation of being together again just raises the anticipation another notch.

“[Being on the team with my brother] elevated the excitement for me,” Trenton Greene said. “Getting the chance to play on the same team, and the chance for this team to shine, it’s unbelievable.”

Travis Greene agreed, adding, “It’s going to be a great year for us.”

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.