Photo by Erin Nelson.
Tim Brisco, a senior at Hewitt-Trussville High School and member of the Huskies basketball team, sits on the edge of the fountain outside of First Baptist Church in Trussville.
Jeff Baker walked into the Hewitt-Trussville basketball locker room one day and heard a lecture.
The topic was not about hustling back on defense or setting a pick-and-roll at the top of the key. No, it was a history lesson about the progressive tax, a tax in which the tax rate increases as the taxable amount increases.
“Not a normal conversation you hear in a basketball locker room,” Baker said.
The lecturer? Tim Brisco, a Hewitt-Trussville High School senior with five military nominations. Brisco holds three from United States Rep. Gary Palmer to the United States Military Academy, Naval Academy and Merchant Marine Academy; one from U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville to the Naval Academy; and one from U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby to the Merchant Marine Academy. Brisco interviewed in front of a board for the Palmer nominations and earned the others through applications.
“I want to attend a military academy, if at all possible, but if not then I will attend Alabama,” Brisco said. “I wanted to go the service academy route because they offer a world-class education that would set me apart, and my family has a history of military service. My granddad served 20 years in the Navy, my uncle served in the Marines, and another uncle served in the Army.”
April 15 was the deadline for Brisco to learn if he’d gain admission to one of the service academies. That status was unknown at press time.
“Getting into one the academies would give me a sense of accomplishment and purpose,” Brisco said. “I feel it would it would also make my family proud. If I don’t get in, I will attend my original dream school, Alabama. I am not the type to live in self-pity. My life goals won’t be altered if I don’t get in because I know that everything happens for a reason. It’s hard to be disappointed and deterred when you see everything as a positive.”
Wise words. Baker, who coached Brisco on the basketball court, learned to be unsurprised to Brisco’s maturity.
“Tim is as mature and selfless as any young man I have ever coached in 14 years,” Baker said. “He has a maturity and work ethic beyond his years. We were on our team retreat this past fall, and I asked the players, ‘If you could do one thing with your time and money wasn't an issue, what would it be?’ I got a lot of play basketball, travel, etc. Tim's answer was, ‘Run for public office.’”
Brisco hopes to study business management in college because, as that progressive tax lecture comes to mind, he enjoys economics and leadership.
“My parents instilled discipline in me from a young age by holding me accountable for my actions,” he said. “An example of my discipline is something that I’m somewhat proud of is having a perfect transcript through my years at public school and never receiving anything less than an A on a final report card. My life’s dream is to be able to provide for my family in the same way my dad has for me.”
Brisco said that Baker and former Hewitt-Trussville High School history teacher Timothy Stull have been key influences during his high school career. Stull taught him about patience and maturity. Baker taught him to stay the course in everything he does, even if the desired outcome doesn’t come to fruition.
Baker said that Brisco worked at a downtown Trussville restaurant the last few years, saving money for a goal the senior has aspired to reach by the end of high school. He worked during basketball seasons, and Baker remembered an afternoon road game, a day Brisco worried about stopping on the drive back to Trussville, fearing he might miss his work shift.
“He is just that type of kid. He is committed to what he is a part of,” Baker said. “In four years, Tim missed one practice due to injury or sickness. I never heard him complain in four years. I call him a ‘no-maintenance kid.’ He shows up ready to work very hard, and he requires no motivation or inspiration. He finds a way to get himself ready to work hard every day. He has a strong set of values he sticks to.”
