Player profile: The life of Brian

Tyrone captain Brian Kennedy provides exemplary leadership for club and county. Shaun Casey finds out more

It was only when Tyrone started posting pictures on their social media accounts of Brian Kennedy lining up for the pre-match toss against opposition captains that people from outside the Red Hand County began to truly appreciate his sheer size.

A giant. A physical specimen.

Towering over his opposite number, and the referee, he looks every bit of his six feet five inches. The height, the size, was the first thing Kevin Niblock noticed when he first arrived at the Derrylaughan club too.

Niblock, who played for Antrim against Tyrone in the 2009 Ulster final, would come to learn that Kennedy was much more than just a big man that could catch a ball. But first impressions leave a lasting mark.

“He’s a complete athlete,” said Niblock. “He does whatever is needed of him, whether that’s his rehab to get back from injuries or his strength and conditioning. He doesn’t take any shortcuts and that’s not a short-term thing, it’s been going on a long time.

“One of the standout things I noticed when I first went into Derrylaughan and into the committee room, is there’s photos of him in underage teams and he’s not far off the size he is now.

“He’s standing in the back row, and he’s head and shoulders and maybe a bit more over his peers, so it hasn’t been a recent growth spurt put it like that!”

The 2021 All-Star midfielder was the obvious choice for captain when Niblock’s Derrylaughan set their sights on championship glory in 2024. Having been relegated to the intermediate grade, they targeted a swift return to senior football.

“He’s always had the qualities to captain the club and the county and he’s doing a really great job of it,” Niblock recalled of that glorious year.

“I would have been aware of him (when I first arrived) and I suppose he would have still been cutting his teeth at the inter-county game; he’d been in it a few years.

“He probably didn’t have exactly the same role that he has now where he’s so vital to them. He was always a big player.

“I suppose winning the All-Ireland probably gave him the confidence and the knowledge of how important he actually is, and he never really looked back.”

He formed a fantastic midfield partnership with Conn Kilpatrick in 2021 as Tyrone grabbed the Sam Maguire trophy for the first time since 2008, which has carried on today. But Kennedy never got above his station.

Even with Tyrone dining at the top table and competing with the best teams around, Kennedy was never too far away from the club grounds. A legend around Derrylaughan, he always made his presence felt.

Even in recent years, he’s stepped into a player/manager position to help his club out. “In the early days when I came in and the club was still at senior level, the measure of Brian is, he would never miss,” the former St Gall’s player continued.

“When Tyrone were out, he was back the next week when some other people were maybe taking the opportunity to get their holiday in.

“Derrylaughan, when they were in Division One, were trying to stay up and he knew how important that was. Even his presence alone down at training when Tyrone weren’t training the same evening was important – he’d always be there.”

Measure of the man

When he talks, everyone listens, and that’s the measure of the man.

“In terms of leadership, Brian speaks brilliantly but at the same time I think his style is more impactful and he speaks when he needs to.

“I like that because sometimes when people are talking all the time, it becomes noise, in any aspect, whether it’s management or coaching or playing.

“In those early days he reminded me of a player I played with myself in St Gall’s, Mark McCrory. Whenever it was Ulster Club, ‘Lambsy’ (McCrory) would always have a few words of wisdom and when he spoke everyone perked up and listened.

“With all his other commitments as county captain, even though it’s not always an ideal situation for Brian, he does whatever is asked of him from a club point of view and whatever is best.

“He’s very much a Derrylaughan man first but he absolutely loves representing his county and he just does them both so well.”

One memory of that 2024 season stands out above the rest for Niblock. It wasn’t getting their hands on the Tyrone Championship title, but it was a game after that, against All Saints, Ballymena, in the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship.

With the injured Kennedy unfit to deliver his usual display around the centre of the field, he refused to leave the pitch. Instead, he fired himself onto the edge of the square and wreacked absolute havoc.

He made a colossal impact at full forward and proved simply unmarkable.

Two second half goals helped his team steal a draw, coming from seven points down in the last 10 minutes (in an era without the aid of two-pointers).

They earned extra time, and eventually penalties, and edged through on a 5-4 scoreline.

“His role evolved and by making him captain, he was more influential and had more of an impact on every aspect of the game, tactically, running things by him and he thrived in that role.

“A lot of leadership qualities don’t necessarily come down what happens in the changing rooms. Thinking back to the year we won the Intermediate, he was obviously very impactful in every game.

“The standout game for me in that season was actually in the Ulster Championship against Ballymena. He had surgery on the groin at the start of the year; it was giving him serious bother but there was no chance of him coming off.

“He went into full forward and got a couple of goals, and we went on to win that game after extra time and penalties which was crucial. There’s plenty of standout moments of Brian in a Derrylaughan jersey but that was right up there.”

While his size and physicality are the first things that pop out, Niblock insists he has much more footballing ability that just being a big man.

When he made way in the opening round of the Ulster Championship against Armagh, his leadership and quality were badly missed.

He’s been a leading light for Tyrone since making his championship debut back in 2019. If the Red Hands are to progress any further this season, they’ll need him at his usual heroic best.

“That’s what I’ve always said to him, even though the (Feargal) Logan and (Brian) Dooher era in Tyrone, I probably thought they could have let him off the leash a wee bit more and he probably is doing that more now under (Malachy) O’Rourke.

“He can fetch and he’s a fantastic kick passer and I think he has found himself, whether it’s starting in full forward or moving in there, it does put the cat among the pigeons for want of a better phrase.

“He can play anywhere. He can play deep or coming in off the wing as a half forward but obviously his most impactful position is in the middle of the field.”

MEETING SAM…Brian Kennedy helped Tyrone win the All-Ireland in 2021

TOWERING PRESENCE…Kennedy usually towers above the opposition’s captain

MIDFIELD BATTLE…Brian Kennedy is much more than just a big midfielder

ALL THE WAY…Kennedy helped Kevin Niblock’s men win the Tyrone Championship in 2024