The Vian senior spends a lot of his time pumping iron and that hard work has paid off with success on the football field and in the sport of powerlifting.
He said the key is dedication.
"Really, it's just being dedicated. I lift weights every day and you have to stay in the weight room for 45 miutes or an hour without any goofing off," said Slate. "It's different things every day. Monday is squat, Tuesday bench, Wednesday is deadlift or power clean, Thursday is another squat and Friday is a bench. I like to mix it up a little bit."
Slate competed at the Small School State Powerlifting Meet, held March 10 in McLoud, and walked away with a silver medal after placing second in the 275-pound weight class. He squatted 530 pounds, bench pressed 350 and had a dead lift of 485 for a total weight of 1,365 pounds.
Slate said he began lifting weights when he was in the seventh grade. He competed at regional powerlifting meets three times, including his freshman year when he attended Gore High School. After coming to Vian, Slate was a two-time state runner-up, missing first place by just five pounds as a junior.
Slate is a three-sport athlete at Vian. He played tackle for the Wolverines' football team, helping Vian make it to the state semifinals in 2005 and the state championship game in 2006. In the spring, he throws the shot for the track team and participates in the "best thing at the whole track meet-the fat-man relay," laughed Slate.
In addition to the medals he's won in powerlifting, Slate said his work in weight room has also benefitted him in football.
"It paid off pretty good. My strength helps out," said Slate. "If you're stronger and you can overpower somebody, you don't have to use so much of the drive or pushing and pulling-you can just throw them out of the way. Of course it's not like that in every game, because sometimes you go up against guys that are 300 pounds."
Slate said the highlight of his football career at Vian came earlier this fall, when the Wolverines rallied for a 34-27 win over Davis in the Class 2A state semifinals.
"The best thing was beating Davis," he said. "Coming from two touchdowns behind and winning the game in the fourth quarter was great."
One of Slate's fellow linemen, center Mikel Smith, also competed at the state powerlifting meet and the two will continue to be teammates next year when they play football at Northeastern State University.
"They had a walk-on day where you go up there and try-out. When we went up there, the coach told us we didn't have to try out and that we could just come up there in August," said Slate. "The way he talked, I'm pretty sure they'll give us a scholarship next year."
He said he was looking forward to getting even stronger once he gets to college and begins working out with NSU.
"They said they're going to red-shirt us that first year and get us bigger and faster," said Slate. "I kind of like that, because I've been lifting for three years and I've grown, but I haven't grown tremendously. I'd like to get on their eating plan and get on their strength and conditioning stuff."
Slate and Smith will have another Vian teammate at NSU in Phillip Wright, who signed with the school back in February.
"It's great to know some people up there," said Slate "I also know some people from Noble, where I grew up before coming to Sequoyah County, and from Gore."
Bryson Slate, Vian
Birthday: August 5, 1988
Parents: Brian and Tracy Slate
Sports: Football, powerlifting, track
Favorite Movie: "Friday Night Lights"
Favorite TV Show: "The Simpsons"
Favorite Group: Lynyrd Skynyrd
Favorite Food: Shrimp
Favorite Athlete: Jevon Kearse
