A Lifelong Connection Leads to a Commitment to Tulane Athletics
Oct 11, 2019 | Football, General, Women's Basketball, Green Wave Club
NEW ORLEANS – The Cajun-French inspired noun "Lagniappe" is the best word to describe Kimberly and Jerald Sowell's Tulane University experiences.
After all, both did get "a little extra" from their collegiate experience.
When both Kimberly and Jerald Sowell arrived on Tulane's campus in the fall of 1992 neither truly expected to come away with relationships that would last a lifetime, but that's exactly what happened.
"One of the first people that I met on campus was my husband, my roommate is one of my best friends Maryann Marino and I got a godson Tyler out of the deal," Kimberly Bryant Sowell said. "New Orleans felt like home, and from there I got my extended family."
So when the Sowell family were approached about giving back to Tulane University, the decision was easy.
"I take such pride in telling people that I graduated from Tulane University," Kimberly said. "When people ask me 'where did you go to school?' I always say, 'oh I went to Tulane'. That is one of the accomplishments I have that I'm most proud of."
In the spring, the Sowell family joined the Olive & Blue Society – the department's highest fundraising group.
"I love bragging on Tulane," Jerald said. "We live smack dab in the middle of Big 12 country, so I always say that Tulane is where it is. I say, 'hey just go visit; cause most of my friends have kids graduating and they say 'yeah, Tulane…we've never been' and I say you must go visit. When they go visit, they come back with great reviews. We love the campus, we love the city. All you have to do is go down and Tulane will sell itself."
As members of the Olive & Blue Society, the Sowell Family has played significant role in working with the athletics department to further enhance today's Green Wave student-athlete experience.
"If we didn't give back what are we saying about our program?" Jerald said. "Tulane is a great academic institution and it's in the best city in the world. New Orleans is its own culture, its own people, and they are very welcoming, you have a great experience. Tulane is in a great location in the city and it's a beautiful campus."
Kimberly, who can be found in the women's basketball record books as Kim Bryant, played for the Green Wave from 1992-96.
Her final two seasons proved to be her most memorable, as she helped guide Tulane to NCAA tournament appearances in both 1994 and 1995.
"Kim was one of the key pieces that we had here when I came in, so it made the transition easier," Tulane women's basketball head coach Lisa Stockton said. "The players really respected her and she had a great way of communicating with us. That was the first NCAA team that Tulane had ever had and a lot of times I look at her leadership as a big part of what helped us get there because the transition could have been a tough one, but it was easy because of her willinginess to work with us. She was very mature and was really one of my favorite players for many years because I felt like she had bought into our staff."
Kimberly still ranks among the top 10 in rebounds (676) and defensive rebounds (458). The Little Rock, Arkansas, native finished her career with over 1,000 career points.
"Kim's qualities as a student-athlete and the things she has done since she left here really embody what we want our alums to be," Stockton said. "I've really enjoyed getting to know her kids. Their kids have that same joy of life that both Jerald and Kim have."
During her time on the practice court, Kimberly often times would find herself playing against her future husband Jerald, as he served as one of the women's basketball practice players during the winter months.
In the fall, Jerald could be found on the gridiron where he established himself, as one of the Green Wave's best full backs in program history.
"Jerald is certainly very loyal to the University and he really had one of the better careers in the history of Tulane both as a collegiate player and as a professional player," Tulane football head coach Willie Fritz said. "He's a great family guy. There's been a lot of great players in the history of Tulane football and he is certainly up there as a great player."
Despite winning just nine games throughout his collegiate career, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the most successful season in Tulane history in 1998.
"We didn't have a winning record at all, but it taught me how to persevere, never give up and keep fighting," Jerald said.
Following his career in 1996, Jerald would go on to play 10 years in the National Football League where he played a majority of his career with the New York Jets before retiring at the age of 32.
No one valued Jerald more than former teammate Curtis Martin will never forget the impact he made on his professional career.
In a New York Times article during the 2004 season Martin that he would have preferred that Sowell go to the Pro Bowl that season instead of him.
High praise, especially when it comes from a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Sowell's bone-crushing blocks paved the way for Martin's most productive season as an NFL running back as he rushed for 1,697 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"I always wanted to be the best in what I did," Jerald said. "No matter what, win or lose I'm going to strive to keep fighting until the end and that's the attitude I had my whole career."
Despite his impressive college and NFL careers, Jerald still takes the most pride in his degree from Tulane University.
"What really impressed me about Jerald was how much he valued his degree from Tulane," Fritz said. "We love having guys like Jerald around our players because he can have such a positive impact on our guys."
Today the couple resides in Dallas with Jerald serving as a full-time dad to their two daughters, while Kimberly works as a physical therapist in the area.
Despite the couple's busy schedule, the Sowell family still makes plenty of trips back to the Crescent City to cheer on the Olive and Blue inside Yulman Stadium.
For more information on how to join the Olive & Blue Society please visit GreenWaveClub.com or call the Green Wave Club at (504) 865-5356.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
After all, both did get "a little extra" from their collegiate experience.
When both Kimberly and Jerald Sowell arrived on Tulane's campus in the fall of 1992 neither truly expected to come away with relationships that would last a lifetime, but that's exactly what happened.
"One of the first people that I met on campus was my husband, my roommate is one of my best friends Maryann Marino and I got a godson Tyler out of the deal," Kimberly Bryant Sowell said. "New Orleans felt like home, and from there I got my extended family."
So when the Sowell family were approached about giving back to Tulane University, the decision was easy.
"I take such pride in telling people that I graduated from Tulane University," Kimberly said. "When people ask me 'where did you go to school?' I always say, 'oh I went to Tulane'. That is one of the accomplishments I have that I'm most proud of."
In the spring, the Sowell family joined the Olive & Blue Society – the department's highest fundraising group.
"I love bragging on Tulane," Jerald said. "We live smack dab in the middle of Big 12 country, so I always say that Tulane is where it is. I say, 'hey just go visit; cause most of my friends have kids graduating and they say 'yeah, Tulane…we've never been' and I say you must go visit. When they go visit, they come back with great reviews. We love the campus, we love the city. All you have to do is go down and Tulane will sell itself."
As members of the Olive & Blue Society, the Sowell Family has played significant role in working with the athletics department to further enhance today's Green Wave student-athlete experience.
"If we didn't give back what are we saying about our program?" Jerald said. "Tulane is a great academic institution and it's in the best city in the world. New Orleans is its own culture, its own people, and they are very welcoming, you have a great experience. Tulane is in a great location in the city and it's a beautiful campus."
Kimberly, who can be found in the women's basketball record books as Kim Bryant, played for the Green Wave from 1992-96.
Her final two seasons proved to be her most memorable, as she helped guide Tulane to NCAA tournament appearances in both 1994 and 1995.
"Kim was one of the key pieces that we had here when I came in, so it made the transition easier," Tulane women's basketball head coach Lisa Stockton said. "The players really respected her and she had a great way of communicating with us. That was the first NCAA team that Tulane had ever had and a lot of times I look at her leadership as a big part of what helped us get there because the transition could have been a tough one, but it was easy because of her willinginess to work with us. She was very mature and was really one of my favorite players for many years because I felt like she had bought into our staff."
Kimberly still ranks among the top 10 in rebounds (676) and defensive rebounds (458). The Little Rock, Arkansas, native finished her career with over 1,000 career points.
"Kim's qualities as a student-athlete and the things she has done since she left here really embody what we want our alums to be," Stockton said. "I've really enjoyed getting to know her kids. Their kids have that same joy of life that both Jerald and Kim have."
During her time on the practice court, Kimberly often times would find herself playing against her future husband Jerald, as he served as one of the women's basketball practice players during the winter months.
In the fall, Jerald could be found on the gridiron where he established himself, as one of the Green Wave's best full backs in program history.
"Jerald is certainly very loyal to the University and he really had one of the better careers in the history of Tulane both as a collegiate player and as a professional player," Tulane football head coach Willie Fritz said. "He's a great family guy. There's been a lot of great players in the history of Tulane football and he is certainly up there as a great player."
Despite winning just nine games throughout his collegiate career, the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the most successful season in Tulane history in 1998.
"We didn't have a winning record at all, but it taught me how to persevere, never give up and keep fighting," Jerald said.
Following his career in 1996, Jerald would go on to play 10 years in the National Football League where he played a majority of his career with the New York Jets before retiring at the age of 32.
No one valued Jerald more than former teammate Curtis Martin will never forget the impact he made on his professional career.
In a New York Times article during the 2004 season Martin that he would have preferred that Sowell go to the Pro Bowl that season instead of him.
High praise, especially when it comes from a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back.
Sowell's bone-crushing blocks paved the way for Martin's most productive season as an NFL running back as he rushed for 1,697 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"I always wanted to be the best in what I did," Jerald said. "No matter what, win or lose I'm going to strive to keep fighting until the end and that's the attitude I had my whole career."
Despite his impressive college and NFL careers, Jerald still takes the most pride in his degree from Tulane University.
"What really impressed me about Jerald was how much he valued his degree from Tulane," Fritz said. "We love having guys like Jerald around our players because he can have such a positive impact on our guys."
Today the couple resides in Dallas with Jerald serving as a full-time dad to their two daughters, while Kimberly works as a physical therapist in the area.
Despite the couple's busy schedule, the Sowell family still makes plenty of trips back to the Crescent City to cheer on the Olive and Blue inside Yulman Stadium.
For more information on how to join the Olive & Blue Society please visit GreenWaveClub.com or call the Green Wave Club at (504) 865-5356.
Download the official mobile app of Tulane Athletics. Now, you can stay in touch with the Green Wave anytime and anywhere on your Android or iOS mobile device.
Follow Tulane Athletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
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