“Thank you Provost Kensington. Good evening. First off, thank you for being here tonight— for showing up not just in sequins and sneakers, but with heart, with purpose, and with hope.
Six months ago, we lost a senior running back— a teammate, a friend, and a brother to so many— who struggled with battles most of us couldn’t see. Altman Patterson was the kind of guy who lit up the field and the locker room. He ran with fire. He smiled big. And behind it all… he was hurting.
His passing shook us to our core. And it forced us to confront a painful truth: that mental health is just as vital to our athletes as physical strength. The weight of silence can crush even the strongest. We missed the signs. We missed him.
And now we carry that weight. But we’re choosing to carry it forward. To build something better.
That’s why tonight, your support means more than ever. The funds we raise tonight will go directly toward launching something we’ve been dreaming of— a new initiative we’re calling:
Project AP: Above the Break.
Named in honor of Altman Patterson. And created for every student-athlete who’s ever felt like they were treading water with no one on the shore.
This program will provide direct access to mental health resources— counseling, mentorship, early intervention, and education— designed specifically for the lives of student-athletes. Not just a hotline or a pamphlet, but real, ongoing support.
Because football teaches us about toughness. Teamwork. Resilience. But it also teaches us that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do… is ask for help.
We want our athletes to know: You are seen. You are heard. You are not alone. Not on this field, not at this school, not in this family.
So let this be our rally cry. Not just for Altman— but for every Shark who comes after him.
At the Bluff, the tide don’t break.
We fight.
We finish.
We rise.”
The lights were warm on his face, but Dylan barely noticed. Applause washed over him, but his pulse was stuck on something else entirely. Her.
Alison Katherine Presley.
He hadn’t expected her to come. Hadn’t even dared to hope. But there she was— just like she used to be and somehow completely different. Her hair had changed, it was lighter now, no longer a dirty blonde. But it was definitely her. That energy. That gravity.
Kallie had warned him not to get distracted tonight. But the second their eyes locked across the room, he wasn’t standing at a podium anymore— he was back at The Reef, heart pounding, scanning the bleachers for her smile.
"Magnolia Bluff gave me everything I never knew I needed— a team, a future… and a place to belong. Tonight, I get to give something back.”
He nodded toward the screens flanking the stage. “We’ve got ten incredible live auction items lined up for you tonight in addition to the 4 tables of silent auction items in the back that y'all have been bidding on all night. All proceeds go directly to fund Project AP: Above the Break.”
Applause again—louder this time, heartfelt.
Dylan cleared his throat. “Let’s kick it off with something close to home.” He gestured to the first item on the list: “Dinner for six at Coach Busby’s lake house, with private film night on the dock.” That got a laugh from the former players in the room.
He walked the crowd through the next few items: a weekend retreat at a vineyard near Athens donated by an alum, signed memorabilia from MBU’s 2015 White Oak Bowl championship season, a local artist’s one-of-a-kind painting of The Reef at sunset.
But it was the final item that made the room buzz.
“And for our final package,” Dylan said, letting his smile tug just slightly wider, “I’m offering four box suite tickets to a home game with the Orlando Tritons— including full VIP access, a postgame meet-and-greet, and dinner in the team lounge. I’ll be there. So will Kallie. She made me include her in the package.”
The audience chuckled.
He looked out over the crowd, eyes scanning instinctively— though he tried not to.Was she still watching?
“I’m proud to offer this tonight,” he finished. “Because this place— this school— made me who I am. And maybe if we keep showing up for each other, it’ll make someone else whole again, too.”
As he went to retreat from the stage, Provost Kensington stopped him and took to the mic. “On behalf of myself, AD Jackson, the MBU athletic department, and our student athletes, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Mac for his generous donation to help found Project AP. He has graciously offered to match tonight’s funds raised during the live auction.”
