Napier picks Madonna, plus 16 others celebrate at Franklin signing day

Being one of only two Livonia Franklin student-athletes on the Livonia United boys lacrosse team, senior Bryce Napier has always emphasized fostering relationships. Most of LU’s players are from Stevenson, the host school for the Livonia Public Schools co-op squad, and many of the Spartans have tight-knit relationships. Fitting in with his teammates over the past four years has taken extra effort.

So when it came time to choose a college, Napier wanted a place where he already felt at home. During Franklin’s second annual signing day event on May 13 at its Performing Arts Center, Napier made it official by signing with nearby Madonna University. He was one of 17 Patriots celebrating their commitments to future college teams.

“It’s been quite the grind, going to a different school than everybody else because a majority of my teammates go to Stevenson,” Napier said. “It’s harder to build friendships, relationships. It’s harder to build their trust, so I’ve just had to work even harder to earn their trust so that they trust me with the ball.

Like I said, it’s been a grind. ” Napier, who recently reached the 100-goal milestone for his career, will have plenty of familiarity with the Crusaders. His older brother, Aiden, already attends Madonna and will be a senior on the football team next school year.