Floyd raising money for children’s hospital

Byron Floyd stood in the pediatric unit at the Cleveland Clinic as younger brother Brennen was hooked up to the machines.

Just a few hours had passed since Floyd — then 12 years old — and his brother had to be pulled from a well in which they fell. The boys had treaded water until their cries for help brought them back to safety.

Yet there Floyd stood, watching his brother being treated for extreme hyperthermia.

Someday, Floyd told himself, I’m going to make a difference in situations such as these.

Someday has arrived.

A redshirt junior at Pitt and a 2020 graduate of Mentor, Floyd has unveiled his “Snapper 49” platform that will raise money for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s Childrens Hospital. He hopes to raise $49,000 for the hospital via donations and the sale of products such as clothing and seasonings.

Information can be found at he venture’s website www. snapper49.com.

The significance of the name — Snapper 49 — and the $49,000 he plans to raise derives from the No. 49 he wears on his jersey as the Panthers’ starting long snapper.

“I really am grateful for where my football journey has led me,” Floyd said. “I’m not sure what the future holds, but I know that right here, right now, I have a platform that many people don’t and I want to use it to make a difference in children’s lives and the community.”

Even though it happened more than a decade ago, Floyd said the well accident with his brother has never strayed far from his mind.

“We didn’t know how deep it was,” Floyd aid. “We treaded water for like 30 minutes, though it felt WAY longer than that. My aunt heard us yelling. She pulled us out.

“Brennen passed out from extreme hyperthermia. He was all hooked up in the hospital. It was surreal. Scary.

COURTESY BYRON FLOYD Byron Floyd, a graduate of Mentor, is raising money for a children’s hospital in Pittsburgh through donations as well as sales of “Snapper 49” clothing, seasoning and hot sauce. He is the starting long snapper for the University of Pittsburgh football team.