Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (85) takes the field during player introductions before an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

PARKERSBURG — Brenton Strange never forgets where it all started.

Even when he’s running onto the field through the tunnel at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., the Jaguars tight end has Parkersburg close to his thoughts.

“It definitely shaped me,” said Strange, who recently completed his third season in the National Football League.

“Still, before every game, I’ll reminisce on moments growing up. I often think about those times playing for the Vienna Wildcats and just having fun.”

Strange, a 2019 graduate of Parkersburg High School, is coming off his best season yet as a pro. He set career highs in receptions (46), yards (540) and touchdowns (3) and played a pivotal role in the Jags’ turnaround. After going 4-13 in 2024, Jacksonville won 13 games this season and captured the AFC South championship.

Parkersburg’s Brenton Strange (16) makes a catch over teammate Braeden Mason (1) during a 2018 high school football game against Marietta at Don Drumm Stadium. (File Photo)

“A lot of hard work and preparation went into it,” Strange said.

“I’m always looking to improve. I never want to stop evolving. I want to keep getting better at different things and turn my weaknesses into strengths. Everybody has a lot of faith in me, and I have faith in myself. I know what I’m capable of. I’m excited to keep getting better.”

Strange’s name sits atop nearly every receiving record at PHS, but he started making a name for himself well before he got to high school. Murray Mace was one of Strange’s coaches from the youth levels all the way up to high school and got to see his progression firsthand.

“He’s a tremendous young man,” said Mace, whose son Kam played quarterback for the Big Reds when Strange was a junior.

“He won championships at every level. His superpower was his ability to listen. Even at a young age, coaches would describe what they needed from him and he would go out and do it.”

Once he got to PHS, Strange made an immediate impact at the varsity level. His breakout year came in 2017 as a junior, when he finished with 59 catches, 938 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Colleges began taking notice, and by December of 2018, Strange had signed with Penn State.

In four seasons with the Nittany Lions, Strange accumulated 70 receptions, 755 yards and 11 TDs, and developed into a legitimate pro prospect.

“He’s proof that hard work pays off,” said Mace, who was an assistant for head coach Mike Byus while Strange was at PHS. “He was the last guy to leave the field every day. Every practice, every lift, he was leading the way.”

In April of 2023, Strange fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was selected by the Jags in the second round of the NFL draft. He’s gotten better each year as a pro, and is viewed leaguewide as one of the most promising young tight ends in the game.

“He’s a great blocker,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said in a press conference prior to the 2025 season. “He’s nasty, physical, likes blocking. That’s something that he’s good at and likes doing, and then when he gets the ball in his hands, breaks tackles, he can run, great hands. He’s physical. He can do everything you need him to do.”

The more Strange’s star continues to rise, the more he puts his hometown on the map. The community is proud to watch one of their own accomplish such incredible things.

Jim Hamric, commissioner of the Mountain State Athletic Conference, was an assistant principal at PHS during Strange’s high school years. Hamric has enjoyed following Strange’s career and takes great pride in seeing a local kid flourish at the highest level.

“He’s my hero,” Hamric said.

“I got to witness him as an athlete and a student. He was a friend to a lot of his classmates. He’s really just a special, special kid. He’s a great kid from a great family. I know people on the north end are really proud of him. They watched him grow up. I guarantee there’s been other kids that have watched his success and are trying to emulate some of the things he did.”

Nobody is more thrilled to see Strange continue to shine than his mom, Holly Summers.

Summers is humbled “knowing that my son’s success makes a ‘pro career’ feel achievable for kids who might come from the same area or schools. He isn’t just a player — he’s proof that it can be done.”

This season, Strange started Jacksonville’s first five games before suffering a hip injury that sidelined him five weeks.

“That part was really tough,” Summers said. “You worry, you wait, and you just want him healthy more than anything. Seeing him come back after that and play like he never missed a game at all was incredible. It showed his resilience and his mindset. I couldn’t be more proud of the man and the player that he is. At the end of the day, wins and losses matter, but watching your child push through adversity and come back strong — that’s what stays with you.”

Strange was back in the starting lineup by week 12, when he put up a career-high 93 yards on five catches. From there, the Jags won seven straight games to capture the division crown and clinch a home playoff game.

Jacksonville dropped a 27-24 nail-biter to the Buffalo Bills in the opening round of the playoffs, but a strong foundation has been set for the future. Now, Strange will spend the offseason doing what he does best — working hard, getting better and setting a high standard for what it means to represent the Mid-Ohio Valley.

“I always feel the support from the community,” Strange said. “Parkersburg has always been a good support system for me, and I’m super thankful to say I grew up in that community.”

Strange said he and Byus still keep in touch. In fact, Byus typically makes it to a couple of Jags games every year.

“It’s always good to see him and his family and reconnect, reminisce on old times,” Strange said.

“I’ve had a lot of good mentors and a lot of people who support me. The support system means everything to me. I’m really blessed.”

Jordan Holland can be reached at jholland@newsandsentinel.com.