Ernest Morgan Breland was born June 9, 1942 and went home to his heavenly father on November 17, 2022 while his loving wife, Rhonda, and step daughter Kimberly was by his side.
Ernest was a native of Tuscumbia, AL where he attended Deshler High School and was a star athlete in football and track. He continued his football career on the collegiate level with Florence State. After graduation, he spent 20 years in the Army National Guard and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Ernest was a long-time employee at the Paper Mill in Courtland, AL where he retired after 43 years of service.
Ernest was preceded in death by his parents Ernest T. and Olva Priscilla Breland.
He is survived by his wife of 25 years Rhonda Kay Breland; Step-Daughter Kimberly Sizemore; Grandson Tuff Sizemore; Step-Son Bradley Vandiver; Sister Mary Miller (Jerry); Sister Emily Vaughn (Bobby).
As Jerry Knight once remembered his childhood friend Ernest by writing a column in the Courier Journal January 2015 – he captured the accomplishments that Ernest was always so proud to share.
Jerry wrote:
One of my dearest lifetime friends is Ernest Breland. Our lives have paralleled each other from childhood days to high school days to military days. We both came from humble beginnings, growing up in a housing project in Tuscumbia. We never knew we didn’t have much but were proud of those days and nights playing football, cork ball, kick the can, 1-2-3- red light and so on.
I was excited and thrilled to see Ernest become one of Deshler High School and Florence State’s all-time greatest athletes. During his career, he played for two Hall of Fame coaches: Buddy Moore at Deshler and Hal Self at Florence State. He played both offense and defense for the football Tigers in 1959 and 1960.
He was also a track star at Deshler for four years, specializing in the mile run. “Ernest was a tough football player”, said Buddy Moore. “He was a leader on our team and when we faced tough situations, you could always count on him”. After graduation, Breland signed a football scholarship with Florence State and became one of the school’s all-time greatest receivers.
He was named to the All-Alabama Collegiate Conference as a freshman, sophomore, junior and senior. His most outstanding accomplishment as a Lion was catching a school record 11 passes in one game for 189 yards against Jacksonville State in 1965, a mark that stood for 32 years. Breland accomplished something during his career that probably could stand for a record—he never missed a single practice or game during his playing days.
He was a competitor. He loved to practice. He loved to play. And he did them both well. Breland also ran track and cross country for four years at Florence State. He served in the Alabama Army National Guard for 20 years, retiring with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Breland received the ultimate honor for his athletic achievements when he was inducted into the Colbert County Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. From growing up with Ernest in the housing projects as a kid, to graduating in the same class of 1961 at Deshler to serving 20 years with him in the National Guard, will always be some of my most cherished memories. – Jerry Knight Courier Journalist
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to a charity of your choice.
The family would like to thank the nurses and staff at Helen Keller hospital for their excellent care during Ernest’s last days. Also, a special thanks to his longtime friend David Ausley.
