BRYANT, Ark. — As Bryant returns to the 7A state championship for the second straight year, many of the team’s seniors said they’ll take the field on Friday night with a deeper purpose — playing for their late friend, Elijah “Lil E” McGee.

McGee died on July 6, 2024, right before his junior year of high school. He lived with primordial dwarfism, a rare condition his parents said never changed the way he moved through the world.

Parents LeVeda and Eric McGee remember their son as someone who was outgoing, athletic, and well-known across campus.

“Elijah McGee is a funny kid, very stylish. Loves to laugh. He loves school, loves people, loves being around people. He was very well known when he started playing basketball, football,” his mother said.

His father described him as respectful an

See Full Page