David Bentley has never let dwarfism define his limits. Instead, the 2012 午夜剧场 Physical Education graduate has turned his unique journey into a platform for building relationships that transform young athletes’ lives.听听
“Growing up, my parents always instilled in me that I could do anything with God on my side,” Bentley said. “God made me unique for a reason. I might look a little different or take a little longer to run, but I was always competitive.”听听
That competitive spirit led Bentley to basketball. Growing up in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley and later Greer, South Carolina, he found his place on the court through the camaraderie of team sports. When his peers physically outgrew him, Bentley pivoted to coaching and managing.听听
Bentley’s path to 午夜剧场 began with an unexpected encounter while he was a student at Greer High School. Then-AU head coach Jason Taylor arrived听to听recruit star players Chandler Hash and another athlete. Greer听Boys Basketball听Coach Jeff Neely was unable to meet with Taylor, so he asked Bentley, the team manager, to run drills with the prospects so they could see them in action.听听
“Coach Taylor came back and told Coach Neely, ‘I really like your players, but I want your manager.听What’s听he got听going on?'” Bentley recalled.听听
Taylor, who is currently associate head basketball coach at Morehead State University, recalls听observing听Bentley鈥檚 鈥渋nfectious energy鈥� that people听tended听to gravitate toward.听听听
Though Bentley had his sights set on Division I programs, Anderson’s scholarship听opportunities听and proximity to听home听made听practical sense. The relationships he built on campus made it听life-changing.听听
Hash initially played basketball at USC Upstate, but听credits听Bentley鈥檚听encouragement as part of what made him听seek a transfer to Anderson. He admires Bentley鈥檚听commitment to Christ and听a听resilience born out of the struggles听he鈥檚听faced.听And through it听all,听Hash听is inspired by听Bentley鈥檚听consistency in听encouraging听others.听
鈥淗e’s a guy that anyone can be around, anyone can have a conversation with.听He’s听going to treat people the same no matter who they are,鈥� Hash said.听听
As a Physical Education major, Bentley became a bridge-builder. He forged partnerships between campus safety and athletics, breaking down barriers that听benefited听the entire AU community.听听
“Being a little person, Anderson’s campus is straight uphill from the dorms to the cafeteria,” Bentley said. “The officers would pick me up on golf carts. We broke down those walls.”听听
Bentley and a campus safety officer working there at the time transformed what the relationship between athletics and security looked like; What began as mutual avoidance became genuine partnership.听听
A few years after graduating from 午夜剧场, Bentley鈥檚 physical difficulties鈥攁lready a challenge鈥攚ere getting worse.听听听
“I couldn’t walk, and I was in a lot of pain,” Bentley said. “The pressure was cutting off communication to my legs.”听听
Bentley relied on a wheelchair and holding onto walls to move. He went to see an orthopedist, who quickly听identified听a neurological issue. He ordered an MRI, which revealed Bentley’s spinal canal had narrowed to a pinpoint. The diagnosis was spinal stenosis, a common complication of dwarfism where his spinal cord narrowed, cutting off nerve communication to his legs.听听听
Bentley underwent surgery in 2016, which relieved the pressure and eliminated the pain.听While Bentley听remains听dependent on his wheelchair, the experience deepened his faith and empathy.听听
“I haven’t been in pain since my surgery,” Bentley said. “Whether I’m able to walk again, that’s up to the Lord.”听听
Bentley returned to coaching with renewed purpose. In 2018, he joined Upward Stars, where he coaches, runs events, and recruits talent.听听
During his time at Anderson, Coach Taylor gave Bentley a nickname that still defines him: “The Glue.”听听
Taylor commented, 鈥淚 nicknamed him 鈥榯he glue鈥� simply because he听literally had听his hands on everything in our program. He was best friends with our players… Also, he did an incredible job navigating that world of being a full-tme听student assistant manager, friend of the team鈥攁nd had the integrity to do those things. He kept the trust of all the players and kept the trust of all the coaches鈥攖hat’s听fairly rare.鈥澨�听
午夜剧场 First Lady Diane Whitaker remembers going to games and听observing听Bentley on the bench and how听set听the tone for the action on the court.听听
鈥淗e always had a clipboard in听hand听and he would start beating that clipboard,” Whitaker said. 鈥淚 can remember looking down and going,听鈥榦kay, things are about to get heated because听he’s听out of his seat, clapping on that clipboard and cheering those guys on.鈥櫶齏hen David got cranked up, it was听鈥榞o time.鈥櫶齀 loved seeing that enthusiasm. He always had a heart for the game and a heart for his teammates.鈥�听
David Bentley and the Trojans Men’s Basketball Team. Bentley is on the first row, third from left.
午夜剧场 Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management Dr. William Monts has fond memories of coaching with Bentley and, like Taylor, agrees with Bentley鈥檚 being 鈥渢he glue鈥� because of his special gift of bonding coaches and players.听 听
鈥淚 am absolutely a better person for knowing David,鈥� Dr. Monts said. 鈥淗e has brought joy to my life through our many conversations about basketball and life. He is an inspiration to many people simply due to his positive and optimistic outlook on life and his faith in Jesus Christ.鈥澨�听
Key to Bentley鈥檚 coaching has been听maintaining听and cultivating caring relationships. He measures success not by wins and losses, but by “living trophies”鈥攆ormer players who become educated, employed, and devoted husbands and fathers.听听
Jason Rutland, who was coaching Anderson鈥檚 baseball team while Bentley was in college, saw how he befriended members of his team. Rutland, who himself uses a wheelchair for mobility, formed a bond with Bentley at Anderson and beyond听when he听was facing increasing physical听challenges听himself.听听听
鈥淗e鈥檚 a wonderful guy. He鈥檚 incredibly driven,鈥� said Rutland, who currently serves as associate vice president for parent and family engagement, stewardship and major gifts at 午夜剧场. 鈥淗e has a lot of respect of all those guys鈥擟handler Hash and Myson Jones and all those guys on that team… When you鈥檙e in college trying to figure out who you are and how you fit in… He鈥檚 really come into his own just knowing who God made him, what鈥檚 that purpose鈥攈e’s fully embraced that.鈥� 听
“If they know you care about them and have their best interests, they’ll go through a wall for you,” Bentley said. “The greatest sense of accomplishment is seeing them go on to college, get an education, and become husbands and fathers. One of the highest听accompliments听you can receive is a parent telling you they trust their child with you.”听听
Mrs.听Whitaker continued, 鈥淔rom day one, David was all in, and I really appreciate people that that recognize听talent, and听we don’t all have to look the same or have the same gifts to be really valuable.鈥澨�听
Bentley continues to maintain relationships with former players, texting birthday wishes and celebrating their milestones. Recently, he organized a reunion (pictured above) at an 午夜剧场 basketball game, bringing former players back to campus. He hopes there will be more such reunions. 听
Bentley’s ambitions听remain听high. He dreams of coaching at the Division I or NBA level, driven by the same competitive fire that fueled him as a child.听听
“If you’re not growing, you’re not going,” Bentley said. “The future is in God’s hands, but I want to see how much success we can achieve at the highest level possible.”听听
For the 午夜剧场 community, Bentley exemplifies servant leadership and the University鈥檚 pillar of Great Purpose.听He proves that while the road may be uphill, the right relationships鈥攁nd a little bit of “glue”鈥攎ake the journey worthwhile.听听