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Brodner was Glenbard West's touchdown machine

During one of Sam Brodner's first football practices as a Glenbard West freshman, Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet clearly saw the young man's future.

It was at linebacker.

"We had no idea he'd be as special as he became," Hetlet said. "We thought he was going to be a good linebacker who might be able to carry the ball a little bit for us."

It took only one game for Hetlet - for everyone who watched that one game - to realize Brodner's true future with the program.

Sam Brodner was a running back.

"His development as a running back has been incredible," Hetlet said. "There's literally nothing he can't do out there."

Combining linebacker power with deceptive sprinter's speed, Brodner developed into one of the state's most dominant players at any position the last two years. Every week he carried Glenbard West's offense, with few opponents containing him even though they knew he'd be steamrolling their way 20 to 30 times a game.

Reaching the pinnacle of personal and team achievement, Brodner is the Daily Herald DuPage County 2015 All-Area football captain.

"This year? Perfect," Brodner said. "We did everything we needed to do this year."

Future champion

Brodner caught a glimpse of his own future that freshman year as he watched his brother Jake, an offensive lineman, win the 2012 Class 7A title with the Hilltoppers.

For three years Sam made it his mission to lead the program back to that championship moment. This season he and his teammates accomplished the mission.

"Watching my brother, that whole year seemed like so much fun," Brodner said. "That was definitely motivation for us. The program has been dominant for so long, it's just an expectation to win."

Glenbard West claimed another Class 7A title, the program's third championship, with a 34-28 victory over Libertyville. Brodner rushed for a 7A title game record 264 yards and tied a record with 4 touchdowns.

The performance capped a brilliant prep tenure that especially shined this postseason.

"He was a load coming through the line, obviously," said Libertyville linebacker Riley Buncic. "We knew that coming into the game. It was a lot of keying him a lot of the game, but it was tough to stop him."

Brodner this season rushed for 1,917 yards and 39 touchdowns while averaging 20 carries a game. He added 6 receiving touchdowns and scored on two kick returns to give him 47 total touchdowns.

The Hilltoppers didn't need to entirely lean on him during the regular season because of a diverse offense with quarterback Brian Cochrane, running backs Isaiah Skinner and Dom Ficarella, receivers Chrystian Maciorowski and Adam Zybko, and an offensive line led by Chris Minnec and Darien Kaufmann.

When it came time for the playoffs, though, Brodner took over - especially with Skinner banged up and Ficarella and Zybko down with season-ending injuries. Brodner rushed for 1,065 yards and 16 touchdowns in five playoff games, including a stunning 50-carry, 292-yard semifinal performance against Cary-Grove.

After that Cary-Grove victory, Brodner spent nearly the entire next day in an ice bath soothing his sore body. But it was worth it.

"He's one of those guys that no matter how many good plays we'd get against him, he's always going to have that one breakaway play," said Cary-Grove defensive lineman Erik Norberg. "And that's what killed us. We always had him on third downs and then he would break away and get a 20-yard run, and it just kind of slowly choked the life out of us."

Lining back

In June Brodner ended his recruiting by committing to Vanderbilt. Despite speculation that he might play linebacker at the next level, he's headed to the Southeastern Conference as a running back.

"I know a lot of schools wouldn't want me as a running back, but Vanderbilt does," he said. "It's going to be very difficult as a running back in the SEC. I'll probably take a couple weeks off after the season to rest up, and then I'll start getting ready for it."

Viewed by some as a linebacker and known by most as a running back, Brodner could have played anywhere.

He didn't spend much time on the freshman level and was quickly promoted to the sophomore team. Brodner moved up to varsity as a sophomore but hurt his back and missed the bulk of the season.

When injuries hit the backfield his junior year, Brodner was thrust into action. A lot of action. He ran for 1,950 yards and 27 touchdowns while helping the Hilltoppers to the 7A semifinals.

Everyone soon noticed what Hetlet calls Brodner's "freakish" physical ability. Six feet tall and 215 pounds, he's been clocked at 4.47 in the 40, posted a 39.6-inch vertical leap, squatted 500 pounds and benched 315.

All of it - and much more - translated perfectly to the football field.

"Sam makes an unreal amount of plays," Cochrane said. "Whenever there's no hole, you see him break one for a touchdown. It's just outstanding to have a teammate like that. Some of the things he does is just insane."

Fans were treated to Brodner's breakaway speed and his ability to either plow over defenders or carry them 10 yards down the field. They also saw him make ridiculous one-handed catches and leap over and past opponents.

Brodner credits much of his athleticism, especially his speed, to competing in gymnastics up until fifth grade. That'd explain the flips he does while making trick catches in the off-season.

Both of Brodner's parents were athletes, as well as his siblings. That includes Hannah, a sophomore member of the Hilltoppers' state runner-up volleyball team.

"I've always played some kind of sport - basketball, lacrosse," he said. "I think it's all helped me in football."

Routine

For every Saturday home game the last two years at Duchon Field, Brodner followed the same routine. He'd wake up, eat some eggs, sausage and toast for breakfast, be at Glenbard West by 9 a.m. for a team breakfast, eat a banana and prepare for the game with his teammates.

Then he'd go out and dominate a defense. In 26 of 27 games the last two years, Brodner ended the day by ringing the school's victory bell.

After hoisting the Class 7A trophy at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, he returned to Glen Ellyn to ring the bell one last time. An era of excellence came to a close.

Brodner didn't just carry the ball for Glenbard West. He carried the offense, the team, the program's legacy and a pallet load of expectations on his strong back.

Part linebacker, part sprinter and part gymnast blending perfectly together.

All running back.

"I couldn't ask for anything more from my time here," Brodner said. "When I think of all the support I've gotten from everybody, it's just amazing."

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Images: Daily Herald All-Area Football Team Captains

Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comGlenbard West's Sam Brodner scores a second-quarter touchdown ahead of Libertyville's Anthony Tubek during the Class 7A football championship game at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Saturday.
Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comGlenbard West's Sam Brodner carries the ball for a touchdown against Libertyville during the Class 7A football championship game at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Saturday.
Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.comGlenbard West's Sam Brodner carries the ball food a touchdown during the fourth quarter the Class 7A football championship game against Libertyville at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb Saturday.
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