Beau Knows: It's All in the Family
10/21/2009 6:00:00 PM | Football
By Scott Miles
UT Athletic Media Relations
TOLEDO, OH - Beau Brudzinski's father Bob played 13 seasons in the NFL. His older brother Brandon played linebacker at UMass.
With that much experience in the family, it's safe to say that this Beau knows football, too.
Brudzinski, a fifth-year senior linebacker, is thankful for the impact that his father and brother have played in his life. Bob, an All-American at Ohio State who later played with the Los Angeles Rams and Miami Dolphins, certainly played a major role in his sons' development on the field.
"We've always liked football, probably because of him," Brudzinski said. "He definitely helped me and my brother out and influenced us. But he never forced us to play.
"It's coincidental," he continued with a smile, "that all three of us were linebackers. There was probably an underlying influence there."
The intensity that Bob showed on the football field didn't carry over to his role as a spectator - "He was never one of the parents yelling during games, though afterwards he might ream me a little bit," Brudzinski said with a laugh - but he was always there when his sons needed advice.
"It helps when someone who played professionally tells you what you need to improve on," Brudzinski said. "When you're younger, it's like 'Yeah, yeah, whatever.' But as I got older, I started asking him more of what he thought about the game. It helps me out a lot, going over all of the little details."
Brudzinski also leans on Brandon for advice whenever he gets the chance. Brandon stopped playing football while in college, which has Brudzinski inspired to put together a strong completion to his own career.
"You always want to be like your older brother," Brudzinski said. "He didn't finish his whole football career and he regrets it now, so he tells me to keep going, and that while it may be a struggle now, you'll miss it when it's over. It motivates me and makes me more appreciative."
Brudzinski has also made it a focus to reward the coaching staff for their faith in his abilities. Named the starting middle linebacker out of spring practice by head coach Tim Beckman, Brudzinski has steadily improved week by week, demonstrating that the coaching staff made the right decision.
"He earned it. It wasn't given to him by any means," Beckman said. "He's a great leader - he's not loud, but he leads by example. He's a fun kid to be around because he's always trying to do things right. He keeps on getting better and he knows the game really well, and that's what's helped him be as good as he can be."
"It was a big opportunity for me," said Brudzinski, who had made three career starts entering the season. "I needed to prove myself, and they said in the spring I did that. I knew I needed to carry that on through the year."
He had a breakout performance against Ball State on Oct. 3, recording nine tackles and bringing down the interception that quelled the Cardinals' final comeback attempt. Brudzinski's effort, desire and determination - the traits everyone looks for in a linebacker - have culminated in him becoming a playmaker for the Rockets defense.
"I felt like I struggled in the first couple of games, but the Ball State game gave me a lot of confidence," he said. "I need to continue playing like that. Hopefully we can keep it going especially with all the big MAC games coming up."
