Todd Maynard, former Bureau Valley standout, remembered for leadership, hard-nosed play

Todd Maynard knew only one way to tackle any obstacle on the football field: head-on.

The hard-nosed, Bureau Valley running back graduated as the leading rusher in Bureau County history in 2004, racking up 4,001 career yards. His 56 career touchdowns ranked 30th in IHSA grid history.

A fierce linebacker on defense, Maynard was a two-time Illinois Football Coaches Association All-Stater.

Sadly, the Storm star met one obstacle he couldn’t run through: cancer. He passed away Monday night after a two-month battle with NUT carcinoma, a rare, aggressive cancer.

His wife, Dana, posted on Facebook that “Todd has gone home to be with Jesus. After a two-month battle with cancer, he is now in Heaven.”

Maynard, 39, leaves behind his wife and two young daughters, Blake and Brynn.

Maynard’s loss deeply saddened the Storm community.

Former Storm coach Jason Kirby, who led Bureau Valley to a Class 3A runner-up finish in 2004, a year after Maynard graduated, said Maynard meant everything to the future success of his program.

“He was part of that group that turned that thing around. As far as wins and losses, he was a huge component of that,” Kirby said.

But Todd Maynard was much more than a great football player, Kirby said.

“Todd was a better person than he was a football player and he was a two-time all-stater in football,” he said. “That’s exactly of how I think of him right now. When I think of Bureau Valley football, Todd Maynard is one of the first thoughts that come to my mind. His commitment to being the best player he could be and his commitment to being the best person he could be, being the best leader he could be was just instrumental in that place being what it was in the five years I was there.

“Thinking of that group and the great things that they did during that five year period is nice to reminiscence on but none of those thoughts come to my head without thinking if that red-headed No. 44.”

As good as Maynard was offensively, Kirby said the all-conference linebacker was even better on defense.

“He got all those accolades for being such a great offensive player because his numbers were phenomenal, but in all honesty he was better defensively than he was offensively. You just don’t see that because the numbers aren’t as jaw-dropping,” Kirby said.

Brad Monier, who came up in the ranks behind Maynard as the quarterback for the Storm’s 2004 state runner-up squad, said Maynard was a tremendous leader for all the BV players.

“Todd had a profound impact on me, my teammates, and the BV community,” Monier said. “From middle school on I looked up to Todd. His work ethic, toughness, and the intensity in which he practiced and played was unmatched. He set the standard and inspired us all. In addition, he was so humble with his success. He was everything you wanted in a leader.”

Former BV coach Mat Pistole, who was the Storm quarterback alongside Maynard, said his teammate was much more than just a good football player.

“No matter how great a football player he was, that never defined him,” he said. “He was always a great teammate, so tough and led by example. He became an even better husband and friend. I think he’ll be remembered for those things more than what he did in football.”

Maynard, who was also a state track medalist in the shot put as a junior, rushed onto the football scene as a sophomore in 2001, gaining 1,445 yards with 17 TDs.

He put up more big numbers as a junior, racking up 1,501 yards and 17 TDs, including a 184-yard effort in the regular-season finale against Erie while playing with a broken finger.

As a marked man with the full attention of all defenses, Maynard capped his Storm career with his third 1,000-yard season, rushing for 1,055 yards and 18 TDs, leading the Storm to a Big Rivers division championship, state ranking and Class 3A playoff berth.

He held the Bureau County rushing record for 17 years until being passed by Princeton’s Ronde Worrels in the 2021 spring COVID-19 season.

Maynard, who once said “I’d rather be the hitter than be the hittee,” was all about the team. His quote for the 2001 Bureau County Republican co-Player of the Year story summed his team-first play best when he said, “A thousand yards is a pretty good number, and it means a lot to me, but I have to credit our line for that. It played great this year and having runners like Preston [Jones] and Ben [Doty] there helped a lot, too. ... We have one goal, and that’s to win the big one. It’s all about the team.”

Three years later, the Storm won the big one, crowned as undefeated Class 3A state champions, and Maynard’s lasting mark helped get them there.

Pistole posted an old picture handing off to Maynard from their playing days and said he’d give anything to hand it off to him one more time. “And in typical Todd style, I wouldn’t be able to pull the ball in our triple-option play, and I wouldn’t want it in any way,” he said.