Jacobs senior Antonio Brown embraces expanded role on offense

ALGONQUIN – Jacobs faces the tough task of replacing about 3,000 yards of total offense following the graduations of running backs Ben Ludlum and Nasir Canty.

Fortunately, the Golden Eagles saw a glimpse of their future with then-junior Antonio Brown chewing up yards during Jacobs’ run to the Class 7A playoff quarterfinals.

“To replace a kid like Ben and Nasir is tough; they’re two unique backs,” Eagles coach Brian Zimmerman said. “One’s [Canty] going to run you over and the other [Ludlum] is going to use his speed.”

Brown, who played the entire 2021 regular season on defense in a cast after injuring his thumb during a preseason practice, showcased his talents during Jacobs’ first-round playoff win over Hersey after the team’s fullback, 2022 graduate Michael Almeida, came out of the game with an injury. During the 48-20 win for the Golden Eagles, Brown carried the football 15 times and rushed 116 yards and a touchdown, all while wearing a brace to protect his thumb.

“We had an idea of what he was capable of doing, but we had a senior [Almeida] ahead of him that really had put the work in,” Zimmerman said. “Once we saw in that Hersey game what [Brown] was able to do, we knew he was a runner.”

Brown followed it up a week later with 14 carries for 66 yards in a 17-7 win over Normal. The Golden Eagles’ run ended the following week with a 35-21 loss to Prospect in the quarterfinals.

“He’s amazing,” offensive lineman Will Seibert said. “He’s got the speed, he’s got the strength. It’s like you’re mixing our two backs last year together into one. That’s what Antonio is. He’s going to be awesome.”

Now, after terrific seasons from Ludlum and Canty, Brown is looking forward to an expanded role in 2022 and another shot a deep postseason run with 15 returning starters by his side.

[ Related: Jacobs is ready for more after strong 2021 playoff run ]

“We try to forget about last year because we’re trying to build a new culture,” Brown said. “We had some success last year, the team loved each other, and we’re trying to get that same bond going for this year. We have the majority of our team back, and we’re bringing that bond to the new guys.”

Brown knows a lot of the production from last season will fall on him, so he has made sure to put in the work not just in practice, but outside of it, too. Zimmerman expects Brown to be busy this fall.

“Doing track was a big help for him because it’s going to give him that endurance he needs,” Zimmerman said. “We’re going to have to use him on defense, too, he’s too good of an athlete not to.”

Since the end of the 2021 season, Brown said he has gained about 30 pounds by participating in weight and strength training with a few of his teammates in order to bulk up for this coming fall.

“I’ve got to get my body in shape,” Brown said. “I go to a trainer with Nick [True], and I also go to Lifetime. I would come to lifts when we didn’t have football to get in the conditioning, too.”

Brown’s experience last fall has him excited for the upcoming season, which for Jacobs begins Aug. 26 against Crystal Lake South.

“Those last three playoff games, I was playing both ways, and I told coach that fired me up,” Brown said. “In the Prospect game, hitting those kids and then running the ball got me fired up, so I told him I’m looking forward to this year. I’m ready to go.”