Ryan Anderson is a linebacker through and through.
The Naperville North senior has played that position for many years — and wouldn’t have it any other way.
“From a young age, I always loved football because I always got to hit people,” he said. “I take full advantage of that. Linebacker is really conducive to getting out and smashing people in the mouth for 60 minutes.”
He also plays defensive midfielder on Naperville North’s boys lacrosse team.
“With lacrosse, you get to hit people a little bit less,” he said.
But don’t assume such physicality is Anderson’s best trait on the field.
A third-year starter, the 6-foot-2, 200-pound middle linebacker is the centerpiece and leader of the Huskies defense. As a junior last season, he was named all-conference in the DuPage Valley.
Like senior quarterback Aidan Gray on the other side of the ball, Anderson is the orchestrator whose knowledge, savvy and experience illustrate his larger value.
Gray appreciates the comparison.
“We have been on the same team since fifth grade,” he said. “Growing up with him, being friends on and off the field, he’s been a great leader, and he really gets the defense organized and structured.”
Doing that can be a challenge, as Anderson has learned.
“You have to know how to keep the energy high and keep the guys together when there are those running plays that go 10 yards or passing plays that go 15 yards,” he said.
“It’s a ‘bend but don’t break’ philosophy. We get back in shape, and we take over and we make it happen.”
Junior Luke Williams, a two-way standout at receiver and cornerback, said Anderson adapts well to different situations as a leader.
“He’s a great communicator who gets everybody fired up,” Williams said. “If somebody makes a play, Ryan is the first player to come over and just get excited about it. If something is not going our way, he is always communicating through problems.”
Naperville North coach Sean Drendel, who began his career as the defensive coordinator, knows the importance of having that versatile, all-purpose anchor.
“Anytime you have experience at the middle linebacker spot, that is great for your defense,” Drendel said. “Ryan is the leader. He’s a vocal guy who works very hard and has put himself in a great position to be a great player.”
Anderson has done the requisite work off the field to prepare for his senior year, improving footwork, athleticism, speed and explosiveness; adding muscle; and studying film.
At his position, knowledge is power.
“I think one of my best qualities as a player is my understanding of the field and what’s going on around me,” Anderson said. “I like to know the plays inside and out and know what almost every position is doing.
“Having the years under my belt is really good. All the parts that were confusing now make sense, and everything I didn’t understand, now I feel like I do.”
Although he plays lacrosse, football is his first love and what he hopes to play in the future. During the summer, he took college camp visits to Princeton, Dartmouth and Brown. He received his first offer from St. Anselm, a Division II college in New Hampshire.
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As Naperville North approaches its season opener against Homewood-Flossmoor at home on Friday, Anderson’s value is virtually impossible to overstate, according to Drendel.
“He is super intelligent and fun to be around,” Drendel said. “He has done a great job of leading this group.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Team: Naperville North.
2021 record: 6-4.
Offensive leaders: Aidan Gray, senior, quarterback; Jackson Kerstin, senior, tackle; Troy Salela, senior, tackle; Luke Williams, junior, receiver.
Defensive leaders: Ryan Anderson, senior, linebacker; Jackson Bauer, senior, tackle; David Jones, senior, safety; Luke Keough, senior, safety.
X-factor: David Olano, senior, kicker.