Warren senior linebacker Javon Brisker doesn’t have to go far to learn how football is played at the highest level.
Chicago Bears safety Jaquan Brisker is his older brother. They don’t live together, but they see each other almost every day.
“He’s always giving me tips on how I should play,” Javon Brisker said. “After the game, he’s always critical of what I can do better. He’s just always trying to get me better every day.”
That seems to be working for Javon Brisker, who moved from Pittsburgh to the northern suburbs with his mother after Jaquan Brisker was drafted by the Bears in 2022 and has emerged as one of Warren’s top defensive players this season.
“We could always see his upside, but he didn’t play with a lot of discipline,” Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. “This year, he really committed himself to the weight room and to our culture, and he’s really come into his own.
“He’s a different player than his brother, but you can see that Sunday potential in him.”
That’s not a common trait among high school players, but the sky’s the limit for the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Javon Brisker, who turned 17 at the end of the summer.
Some of that potential was evident Friday night as Warren pulled away from Stevenson for a 28-13 win in a North Suburban Conference showdown in Gurnee.
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Javon Brisker’s flashiest play was a clutch interception of a tipped pass by Stevenson quarterback Aidan Crawley in the fourth quarter.
With momentum shifted, the Blue Devils (6-1, 5-0) stretched their lead to 21-13 two plays later, when senior running back Aaron Stewart, an Illinois recruit who rushed for 169 yards on 33 carries, scored on a 4-yard run for his third of four touchdowns.
“I was supposed to be a QB spy, which means if the QB runs out of the pocket, I go get him,” Javon Brisker said. “But he didn’t run out of the pocket, so I stayed where I was at, and somebody tipped the ball up, and I just jumped up and got it.
“That was my job. I knew what I had to do, and I executed it perfectly.”
Javon Brisker’s interception was one of four made by Warren, which clinched a playoff spot and remained tied with Lake Zurich, its next opponent, at the top of the conference after beating the Patriots (5-2, 4-1).
“He does a lot for us in the middle of that defense,” McNulty said. “He started the year playing outside linebacker, but we felt like he’s too good not to be in the middle of the field. He has a huge role in our defense and embraces it.”
Indeed, Javon Brisker has plenty of self-confidence. Part of that comes from being a senior who is increasingly aware of what he’s capable of doing.
“I’m the leader of the defense, so of course the coaches trust me and put me in spots where I can make a difference,” he said. “I can still work on some things, but next week, I promise, I will be better. I’ll try to do more. I just try to get better every day.”
Jaquan Brisker is one reason that’s possible.
“He helps me with things like getting off of blocks, making sure I’m on my assignments, coaching me up,” Javon Brisker said. “We’ll go half and half. We’ll watch the Bears’ defense, and then we’ll watch my defense and see what I did wrong.
“He points out that I don’t stay square. I turn my shoulders, and I don’t get in my pass drops perfectly. He likes how physical I am and how I come downhill to the ball, getting tackles for a loss.”
Javon Brisker, who had 10 tackles for loss before the game against Stevenson, watches Jaquan play on Sundays too.
“I see him playing fast and hard,” Javon Brisker said. “Every time he’s on the field, I see him playing hard. Every time someone gets the ball, he’s right there. So I feel I have to do the same.”
Javon Brisker’s burst of energy hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“This year, he’s really stepped up as a leader,” Warren senior linebacker Royce Lopez said. “He’s done a lot of developing and maturing. He’s become an example to follow, and he brings a lot of energy.
“That’s just him. He’s dealt with a lot, and he figured things out and said that it’s time to fix it.”
Even as Javon Brisker shines, his priority remains the Blue Devils.
“This has been great — I’m not going to lie,” he said. “We’re 6-1 now, and the playoffs are coming. We want the conference title and then more.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.