Naperville North junior Brady Marino has heard the question before.
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Yes, he has played quarterback, but it was a long time ago. Unlike his famous namesakes, Marino can play a lot of other positions.
“Probably first through third grade, I played quarterback,” he said. “Then I played a little bit of running back when I was really young, and pretty much ever since seventh grade I’ve been on defense.”
Defense is the 5-foot-8, 175-pound Marino’s forte, and linebacker is his favorite position, but Naperville North coach Sean Drendel has deployed him all over the field this season.
“Brady is our utility knife a little bit,” Drendel said. “He’s super important to our team.
“He’s our long snapper. We use him as a punt returner. He’s on all of our special teams. He can play safety, linebacker and cornerback, running back, slot receiver.”
Sometimes Marino can play those in the same game. He’s so versatile that fans often don’t know where to look for him.
“He’s kind of been a kid that we use in a lot of different spots,” Drendel said. “You probably don’t see him as much, and you don’t even recognize that he’s doing some good stuff, but he’s a special talent.
“He’s a big part of what we do. We’re glad we have him.”
Marino has gotten some action on offense, where he has rushed 16 times for 50 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards.
But Marino gets most of his playing time on defense, where he has moved into the starting lineup as the Huskies (4-3) strive for their fifth consecutive playoff berth.
“It’s fun, but it can also be hard at times to know everything and remember your responsibilities,” Marino said of his jack-of-all-trades role. “It was tough earlier in the year.
“I was more of a backup running back who would come in when our main guy was tired or down. I was just trying to grind to really get a starting spot and really make an impact on the game.”
Marino made a big impact during Naperville North’s 29-23 Southwest Valley Blue win over host Neuqua Valley on Friday. Switching from safety to linebacker, he came up with two crucial plays on the Wildcats’ final drive.
That drive began with Marino making an open-field tackle on sophomore wide receiver William Kalish, turning what could have been a big play into a 3-yard gain. It ended with Marino knocking junior quarterback Drake Mennecke out of bounds at Naperville North’s 34-yard line as time expired.
“Honestly, I just wanted to make sure he doesn’t get past me and make that tackle and then hopefully win that game right there,” Marino said.
Naperville North baseball coach Jim Chiappetta has seen Marino make big plays before.
“I wasn’t the least bit surprised,” Chiappetta said. “He takes the moment. He doesn’t let the moment take him. I love that.”
As good as Marino has been on the gridiron, football is not his best sport. He has started for the Naperville North baseball team since he was a freshman, first at second base and then as third base, and he is thinking of playing shortstop next season.
“Like in football, he has the ability that you can move him around and it doesn’t seem to bother him,” Chiappetta said. “There’s not many kids like that who can veer from their primary position and still go succeed elsewhere.
“But he’s an athlete who doesn’t mind the moment. He wants to go get it. You’re seeing that in football. We’ve been fortunate enough to see it for two years in baseball.”
Baseball is a family affair for Marino. He is a grandson of the late Phil Lawler, Naperville Central’s legendary pitching coach and an Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer, and is a nephew of Benet athletic director Scott Lawler.
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“My uncles all played baseball, and pretty much my whole mom’s side of the family played baseball,” Marino said. “Most of my cousins play baseball, and some play football.
“I’m probably better at baseball, but I play football because I love it and I love being with the guys.”
Marino’s coaches love having him on their teams. Drendel said Marino brings toughness, competitiveness and a willingness to be great, while Chiappetta calls Marino “a special kid.”
“As a coach, he’s a kid that you want around, and I’d say as a teammate, he’s probably a kid you want to be around,” Chiappetta said. “He’s someone that you’re fortunate and happy to have as part of your program and someone you’re happy to have as a friend and a teammate.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.