Naperville Central senior Jaxon Pytlak has been coming from different places over the years, but there’s never a doubt about where he’s going.
If you’ve got a football in your hands, Pytlak is coming after you. That’s just the way Naperville Central coach Mike Ulreich likes it.
“He is first and foremost a team guy,” Ulreich said. “He’s played, in three years, three different positions.”
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound Pytlak was promoted to the varsity team during his sophomore season to play inside linebacker after then-senior Aaron Nussbaum suffered a torn ACL against Lockport, and he played seven games as the Redhawks advanced to the Class 8A semifinals.
After moving to outside linebacker last season, Pytlak has shifted to defensive end.
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“He is strong as an ox, so we thought that if we moved him inside, he could do some damage,” Ulreich said. “He’s been awesome.”
Indeed, Pytlak’s performance up front has left a lasting impression on his teammates
“He made a huge sacrifice,” Naperville Central senior linebacker Justin Skryd said. “We needed a D-lineman this year, so he stepped up, and it’s been really huge for us.
“He’s good because he’s one of the most physical and nasty and mean players on our entire team.”
If opponents didn’t know that before, they do now. The Redhawks lost to Wheaton Warrenville South 27-7 in their season opener, but Pytlak played well.
“There was a pulling guard that Jaxon flat-backed — planted him,” Ulreich said. “Here’s the other thing. He had a great first game, and what did he do all week? He spent eighth period in my room watching film with the coaches.”
The film study paid dividends as Pytlak helped Naperville Central beat Lockport 42-21 in Week 2. He looked comfortable at defensive end, but the same couldn’t be said of the Porters.
“Learning a new position is always hard, but sometimes you’ve got to adjust,” Pytlak said. “Last week, it was hard because they were really physical.
“This week they were really big. I was going up against 300-pound kids, and I’m 200 pounds.”
The size mismatch wasn’t a problem for Pytlak, who has played rugby since he was in eighth grade.
“I really don’t see it as a disadvantage,” he said. “I see it as more of a challenge.”
Blocking Pytlak has proved challenging. He finds his new position simpler in one respect.
“It’s a lot less thinking, I’ll tell you that,” he said. “I find it easier because I’m not as much in my head.
“It’s kind of just take up the gap, don’t get too deep in the backfield. If you’re getting doubled, take them down, make a pile so the linebackers can clean it up. You might not get the glory, but you made the play.”
Pytlak made plenty of plays against Lockport, including drive-ending tackles at the end of the first half and early in the fourth quarter.
On another play, Lockport quarterback Griffin Russell scampered to his right like a turkey flushed from the underbrush. Pytlak was in hot pursuit and eventually forced Russell to throw an incomplete pass.
“We knew that the game was going to be won on the D-line, and because of him, that’s what we did (Friday),” Skryd said. “He pressured the QB, he was stuffing the run, he made them pass. He had so much energy.”
Pytlak credits the Nussbaum twins, Aaron and Daniel, for getting him ready for a leading role.
“The Nussbaums have always been like mentors to me,” Pytlak said. “I’ve known them since I was playing (Naperville) Saints out here, so they’ve always been teaching me stuff.
“It was kind of a different deal last year because then I had to step up and take their place. I can think a lot less with them, and last year I thought a lot more.”
Ulreich thought a lot of Pytlak last year and trusts him to shine all over the field. Ulreich played him at fullback against Lockport.
“Whatever we ask him to do, it’s like, ‘Absolutely,'” Ulreich said. “It means a lot to him, and he showed it.”
Pytlak doesn’t know whether he will get a chance to play football in college, but he is sure of one thing.
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“My love of the game never goes away,” he said.
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.