On the first day of football practice, a cool afternoon for August in Chicago, junior linebacker Christian Pierce directs traffic behind a beefy defensive line for Brother Rice.
The 6-foot, 215-pound Pierce is all business — pointing frantically like a police officer in the middle of traffic. It almost makes one wonder if he’s too serious this early in the game.
But semantics are important to Pierce, who gets it.
“If this is truly your end goal, it’s your passion and what you want to do,” he said without losing a breath, “everything is going to come to you if you work hard and be humble.”
The team’s defensive MVP as a sophomore last year, Pierce lives out that sentiment every day for the Crusaders, who are No. 6 in the Daily Southtown’s preseason rankings.
Pierce’s objective? Taking his team to state. It’s part of earning a larger leadership role as an upperclassmen for Brother Rice. But there’s more there than meets the eye.
Being in the middle of the action — this is what’s fun for Pierce, who’s smiling as he exits the field. He learned that from older brother Trey, a defensive lineman at Michigan.
“He showed me how to be a leader on the team and how to come out here every day, whether you want to or not, and work and just lead by example,” Christian said of Trey. “He taught me to inspire others, inspire teammates and work hard for the end goal.”
Football has always been in his family’s veins.
Both Pierce boys began in the Chicago Blitz youth program. Trey was two years older, so Christian would go to his games and watch with the fervor of a hyper 4-year-old.
Christian couldn’t wait to get on the field, and eventually did. He played running back and linebacker and teamed up with Trey, which was just as fun then as for Brother Rice.
Together last season, they led the Crusaders to the Class 7A quarterfinals.
What was comical, at least according to Christian, was being the little brother at linebacker telling his big brother the lineman where to position himself for the next play.
All kidding aside, Trey said the notion of focusing on the end goal is his brother’s mindset.
“That’s all him,” Trey said via a phone interview from Ann Arbor. “He’s just so driven. When he gets his sights on something, he’s going to do his best to get it.”
Brother Rice coach Casey Quedenfeld sees the same quality.
“He’s just a committed guy,” Quedenfeld said of Christian. “He’s disciplined, he holds himself accountable, his parents hold him accountable, and he has great effort.”
Quedenfeld also credited Pierce for his ability to “transform his body.”
Now that he’s a junior, the college recruiting process has begun in earnest. The NCAA’s no-contact period ended Aug. 1, so he’s getting calls and text messages from schools.
He’s taking it day by day, making connections, building relationships and trying to enjoy the process as much as he can. But here, too, he realizes there’s an end goal.
It’s life beyond high school, and after that, beyond college.
“My criteria is a place where I feel comfortable,” he said of his ultimate choice. “A homelike environment, especially with the coaches and my specific position coach. Comfortability.”
Is that a word? For Pierce, it certainly is, and so is another word.
Fun, which he has to meld with the usual grinding CCL/ESCC Blue schedule, along with nonconference games against the tough trio of Maine South, Marist and Nazareth.
“I just try to have a fun time out there,” he said, “because football is supposed to be fun. Having a leadership role but also trying to enjoy the time you’re out there.”
Quick Facts
Team: Brother Rice.
2022 record: 7-5.
Offensive leaders: Randall Nauden, senior, running back; Rickey Taylor, senior, receiver; Marcus Brown, senior, quarterback; Ryan Hartz, senior, quarterback.
Defensive leaders: Mac Murzyn, senior, defensive lineman; Leo Niksic, senior, cornerback; Conner Stack, junior, safety; Christian Pierce, junior, linebacker.
X-factor: Tilon Foreman, senior, tackle.
Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.