Warren senior lineman Kole Weinberg might not eat, breathe and sleep football.
But he has grown up immersed in the game. He spent years watching two older brothers play, and his father is a longtime coach who mentors the Blue Devils’ quarterbacks this season.
A third-year starter, Kole Weinberg is doing his best to keep the family’s collective time on the field going as long as possible.
“It’s crazy to think that after this season, high school football is over for us,” he said. “My dad and I have talked about it a little bit here and there. It’s been a huge part of our lives, and there will be a lot of emotion, for sure.”
There has definitely been a lot of football.
Kole Weinberg is the starting center for eighth-seeded Warren (9-1), which will play 24th-seeded Andrew (7-3) in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs in Tinley Park at 7 p.m. Saturday. He fondly remembers watching his father, Kurt, coach at Lyons from 2009 to 2018. Kole Weinberg’s oldest brother, Weston, played center for Warren and graduated in 2017, and his brother Dane, a 2019 Warren graduate, was primarily a fullback.
Kole Weinberg’s sister, Anika, a 2020 Warren graduate, wasn’t far from the action, either, as a member of the cheerleading team.
“As a little kid, it was cool to see them all out there on such a big stage,” Kole Weinberg said. “I never thought I’d be doing the same, but the stage doesn’t seem so big now.”
That’s apparent in the way Kole Weinberg, who also gets reps on defense and as the long snapper, plays the game. His steady manner is very much appreciated within the program.
“He’s one of our toughest guys, a great lifter, and being a coach’s kid, he’s smart and gets the game,” Warren coach Bryan McNulty said. “He does a lot for us, including being trusted to make our protection calls.”
Despite Kole Weinberg’s lifetime of shared football experiences, the past two seasons have been unique. It’s the first time he and his father have been on the same team. It’s something he has really enjoyed.
“He always coached my Little League Baseball teams, but it’s been great as a player to see what he’s like as a coach and working with my friends,” Kole Weinberg said.
Some of the finer points of line play occasionally come up at home when Kole and Kurt Weinberg have a chance to watch film together. That could mean reinforcing basic technical aspects, like “punching the hips” of opposing defenders to ensure proper movement, or areas more specific to Kole Weinberg’s tendencies, he said.
One area that satisfies the latter is Kurt Weinberg’s consistent message for his son to use his hands more consistently and effectively.
“He’s been on me pretty good about that,” Kole Weinberg said. “I started the year not doing that so well. I like to block with my shoulders, but if you use your hands well, defenders can’t bounce off you as easily.”
Athleticism isn’t an issue for him. He was a quarterback throughout middle school, and his quickness comes in handy at center. The Blue Devils’ gap blocking scheme is a perfect way to watch it in motion.
“When the guard pulls, my job is to go back and get the guy lined up over the original gap,” he said. “I can usually get back on people quicker than most.”
Kurt Weinberg, too, has found joy in being so close to one of his sons on the field. He has watched Kole Weinberg try to emulate his older brothers and has enjoyed seeing him forge his own path.
“I’m very pleased with the player he’s become,” Kurt Weinberg said. “He plays with a nice confidence and has a good edge to him, a good nasty streak. But he’s a great kid off the field.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.