Charlie Egan will be a defensive linchpin for Naperville Central this season.
But the senior middle linebacker is more than that.
Egan has a lot of responsibility as one of just three returning starters on the Redhawks defense.
“The majority of our team has not seen a varsity snap,” he said. “I am coaching these younger guys up on the stuff that I wanted to hear. I am almost a second coach for them.”
“The most challenging part of playing middle linebacker is trying to bring others up but also making sure I am holding up my end,” he added.
As it happens, Egan was on the other side of that dynamic just one year ago. A newcomer to the lineup, he had to level up.
“Last year really taught me I had to focus,” he said. “I watched a lot of film, and I had great teammates around me. I didn’t have to worry about the pressure of making plays. I had a ton of guys around me. Ethan Pytlak was a great mentor.
“Everything fit together after the first game, and my confidence just grew from there.”
Egan’s combination of toughness, discipline and intelligence appeals to his teammates. He sets the tone.
After undergoing an MRI as a precaution for an injured right shoulder, Egan was back at practice, throwing his body around.
“I think the best part about playing with Charlie is seeing how much he wants to play,” senior running back Tyler Dodd said. “Even after getting hurt consistently, he continues to work harder than anyone on the team. He wants to be on the field at all times, and he wants to be making big plays.”
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Egan is not the prototypical middle linebacker. But he has adjusted.
“I am a smaller player for my position, and I consider my style very aggressive,” he said. “I study the playbook, and I know the defense inside and out.”
Reading and understanding the flow of the game makes a difference.
“Playing with Charlie is awesome,” senior safety Ryan Spickerman said. “He’s a great leader and a great competitor, and he gets everybody where they are supposed to be every play.”
Egan is comfortable in his role as a mentor.
“I have always been a guy who likes to help others out and who likes to lead,” he said. “I get a lot of questions from our defensive line or even the defensive backs.
“Ever since I was young, I was the kind of player who always liked to learn. I liked to know everything that was going on.”
Naperville Central, which opens with a home game against Hinsdale Central on Aug. 26, reached the second round of the Class 8A playoffs last season, Mike Ulreich’s first as coach.
“We have a really tightknit group, and everybody’s friends on and off the field,” Egan said. “Everybody has the same goal in mind. We all just want to win, and we are going to do whatever it takes.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
Team: Naperville Central
2021 record: 7-4.
Offensive leaders: Chris Bern, junior, wide receiver; Tyler Dodd, senior, running back; Duncan Foley, senior, guard; John Penny, senior, tackle.
Defensive leaders: Charlie Egan, senior, middle linebacker; Jack LeCrone, senior, outside linebacker; Maverick Ohle, junior, end; Ryan Spickerman, senior, safety.
X-factor: Logan Ellison, junior, kicker/wide receiver.