Making Big Plays Happen

Adrian Brunori remembers when he starved himself to make weight for football games.

He was always a big lineman. But in the junior football ranks, there was a weight limit. Since games fell on Sundays, he ate little on Saturdays and game-day mornings. Still, he was always on the weight-limit fringe.

It was not easy for a big, active Italian-American kid who loves to eat.

However, in the varsity ranks, there is no weight limit. The 6-foot-1, 280-pound senior has been dominating both sides of the line for Abington Heights. Now he rewards his hard work by eating all he wants.

"I was always a bigger guy," Brunori said. "I was always trying to cut weight for weight limit in Junior Comets. I was always a fatter guy."

Brunori combines his genetic disposition with aggressive instincts, strength, technique and knowledge of the game to make him one of the area's most formidable threats at center and defensive tackle.

Collegiate coaches have been taking notice. While the all-region center isn't sure where he's headed yet, he has received attention from Akron University, Bowling Green, Bryant, Lehigh and Columbia.

But that's still too early to think about. At this point, Lackawanna League, District 2, and state-level success for the Comets are his number-one objective as he prepares for the season.

"It puts pressure on me to perform at the same level," Brunori said of the collegiate attention. "I want to play at a high level of football but I also want to win. That's my biggest goal."

The Comets will count on Brunori to anchor an offensive line that lost three standouts to graduation. Coming to varsity as a freshman has given him a firsthand knowledge that he can apply when helping his teammates.

"My role as a leader is just to help the younger guys out, and using my experience to work hard with them and to create chemistry with everyone," Brunori said. "This year, we have three freshman kids up and I could relate to them. Even the sophomores coming up, it's the same thing. I just encourage them and keep their heads up."

Some may view the life of an offensive lineman as unrewarding. Blocking, battling, fighting in the trenches - only to ultimately see another fire a pass, make a diving catch or strut into the endzone and enjoy the accolades that go with it.

But Brunori has never seen it that way. He knows how important his job is as leader of the line. He knows how important he and his fellow offensive linemen are to a touchdown run or reception, and he feels the fan fireworks just as much as a skill player would.

"When we have a big play and you hear the fans go nuts, you hear the band play, it's one of the best feelings in the world," Brunori said. "I love that feeling getting in the endzone, especially when it's a good block by the line."

Growing up, Brunori played baseball and basketball but eventually he realized where his true ability and passion were. When he got the varsity nod as a freshman, he knew it was time to put his athletic focus into football.

Through his high school years, he's become more and more focused, working intensely in the weight room in the offseason as well as on his conditioning and footwork. He's also attended camps, absorbing knowledge from college coaches.

"I train a lot harder than I did when I was young," he said. "When I started going strictly football, I started getting stronger, working on my technique and being the best football player I could be. As you get older, you realize what makes you good is training in the offseason. You keep trying to put your workouts up a notch."

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