Suburban Life football notebook: Tyler Morris embraces leadership role on Nazareth

Nazareth’s Tyler Morris tries to get past St. Laurence defense during their football game at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park, Ill., on Saturday, March 27, 2021.

Judging Tyler Morris by his play on the field is a sure-fire way to miss the whole picture.

The Nazareth junior wide receiver is unquestionably one of the best players in the state. As a freshman, Morris established himself by earning a starting spot on the eventual Class 7A state championship team in 2018.

Morris, a four-star recruit ranked among the top three players in his class in Illinois, is breaking new boundaries this season. Not for his play at wide receiver or at safety, but for his leadership.

“As a freshman, Tyler was so unassuming, soft spoken and old school, " Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. “We had a lot of personalities on that 7A title team. He was so selfless and modest that the team embraced him. He didn’t show a lot of emotion. But now, in his third year, he will smile with me and even laughs. I decided to make him a captain as a junior. I wanted to push him into more of a leadership role. He’s really embraced it.

“He still doesn’t say much, but when he says something, everybody on the team listens. He does a good job picking his spots. Tyler’s a performance leader and a leader by example. He practices hards, hits the books hard and is respectful. He’s a great example for all of the players in our program.”

The 6-foot, 175-pound Morris said he’s embraced a bigger leadership role on the young Roadrunners (2-1), who play Notre Dame on Saturday.

“I’ve definitely had to step up being more of a vocal leader,” Morris said. “It’s not that much harder for me because for the most part, I still lead by example. I just have to speak up a little more than last year.”

Rivals.com recruiting analyst “Edgy” Tim O’Halloran said Morris is an elite wide receiver but his emerging leadership traits add another element to his burgeoning reputation.

“He has a knack for making plays,” O’Halloran said. “He’s extremely athletic, hard working, very humble and smart kid. He has it all. He’s a kid that colleges feel good about recruiting. He has the whole package, Sure, some other kids might be taller, longer and probably faster. But overall, he has the total package.

“He’s extremely disciplined in his route running, and he got a lot of good work against pretty good competition against kids, like him, that are going to play in college in the offseason. I just him play against Marist last Saturday. He’s now a leader on defense at safety. What I noticed about him in that game is he’s vocal now on the field. While playing defense, he was helping kids out, helping the corners out. That really impressed me.”

Morris, who’s lengthy list of offers includes Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Northwestern, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Maryland, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others, is still making headlines for his play at wide receiver. He caught five passes for 106 yards and a touchdown against St. Laurence.

Morris said he benefitted from the long offseason training and staying fresh through reps with Boom Football.

“This offseason, I feel like I got bigger, faster and stronger,” Morris said. “I learned to be more physical, while also studying other receivers to improve on my details with my route running.”

Trojans back on the field

Downers Grove North football coach Joe Horeni credited seniors Drew Bielawski and Brendan Truett for helping his players stay focused. The Trojans played just their second game of the season last week, losing 14-7 to Oak Park-River Forest.

Bielawski and Truett, both two-way lineman, have been key leaders during the tumultuous offseason and condensed spring season.

“Drew’s a football guy and doesn’t come off the field,” Horeni said. “Brendan just loves football and wants to be successful. I can’t say enough about those two kids. Both are wrestlers, which speaks to the way they play both ways. Both of them are not really vocal kids, but their work ethic speaks for itself.”

The Trojans (1-1, 0-1 West Suburban Silver) travel to Lyons on Friday and host rival Downers Grove South on April 23. Bielawski’s dad, Dan, is the defensive coordinator for the Mustangs. The Trojans own a five-game series winning streak over the Mustangs.

“Drew has beaten his old man the last two years, so he’s got that over him,” Horeni said.

Brown making headlines

Willowbrook junior running back Josh Brown ran for nearly 300 yards for the second straight week. After rushing for a single-game school record 351 yards in a win over Hinsdale South, Brown gained 295 yards in Friday’s loss at York.

For the season, Brown is one of the top rushers in the area with 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns in four games. The Warriors (3-1) host Morton on Friday.

“Josh is an absolute joy to watch and coach,” Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth said. “He was an all-area defensive lineman last year for us as a sophomore, so he’s starting to get carries for us and being featured offensively. His vision and instincts are really good. He allows us to do some different things in the running game because of that.”