Brewer embodies what high school football is all about

Expect to see a lot of No. 4 at Mountain Brook High School football games this season.

Inside the jersey is Spartans senior Logan Brewer, a 5-foot-10 Swiss Army knife who will start on both sides of the ball and chip in on special teams.

“I don’t think I’ve had a player that’s done that in 20, 30 years,” Mountain Brook head coach Chris Yeager said. “It’s just unheard of.”

Playing both ways is especially rare in Class 7A, where rosters run as deep as the competition. That Brewer will aim to shoulder such a heavy workload testifies both to his ability and character.

Yeager called him one of the most unselfish players he’s ever coached.

“He’s just got an extraordinary attitude and willingness to do this,” Yeager said. “Whatever it takes to help the team.”

On defense, Brewer will start in the secondary. He practiced at safety in the leadup to the season but saw action as a junior at cornerback. There, Brewer matched up against some of the area’s top targets, including former Hoover star and current Georgia wideout George Pickens.

On offense, Brewer will start at the position he usually shadows, wide receiver. He hasn’t lined up on offense since he was in junior high. But he has embraced the challenge of readapting and learning plays.

“I’m working as hard as I can every single practice, giving all of my effort,” Brewer said, “because that’s where I’m going to learn the most. That’s where I’m really going to get better.”

Yeager said Brewer concentrated on defense for much of the spring before turning his attention to offense over the summer. In 7-on-7 competitions, he played both ways to simulate what he will soon encounter on Friday nights.

Yeager said his work ethic has impressed.

“I’ve seen him come up to the field with some of the other players and run routes,” Yeager said. “It’s not what we’ve required him to do, but he’s been willing to do more.”

That’s nothing new. Brewer has gone above and beyond in the past, even when circumstances have been less than ideal. Take last summer, for instance.

Brewer was slated to start at corner as a junior but lost his spot when former standout Alex Washington decided to join the team for his senior season. Washington had a reputation on the basketball court, where he played point guard, but football clicked quickly.

It didn’t take him too long to climb the Spartans’ depth chart. Brewer didn’t let that discourage him.

“He could have reacted in 100 different negative ways. He could have had poor body language. He never did that,” Yeager said of Brewer. “He encouraged Alex. He helped coach him. I mean, what more can you ask from a player? You can’t. He’s one of the most special players I’ve ever been around.”

To Brewer’s credit, Washington flourished like few others in his first high school football season and ended up signing with Harvard.

But his departure, along with others, means that Brewer’s time has come. This season, he’s more likely to be fighting for oxygen than fighting for playing time given his widespread use.

He wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ve worked hard for a long time, and I’m very excited to stay on the field as much as I can,” Brewer said.

The last Mountain Brook player that Yeager recalls playing consistently on offense and defense was David Blount, who graduated in 2003. Yeager served as Joey Jones’ offensive coordinator at the time and said Blount totaled around 500 tackles and rushed for close to 1,200 yards during his career.

Brewer may not tally statistics as gaudy as those, but he has prepared extensively for what he hopes is a memorable senior campaign. He prioritized conditioning and nutrition over the summer and said he maintained a high-protein diet. His goal was to add a few pounds of muscle ahead of opening kickoff.

This season, Brewer will lead a team that is shooting for its fourth straight playoff berth. Yeager said that the Spartans will go as Brewer goes.

“I think the key this year is just staying focused on our goal,” Brewer said. “We can’t get sidetracked. We’ve got to take it one game at a time and focus on who we have to play next and really lock in the entire season.”

Beyond the fall, Brewer said he isn’t sure what his athletic future will entail. He plays lacrosse in the spring, and he said he’ll explore playing college football if an opportunity presents itself. If it doesn’t, he’ll likely opt to focus on academics at Auburn University.

Brewer may not have a clear vision for what’s next. But one thing is for certain: On Friday nights this fall, you won’t be able to miss him.

“Guys like Logan Brewer,” Yeager said, “are what high school football is all about.”