Throwback: LHS ironman Brad Strauss does it all for the Lions

Lawrence quarterback Brad Strauss also plays safety, kick returner, punt returner and is the extra-point holder for LHS. Strauss prefers playing both sides of the ball and said it keeps him in a rhythm during games. Portrait/Illustration by Nick Krug

Lawrence High junior quarterback, safety, kick returner, punt returner, extra-point holder and extra-point blocker Brad Strauss is the sort of football player who leaves coaches yearning for another age.

“He’s a throwback to the olden days when you had that kid who did everything,” Lions football coach Dirk Wedd said. “He’s the kid in the neighborhood who always got picked first in the games in the back yard.”

In a word, he’s an athlete. Scientists have not yet figured how to measure such a short lapse of time as that between when Strauss’ athletic brain tells his athletic feet where to go. And he plays with the fearlessness of a man twice his size.

Closing in on 6-feet tall, Strauss jacked enough iron in the offseason to increase his weight to 170 pounds from 155. In Friday night’s 33-22 loss to a much bigger Olathe South team, Strauss sent spectators running their fingers down the Lawrence roster sheet to see if the Lions had two players wearing No. 11. Nope, just one. No. 11 had 11 tackles, blocked an extra point, made it into the right edge of the end zone for a two-point conversion when an errant snap removed kicking as an option and no receiver broke free, threw for 304 yards and rushed for 39 against relentless pressure.

Coaching boys high school sports is nothing if not dealing with problems presented by teenagers and their mercurial ways. In contrast, Strauss has presented Wedd with just one problem, and it doesn’t come with an easy fix.

“I need to find a way to get him more rest. The problem is he’s our best defensive player, too,” Wedd said. “He’s so valuable. He runs our secondary, gets us in the right coverage, so he’s our quarterback on defense too. Hopefully, by Game 5, Game 6, we’ll have a younger player developed enough we’ll be able to get Brad some time off on defense. The first step would be to get him off the field one series per quarter on defense.”

As last season wore on and Strauss’ bruises grew uglier, his bumps more swollen, Wedd rested Strauss on defense and picked up a shadow on the sideline.

“The only time he ever talked back to me was when he wanted to get back out there,” Wedd said, “He was following me around like a pet puppy: ‘Coach, put me back in. I can play.’ “

Strauss said he enjoys playing defense but will respect his coach’s decision.

“There are some times when I get tired, but I don’t think I’d want to come off the field,” Strauss said. “A few times last year when I’d come off the field on defense, I felt out of rhythm on offense. I didn’t feel in the game as much. I think playing defense is good for me. I’m not too tired. We’re in good shape as a team.”

Wedd also would like to find spots to rest junior receiver/defensive back Erick Mayo, an emerging star who had 114 of his 130 receiving yards in the first half (Anthony Buffalomeat had 88 in the second half) Friday. That won’t be easy either but it is a sound long-term approach.

Strauss, as is the case with any born leader, focuses on how to improve areas where he thinks he is failing the team, instead of focusing on the breadth of his accomplishments.

Against Olathe South, LHS scored touchdowns on its first two possessions. The next four red-zone penetrations didn’t go as well: the first two ended with field goals, the last two with interceptions.

“We’ve moved the ball,” Strauss said. “We just have to figure out how to score. There’s not as much space, so the defense is right up on you. There are smaller windows to throw into. I just have to figure out how to play. You just have to play a lot smarter in the red zone and I haven’t done that. We’ll figure it out this week.”

If Strauss is right and the Lions do perfect their red-zone offense, another tough challenge remains: how to get the do-it-all junior off the field now and then so he’s at maximum energy level when close games are decided.