Happy Father's Day, everyone. I guess this one's for you, Jake Broyles' dad.
We've got 76 days until kickoff ... so today we'll be taking a look at number 76 on the Bronco roster—Jake Broyles
#76, Jake Broyles, Sophomore, OL
Stats
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 278 lbs.
High School: Foothill High School, Henderson, NV
How'd he get to The Blue?
By having more pancakes than an IHOP. For your edification, a "pancake block" is when an offensive lineman flattens or knocks an opposing lineman to the ground. Jake Broyles had 95 (!) of these over the span of his junior and senior seasons at Foothill High. For his efforts, he was named All-Sunrise League, first-team MaxPreps All-State, and team MVP and Rivals.com called him one of the "best pure tackles" in the state of Nevada. And if you think that Broyles was all brawn and no brains in high school, think again—he maintained a 4.45 GPA...which is possible, apparently. A few words about Broyles from ESPN, perhaps?
Broyles displays some athleticism as an offensive lineman. He has a great frame and is an impressive looking football player. Comes out of stance square and with a good flat back with legs underneath him; fits well into the base block.
Broyles considered Brown, Prineceton, UNLV, and Fresno State, but as far as I could tell, Boise State was the first to extend a scholarship, which he gladly accepted.
Nickname
"Flame Broyler" [fleym broi-ler]
D-lineman are going to get cooked.
Look-a-like
Major Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark
Career highlights
Appeared in 5 games for the Broncos in 2010. 55 pancake blocks as senior at Foothill HS. Received Borque Award of Merit. Named Team MVP, all-league and all-state as a senior. Maintained GPA that many thought existed only in theory.
Career lowlight
Being called "four eyes" by team bully Kellen Moore.
2011 prospectus
Last offseason, I humbly suggested that the 257 lb. Broyles not skip so many meals. Well, I'm happy to say he's up to 278 lbs. and our boy may not be done growing. More importantly, Broyles hasn't been skipping many team meetings, practices, or opportunities to advance his Bronco career. As of this typing, he's in line to be the starter at right guard...less than a year after being an afterthought. So, what did Broyles do to put himself in this enviable position? He worked for it—simple as that.
During Spring Camp, the Statesman highlighted Broyles' rise from scout teamer to first teamer. In the article, Broyles recalled his shock at being put in late in the Toledo blowout. But Broyles didn't just soak up the garbage-time glory—he made the coaches take notice—being mentioned by name in Coach Pete's presser the following Monday (Petersen called him "a terror"). The following week, he was promoted to the second team, and again, knocked the socks off coaches with his play in another blowout versus San José State.
"He just was playing at a different tempo than anyone else," offensive line coach Chris Strausser said. "So we rewarded him the next week and brought him down to San Jose State. He played a little bit there and played at the same speed. At that point, we knew he had it in him and it was just a matter of him figuring out what we’re doing."
This season, the outlook is bright for Broyles...who left Spring Camp as the starter and has obviously shown the coaches enough intensity and growth to keep that gig. Frankly, I don't know what to make of Broyles' meteoric rise, but if the coaches are talking this much about an offensive guard...I can't help but be a bit stoked myself. Broyles may not look the part, but his accolades dating all the way back to high school tell a much different story. The bookish brainiac has a mean streak a mile wide...and that's exactly what you want from a starting guard. The brains come in handy, too.
Completely made up fact
Broyles' glasses are like Samson's hair. He found them in a field near Henderson, Nevada, and once they were placed on his face, he was imbued with the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Hercules, and the nerd quotient of Steven Hawking.