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Growing up playing backyard football, many kids reenact their favorite plays by their favorite superstars. In the process, they dream of being the next person to throw it deep like Brett Favre or Dan Marino, make defenders miss like Barry Sanders, or catch pass after pass like Jerry Rice.
Nine times out of ten that same kid who has childhood aspirations of taking to the gridiron on Sunday does not even play for his high school varsity football team.
There is that one kid, however, who continues to play competitive football in high school and beyond. While his nine other friends set off on different career paths, he sets off and continues his dream.
In the fall of 2005 when Michael Brusko stepped on the University of Maine campus to begin his college career, he knew he would have to wait his turn to play. He also knew playing for the Black Bears would probably be the end of the road in terms of playing competitive football. Although they have a reputable program, UMaine is not a college football hotbed like USC or Ohio State that pump out NFL players year after year.
Hailing from Zionsville, Penn., Brusko served as captain for coach Joe Bottglieri at Emmaus High School. Playing quarterback, wide receiver, punter, free safety and linebacker, he helped lead his team to the District 11 “AAAA” state playoffs and in the process earned first-team all-conference honors at quarterback and defensive back. While Brusko starred on the football field, he also excelled on the hardwood as an all-conference performer for his high school basketball team. However, he was not just an athlete. At Emmaus, he was a member of the Spanish Honor Society and came to UMaine to major in communications.
After sitting out the 2005 season as a redshirt, Brusko was second on the depth chart at the quarterback position in 2006 behind four-year starter Ron Whitcomb. He saw action in all 11 games that season, mainly coming in as a running option in the spread offense, as well as being the starting holder on kicks.
While his action was limited at the quarterback position, with Ron Whitcomb graduating, the starting quarterback position for 2007 season was open and he appeared to have the upper hand.
Following an intense battle through spring practice and preseason with redshirt freshman Adam Farkes, Brusko was finally handed the keys to the UMaine offense.
In the first game of the season, he struggled but the Black Bears pulled out a victory against Monmouth. In the second game of the season, UMaine was outmatched by UConn and the whole team struggled. In his third and final game as starting quarterback, with the offense not clicking against Villanova and Brusko still struggling to throw the ball, he was pulled from the game and Farkes too over, performing well in the overtime loss. After that game, Farkes was named starter and Brusko was now second string.
“It’s been a little frustrating, but I’ve just tried to take advantage of every opportunity I’ve gotten, whether it be at the quarterback position, on special teams, or playing wide receiver,” said Brusko following last Saturday’s win over Towson. “Whatever it is I can do, I just try to embrace it and make the most of it.”
Head coach Jack Cosgrove praised the way Brusko has handled himself. “When you’re a quarterback and you get benched, it’s not like other positions,” Cosgrove said. “I played the position. That’s a hard thing for a kid to go through. He probably handles it as well as anybody ever could. He [came] to us to be more involved on special teams and other parts of the game, and he’s done that because he is such a charismatic young man. [He's] a leader; he’s everything you want in a student-athlete and a team player.”
While the reins to UMaine’s young offense were handed to the stronger-armed Farkes, who has matured greatly and performed well down the stretch, Brusko was in a familiar situation this past Saturday.
After lining up at wide receiver a few times and playing on the special teams unit, Brusko was sitting on the sideline amidst cold, rainy conditions in the second quarter. Farkes came out of the game with a shoulder injury and was taken to the locker room. Having not warmed up, Brusko was thrown into action and given the keys to the offense once again. This time, he didn’t disappoint.
As Hurricane Noel continued to wreak havoc on Alfond Stadium and the rest of the Northeast, and the injuries kept piling up, but that didn’t bother Brusko. He calmly directed two second-half scoring drives, recovered an onside kick and had the ball in his hands as the buzzer sounded in a 16-13 UMaine victory.
“I’ve continued to just work hard, and I was blessed with the opportunity to go out and help my team win a game, and I was very excited to do so,” he said.
Even though the Black Bears have struggled to a 3-6 record on the season, the positive attitude and team-first mentality remains the same today as when the young Pennsylvanian stepped on campus two falls ago.
“I have a commitment to my teammates, and that’s that biggest thing for me,” Brusko said. “I’m just very proud to be out there and be able to help my team.”
While Farkes is the quarterback of the future for UMaine, if he is unable to go this weekend, Brusko will once again get a chance to line up behind center. If he is able to go then Brusko will serve as his back-up once again, but will get some reps at wide receiver and special teams. One thing that is for certain, however, is that no matter where he lines up on the field in Saturday’s game, it’s team first and him second.
