Stevenson senior Albert Murillo Jr. recalls that he didn’t quite hit the ground running when he joined the football program.
The 280-pound freshman had never played the sport.
“I was always a football fan, but I didn’t even know how to get into a three-point stance,” Murillo said. “At first, I was like a deer in headlights. So that first year, I was really raw.”
Instead of relying on his size alone, Murillo committed to learning the finer points of football.
“I know you can’t coach size, and that’s a benefit,” he said. “But in the offseason of my sophomore year, I really started taking football more seriously. I watched a lot of YouTube videos and lost a ton of weight in the weight room and gained it back in a healthy way. I wasn’t tubby anymore.”
Murillo points to the end of his sophomore season as a turning point. He started practicing with Stevenson’s varsity team for an hour each day and was on the sideline for a first-round playoff game against Warren, which won 26-14.
“That showed me that the hard work had paid off for me,” Murillo said. “Being able to see how the team responded to adversity up close and seeing the seniors show resilience was huge for me.”
The 6-foot-4, 290-pound Murillo has been huge this season for the ninth-seeded Patriots (9-1), who will play eighth-seeded Glenbard East (9-1) on the road in the second round of the Class 8A playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday. He has become a leader in his second season as the starting left tackle.
Stevenson chooses captains each week to recognize players who demonstrate high character and leadership. Murillo has been a multiweek captain this season.
“He’s become the leader of the O-line up front,” Stevenson coach Brent Becker said. “He makes the line calls and helps with drills in practice. We’re not afraid to pull him, and in pass sets, he goes against the other team’s best rusher.”
Murillo relishes the chance to go one on one against top competition. Last season, he tangled with then-senior Ethan Aghakhan, a defensive end at Iowa, on a daily basis. Murillo also appreciated the chance to play against Eddie Tuerk, a defensive lineman at Illinois, during a playoff game against Lyons last year and enjoyed testing himself against Notre Dame commit Joseph Reiff when Stevenson and York held a joint practice over the summer.
“I really like going against someone bigger than me,” Murillo said. “It’s a great feeling when you win a rep against someone bigger and stronger than you. I love being out on an island, and I love going against their top guy.”
Keeping pass rushers away from Stevenson junior quarterback Aidan Crawley is enjoyable for Murillo, but he said the real fun is in run blocking.
“The nitty-gritty of being an offensive lineman is when you show how dominant you are,” he said. “When you see a big hole that you created on film, it makes you feel great.”
Murillo thinks of himself as one-fifth of a cohesive unit, however. The all-senior group includes left guard Luke Nelson, center Michael Panich, right guard Andrew Timmons and right tackle Luca Siamashvili.
They helped the Patriots run a balanced offense that produced 209 rushing yards and 207 passing yards during their 31-14 win against Sandburg in the first round of the playoffs last week.
“I can’t give enough credit to the other offensive linemen for where I’m at,” Murillo said. “The running backs do a great job too. They read our blocks and make us look good.”
But Murillo can impress people as well.
“There’s nothing I love more than getting a deuce call where we double-team someone,” Nelson said. “Seeing him annihilate the dude that we’re doubling is great. He’s relentless. There’s nothing more demoralizing as a defensive lineman than being blocked 10 yards downfield.”
The Murillo and Nelson families have known each other for years through baseball. Nelson’s father Steve actually helped persuade Murillo’s parents to let him play football.
“They were worried about injuries, but my dad tried to tell his parents how great he would be at football,” Nelson said. “Albert calls my dad his football godfather.”
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.
