“The Jet” believes he’s truly ready to take off.
Hobart senior running back/safety Willy Shearer didn’t hold back when discussing one of his high-flying targets for this season.
“To get 2,000 rushing yards,” he said. “That’s one of my goals. If I stay healthy, I can do it this year.”
The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Shearer had 1,096 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, his first as the top tailback for the Brickies (7-3). He also had 34 tackles in his second season starting in the secondary.
Shearer’s moniker dates back significantly longer, and it’s one he has embraced.
“When I was little, during Pop Warner, my buddy’s dad was a commentator, and he nicknamed me Willy ‘The Jet,’” Shearer said. “He said every time I touched the ball, I just took off. It’s stuck with me since I was little. I like it.”
Hobart senior lineman Luke Juris has been teammates with Shearer since they were 6 years old.
“We’ve built a great friendship throughout the years,” Juris said. “We know each other very well, especially me being a lineman and him being a running back. It helps that bond that we have. We pick each other up. He’s a great teammate.
“He brings a lot of leadership qualities. He’s always physical, so he brings that component. He’s an all-around great player.”
Eric Schreiber, who took over at Hobart after two seasons as the defensive coordinator following two seasons as West Side’s coach, knows what Shearer is capable of doing.
“He has the Bricks on his back this season,” Schreiber said.
Schreiber praised Shearer’s overall contributions.
“He’s vocal at times when he needs to be,” Schreiber said. “But he leads by example how he plays and how he carries himself in school, in the classroom. He’s great with the kids. He does a great job on the field when he needs to call out kids.
“He has an incredible work ethic. He’s a great student. He’s a great kid for our community. He volunteers for everything we have. He does everything he can to help the program, even in the offseason. He’s a great kid all around.”
Shearer’s accomplishments in track have only added (jet) fuel to the fire of his nickname.
In the spring, he won sectional and regional titles in both the 400 meters, his primary event, and the 100, in which he was initially called upon because of an injury to a teammate. He reached the state meet in both events. He also qualified for the state meet in 2023 as part of the Brickies’ 1,600 relay.
“I wasn’t expecting to go out and win the 100 too,” Shearer said. “I shocked everybody.”
Shearer has been exploring playing football or running track in college — or possibly both. He said Wabash, for one, has indicated continuing with both could be an option.
Shearer is interested in studying criminology or criminal justice, with an eye on joining the FBI.
For now, he’s relishing his final season with the Brickies, whose first game is on the road at Chesterton on Aug. 23.
“Most of us have been together since we were 5, 6 years old, playing Pop Warner together,” Shearer said. “So we have that connection, that bond, being together since such a young age.
“The seniors are really sticking together and bringing everybody along. We’re getting better and better each and every day. Everybody’s goal is, ‘Let’s go win state.’ But we have to do the little things one by one, take the steps along the way.”
