SARASOTA — Mention football and a smile flashes across Brody Wiseman’s face. Earlier this season, that wasn’t the case for the Out-of-Door Academy senior linebacker/tight end.
Wiseman, who plays multiple positions, wanted to give the game up completely. Lower back surgery forced Wiseman to miss six games, and couple that with mounting family issues, and the kid who’s played varsity since his freshman year contemplated throwing in the towel on football.
Wiseman said he’s glad he decided to return to the team, and he has been instrumental in the team’s charge toward a historic season.
On Friday, ODA (10-1) hosts Belle Glade Glades Day (11-1) in a Class 1B semifinal at 7:30 p.m. at Sarasota High School. The Thunder are in the state semifinals for the first time in school history in just their fourth season.
“Playing a football game is unlike anything else you can do in your life,” Wiseman said. “The opportunity to hit people, and the opportunity to do something that people will cheer abou,t doesn’t come every day in your life, and it’s a special feeling when you can do something like that.”
It didn’t take Wiseman long to readjust to football.
In his second game back against district foe and county rival Saint Stephen’s, Wiseman had three catches for 60 yards and a touchdown. In the following game against Moore Haven, he forced a fumble that led to a Thunder touchdown.
“That was a culmination of a lot of things turning around in my life,” he said. “It was kind of that big moment where everything got back to normal. It was a relieving feeling.”
It’s Wiseman’s versatility as a hybrid player that makes him extremely valuable to the Thunder’s offensive attack.
Wiseman, who has 14 catches for 140 yards, plays fullback, tight end and wide receiver, but more importantly, he makes it hard for defenses to key on running back A.J. Strong or the team’s leading pass catcher, Chris Ragone, or tight end Jamie Onufrak.
ODA quarterback Brian Ragone said Wiseman, a standout baseball player, is tough to handle for a defender in single coverage.
“He makes plays all over the place, and he has great hands,” Ragone said. “He runs his route hard every single play. With Brody you have that third wide receiver, and it makes it hard to cover three wide receivers that know how to get open.”
Thunder coach Brett Timmons said Wiseman is the uplifting spirit on the team and not having him on bus rides, his presence in the locker room and leading the team’s pre-game cheer knocked some of the fight out of his team, but the Thunder were able to maintain until Wiseman made his return.
“He just does a myriad of things for us,” Timmons said. “Having him back helps us to be much more potent.”
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