Athlete Spotlight: Brandon High Running Back Tyrell Garner

The Brandon Eagles ride their run game, win or lose.

Last year they went 11-2 and rushed for more than 2,800 yards. The carries split between now graduated Darius Lee and this year's solo operation senior Tyrell Garner.

Garner is being harnessed with carrying the Eagles rushing attack, which is virtually all of the Eagle offense. Last season he carried the ball 103 times for 663 yards and six touchdowns. Already this season he's toted the rock at least 77 times for just under 500 yards.

It's Garner's third year with the team. The more he plays at running back the less he plays at defensive back. Last season he was used as a stand up defensive end, where he had 46 tackles and three sacks, even an interception.

This year he's being asked to do even more.

"It's good, I want to step up to it," said Garner.

It wouldn't be the first time for Garner, either.

Back in youth league football with the Temple Terrace Wildcats, Garner showed proved he could shoulder the load when he outperformed the other backs in practice and emerged as the primary running back.

His team would go undefeated that year and win the championship.

Garner has his work cut out for him this year as the Eagles schedule is a tough one with , and Jefferson among others.

Garner is able to fight through the pain and fatigue of being tackled on nearly every play. Garner doesn't seem like the kind of guy that runs out of bounds very often. So he must be tackled 20-30 times, 40 in at least one game so far.

That has to take it's toll.

"I fight through it, don't listen to the voice in your head that tells you to stop," said Garner.

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