Olathe Northwest's Eichenburg Redefines Concept of "Two Way Player"
When a high school football player is referred to as a “two-way” player, the generally accepted meaning is that he plays both offense and defense. One 2006 Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star is definitely a two-way player---but in a very different sense. Meet Brad Eichenburg (6’2”, 185 lbs) from Olathe Northwest. He is not only an All-5A free safety, he’s an accomplished musician who has won several accolades for his musical talent, especially at pianist and saxophone player. “I’ve been involved in music most of my life”, he says. “This is my 14th year of playing the piano (he started when he was 5), and I’ve been involved in band since the 7th grade.” His musical achievements have stretched beyond Kansas. He won a major national award as a saxophone soloist in a Washington, D.C. competition. He received top honors at Pittsburg State’s Jazz Festival as a soloist three years in a row, and was a finalist his junior year in the Kansas State High School Activities Association’s state piano competition. Only illness on the day of the regionals prevented him from participating in the 2006 competition. His musical prowess doesn’t stop with the keyboard and the sax. “I play several instruments, such as the guitar and the bass,” he says. With the demands that are placed on musicians and athletes, has he had any conflicts? “I was late for some early season workouts because of some music commitments,” he says, “and I’m sure the coaches weren’t too happy. But I put my mind to it ahead of time, and did the strength and conditioning work necessary to get myself ready for the season.” As a football player, Eichenburg enjoyed a banner senior season. His Olathe Northwest Ravens, in only their third year of varsity competition, battled their way to a very respectable 4-5 record. “We were proud of what we were able to accomplish,” he says. “Our senior class was the first class that had played together for its sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. We played a lot of 6A schools, which made our schedule tough. We also had quite a few injuries, or we might have done even better.” Eichenburg was moved to free safety for his senior season, and found a home. His 80 tackles were second on the team, and the most of any defensive back in the school’s short history. His outstanding play did not go unnoticed by the Kansas Football Coach’s Association, which placed him on the all-5A defensive team for 2005. He was also named to the first-team All-Sunflower League, and first-team All-Olathe defensive back. He is the first player from Olathe Northwest ever to be selected to play in the Kansas Shrine Bowl. Eichenburg will report to Emporia State for football drills twice this summer—once as a member of the Shrine Bowl East squad in late July, and the second time as a member of the Emporia State Hornets, where he’ll play for Dave Wiemers. A National Honors Society student who earned a 3.5 grade point average in high school, he’s already tested out of two college courses (in biology), and plans to major in pre-med at ESU, then enter medical school at the University of Kansas. Proceeds from the game support the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children, a network of 22 hospitals that provide expert, no-cost orthopedic and burn care to children under 18. Advance reserved chairback tickets are $20.00 in advance, $21.00 on game night. Adult general admission tickets are $9.00 in advance, $10.00 on game night. Student tickets are $5.00 in advance, $6.00 on game night. Banquet tickets are $20.00, and must be purchased in advance. Advance game tickets and banquet tickets can be purchased through the Shrine Bowl office by calling 1-800-530-5524 Additional information and a link to Shriners Hospitals for Children can be found at http://www.ksshrine.com |