Having a father who played high school football, Bradyn Belanger was inspired to pick up the sport himself. He was around five years old when he first handled a football and soon after found himself playing on a flag football team. Before long, the Auburn native was playing tackle football and a deep love for the game. 

From the first time he stepped onto a football field, Belanger was destined to tote the football and has been a running back his entire career. He would watch the National Football League on TV and was enamored by the players who played the position. Originally, he wrote number 20 for Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions and eventually switched over to the number 22 for Christian McCaffrey. 

“Growing up I never thought that I was good enough to play the sport to become something special,” he said. “I am one that is never satisfied with my play; I am always looking to get better.”

As a youngster looking to improve his game he found his way to each and every Auburn High School match-up, where he found the environment to be electric. That electricity gave him the spark he needed and, right there, Bradyn decided that he wanted to play football on the high school level.

As a freshman, he found the football tryouts to be hard and rough, going up against the older players, but being a competitive individual he used it to improve upon his game.

“I immediately knew that I was going to have to get better and playing against the older players would allow myself to do just that,” the Rockets running back said. “I definitely thought that I could compete with them but I did know that I would have to work for my spot on the team, a spot I really wanted.”

Finding his name on the varsity roster was purely amazing and although only a first-year player, the upper classman didn’t see him as a freshman, they thought of him as one of their own.

Belanger found his way into the starting lineup each game, but that first year, especially that first game, it came as somewhat of a surprise as the Auburn Coach had him playing in the wildcat quarterback role. Having never really played the position Belanger entered the game scared, but also realized that he needed to go out and adapt to the position while proving his coach right for placing him there.

“It was about two weeks earlier that he told me his intentions and my jaw just dropped. I didn’t complain, I was grateful for the opportunity to be on the field,” Belanger said. “It was one of those things that I had never experienced before, but that was where I played the majority of that season.”

During his sophomore year, the Rockets had a quarterback and Belanger would go back to lining up behind him at his normal position. That season as the Auburn back Belanger rushed for over a 1,000 yards and found the endzone on 20 occasions. While it was an overall impressive season for the running back, he strongly felt that he could have done better. 

“There’s really not too much more he could do,” Auburn coach Jeff Cormier said. “He is already a really good runner, catches the ball out of the backfield, blocks and plays special teams. He’s an all-around player that works at his craft 12 months a year.”

Although called a jack of all trades on the football field, Belanger noted that he loves playing multiple sports. On the basketball court, he lines up as a small forward and is a 100- and 200-meter runner as well as a shot-put thrower for the track team in the spring. Playing those other sports all goes back to football.

“Basketball helps me with my hand and eye coordination, while running track helps me to get faster,” he said. “The other sports allow me to focus and stay active during the football offseason. I never thought that there was nothing that I couldn’t do. I just want to go out and try my best, no matter what I am doing.”

The Rockets coach noted that the now-junior competes to win all the time, including the weight room.

“He is always giving his best effort and that’s all that I am looking for from him,” Cormier said. “He even practices like he is in a game situation and that effort raises the level of everyone else.”

Although he had himself a remarkable sophomore campaign Belanger is looking to improve upon those numbers while helping the team become successful.

“I feel good coming into the season and am ready, but I am never happy and feel I can always improve,” the junior back said. “I want to help this team go as far as possible; individual stats don’t mean anything to me. I just want to go out and perform to my best ability while helping everyone around me become better.”

When he was a freshman, the Rockets made their way into the post-season, unfortunately Belanger was unable to play due to an injury, but he made up for it the following season. The next yea, participating in the Division 5 Football Tournament, Belanger scored four touchdowns and ran for 200 plus yards in the opening win 32-7 against BVT. Auburn would then fall to the number two seed Hanover in the second round 28-9.

Although the junior still has two seasons left to play with the Rockets he is definitely hoping to take his game to the next level.

“I want to keep getting better overt the next two years as my dream is to play Division 1 college football,” he said. “I have already been in contact with multiple coaches and have even attended some college camps as well.”

While it looks like the Auburn running back will eventually get his wish and play collegiate football somewhere in the future, he still has two years left with Auburn and would like to add a State Championship to his resume before departing.