Tyler Jansey has been on Batavia’s varsity for so long that he’s always been the young guy.
Now as a senior, the Wisconsin-bound linebacker is suddenly the old man on the team.
It’s a fact that’s not lost on him.
“I was just thinking about that,” Jansey said. “I’m used to having older guys around. Now, I need to pass my experience to the younger guys.
“They’re the ones asking me questions. The playbook, I know it so well. I’m the guy to go to. It’s definitely different having guys depend on me.”
Jansey has adjusted to the new role well. Matt Holm, Batavia’s defensive coordinator, has seen the transformation from young prodigy to grizzled veteran.
“I don’t know if anybody has worked harder with a greater purpose,” Holm said. “He’s one of the most driven guys, and he’s a strong leader. It’s been a joy for me to watch that maturity and growth and what he wants to do and the level he wants to go to.
“He’s an example all the time. We don’t really have to say it. Everybody just knows this is the example and this is how it should go.”
Jansey is the latest in a string of Division I linebackers to come out of Batavia.
One of those stars is his brother, Michael, who played at Northwestern. Tyler credits Michael for helping guide him on his way to the commitment to Wisconsin.
“I attribute a lot of my success to him,” Tyler said. “It’s a lot of the little things like tips in the weight room, tips about playing linebacker. His knowledge of the game is unbelievable.
“He’ll always be there. He’s been a great mentor. He made me realize it’s possible.”
Holm has seen that dedication firsthand.
“The physical nature of his workouts is unbelievable,” Holm said. “I can’t count the number of times I would go in to work out and he’d be in there. ‘How did you get in here?’
“His drive is unbelievable. He deserves great things.”
The recruiting process for Jansey picked up almost as soon as he started high school. Being a linebacker, Wisconsin is a dream destination. Holm points to Jack Sanborn.
Batavia faced Sanborn and Lake Zurich in the Class 7A semifinals en route to winning the 2017 state title. He made the final cut this week for the Chicago Bears.
Sanborn had a standout career at Wisconsin.
“The opportunity he’s going to get and the people he’s going to be around, Wisconsin is the place for those guys,” Holm said of Jansey. “It’s awesome to have him go there.”
As the recruiting process heated up, Jansey knew there was only one program for him. That’s why he committed last winter to the Badgers.
“I knew from the start that Wisconsin was my home,” Jansey said. “They showed interest in me since freshman year.
“The culture there is unbelievable. They produce top-tier linebackers all the time. It was obviously for me.”
Before embarking on that journey, Jansey has unfinished business at Batavia. In the season opener, he led the Bulldogs with six solo tackles and a sack in a 33-6 win over Phillips.
There’s no rest Friday night, however. The Bulldogs face three-time Class 8A state champion Lincoln-Way East in one of the most anticipated games in Illinois.
“They’re going to give us a good game,” Jansey said. “Overall it will be a great game — physical. It’s going to be a fun one.
“I think everything is headed in the right direction. The chemistry with the guys is really good. I think we’re only going to get better.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
