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An athlete for all seasons

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Contributed by: Danny Summers on 2/15/2007

Brian Callan's letterman jacket looks like something a five-star general might wear.

There are pins representing the five varsity sports he has lettered in at Coronado High School. Many more pins signify his years as captain of those various teams.

"He's just a great athlete and a great competitor," Coronado wrestling coach Matt Brickell said. "Not every athlete is a good wrestler. But wrestling makes a good athlete.

In an era of specialization, Callan accomplished a rarity - and perhaps a first in school history - last year as a junior when he lettered in five sports: football, basketball, wrestling, baseball and track.

This year he's lettered in football and wrestling, and likely will just play baseball in the spring.

"It was something I wanted to do," Callan said. "I wanted the challenge. I talked with the coaches in the summer and worked it out with them. They were all very supportive."

Callan was a defensive end/tight end on the football team, as well as a team captain. He was a three-year letterman in football.

"In terms of work ethic, Brian is second to none," Coronado football coach Jeremy Kane said. "He was here every morning in the summer at 5 a.m. lifting weights. I think most guys would get burned out if they worked as hard as him."

Callan was one of the exclusive members of the school's 1,000-pound club for weightlifting.

Kane is also Callan's track coach. The track season runs simultaneously with the baseball season. Callan is an outfielder/pitcher/catcher on the baseball team.

"He didn't need to be there the entire track practice," Kane said. "He got his skills work in and went back to baseball."

Former Coronado head baseball coach and current assistant Bob Lizarraga said Callan's work ethic and commitment made the transition between baseball and track an easy one.

"He's one of the classiest kids I've every met," Lizarraga said. "He works well with the other coaches and does whatever you as of him. That's outstanding."
Callan's studies haven't been affected as a result of his time spent in the gym and one the fields. He maintains a 3.2 GPA.

Callan had never wrestled prior to his junior year. It showed. He was 0-8 at the 189-pound weight class. But this season he was 22-7 as a 215-pounder.
Brickell said he is impressed with Callan's natural abilities on the mat.

"If we would have wrestled all four years of high school he definitely would have been a state placer, maybe even a state champion," Brickell said.

Callan (6-foot-2, 215 pounds) doubled up during the wrestling season as a junior by playing on the school's basketball team. He was a reserve forward.

"The most satisfaction I've gotten out of any of the sports is wrestling," Callan said. "It was the toughest sport I've ever done. The most extreme sport. I fell in love it. It takes a different kind of mentality and a different kind of conditioning.

"But football has been my passion since I can remember. I want to play it in college."

Callan has taken several football recruiting trips, but has not yet signed with a school.

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