Nobody was going to deny senior Brian Brunner’s opportunity to emulate his childhood heroes Saturday.

The backup quarterback, shortly after he took over for an injured Dan LeFevour and led CMU to a 24-14 Homecoming win against Temple, went with the team to celebrate with the student section – a typical winning tradition at Kelly/Shorts Stadium.

But then he heard the student section chant his name – “Brian Brunner! Brian Brunner!”

At first, the Wisconsin native quickly pointed to his teammates. But they weren’t having any of that.

They pushed Brunner forward and let him take the “Kelly/Shorts Leap,” similar to the famous Lambeau Leap touchdown celebration he watched all the time growing up as a Green Bay Packers fan. He soaked in the praise and the pats on his back and chest, laughing uncontrollably.

Shortly afterward, Brunner walked into the press conference room, ready to address the media, something he hadn’t done following a football game since 2006. He still had his pads on and wore a smile that seemed to stretch farther than the eye could see.

“It feels pretty good, amongst friends, being a journalism major,” Brunner said with a laugh.

It was two years since he last led Central to a win. Like Saturday, he took over for an injured LeFevour, beating Eastern Michigan 24-17 in overtime on Sept. 23, 2006.

Since then, Brunner mainly stood on the sidelines, cheering the team on while staying prepared just in case the spotlight shined on him one more time.

Like Saturday.

When LeFevour began favoring his right ankle in the second quarter, Brunner quickly picked up a football and loosened his arm. He had done it several times throughout the last two years despite rarely getting the chance to play in a competitive situation.

But then he got the call – with the score tied at 14 and more than eight minutes remaining in the second quarter.

“I didn’t even know he was in the game until I was lined up and looked in the backfield and he was standing there,” said junior wide receiver Bryan Anderson, who proceeded to catch a 37-yard pass from Brunner on that same play.

“He does a great job, so we have a lot of confidence in him.”

Brunner finished 7-for-13 for 136 yards and a touchdown, showing the poise and hard-headedness of a No. 2 quarterback that few football teams have.

That sort of confidence radiated to Brunner’s teammates, as well. The Chippewas didn’t back down when their star quarterback, the man who led them to two consecutive conference titles, left the game. The defense kept the Owls from scoring a single point since Brunner’s debut.

Hence, a well-deserved Kelly/Shorts Leap.

“That was a special moment,” Brunner said. “It’s really one of those impromptu things you can only experience, I think, in the venue of sports.

“It was an amazing feeling.”

bmanzullo@cm-life.com

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