Just one year apart in school, brothers Brady and Tyler Chambers grew up playing the same sports and even sometimes were teammates.

One of their last times together was on the football team at St. John of the Cross School. As an eighth grader, Brady was forced to switch positions after being quarterback the previous three seasons.

“He played quarterback, but he was over the weight limit and he went to the offensive line,” Tyler said. “He was the left tackle and I was the right tackle. That was pretty fun, both being on the line together.”

At Lyons Township High School, the pair took different sports paths but both enjoyed successful ones that continue this collegiate season.

2024 LTHS graduate Brady is now healthy and preparing for his first season playing baseball at Michigan State University after a redshirt freshman season following Tommy John surgery on his right pitching elbow May 28, 2024.

Tyler, who graduated from LTHS in May, spent the summer preparing for his freshman football season at Northern Illinois University as an offensive lineman.

“Kind of growing up, we pretty much played every sport,” Brady said. “He kind of likes football and volleyball better and I like baseball and basketball better. That’s kind of the way it panned out.” 

Even this summer, their sports paths rarely crossed. Brady was busy pitching for the Kenosha (Wis.) Kingfish in the Northwoods League as part of his preparation for the start of MSU fall baseball Sept. 1.

By June 13, Tyler was in DeKalb taking part in NIU summer football camp.

With a few days off for the Independence Day weekend, Tyler did travel to Wausau, Wis. and watch Brady pitch June 30. Tyler previously came to Kenosha June 9 for Brady’s home game.

“I’ve watched him on TV (also with the league’s app),” Tyler said.

“It always helps having an older brother who is good at sports and competitive, too, because we get on each other and help each other with everything. It was good to have someone who knew what you were going through.”

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Brady entered the season as one of 15 pitchers for the Kingfish. He had a 0-0 record and 4.41 earned run average in seven appearances, striking out 22 in 16.1 innings with 11 walks and a 1.53 WHIP.

The important highlights were Brady “feeling great” and his velocity increasing to 93 miles per hour from 89 before surgery.

“Getting up that four (mph) was pretty awesome,” Brady said. “I definitely threw really well. Also just pitching, I had a lot of good outings, a lot of strikeouts.”

Brady’s May 27 debut for the Kingfish was his first live pitching performance in more than a year.

His pitch count began around 35 per outing and gradually increased to 50-60. After feeling slight discomfort following four innings July 8 and 14 batters faced, MSU pitching coach Mark Van Ameyde decided to shut Brady down until fall ball. He continues to lift weights and throw lightly.

“Since I hadn’t thrown in a year, I wanted to get out there and compete against everyone else after such a long time,” Brady said. “That was the best part for me. And trying to pitch my best.”

Tyler is coming off his best high school football season and is up to 6-5, 298 pounds. He’s been used this summer at left guard and tackle on the NIU offensive line.

“They want me to stay at 300,” Tyler said.

Tyler’s senior year included helping the Lions to an undefeated regular season and West Suburban Conference Silver Division title.

Tyler and fellow lineman Cooper Komsthoeft were among the Lions’ captains and perhaps unlikely teammates in the spring for the boys volleyball team, which reached the 2024 state quarterfinals.

“Probably winning (football) conference senior year, that was my best memory,” Tyler said.

The Huskies have similar aspirations of success. In 2024, NIU (6-5, 4-4 in Mid-American Conference) concluded with a 28-20 double-overtime victory over Fresno State Dec. 23 in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl in Boise. The regular season included a 16-14 victory over national playoffs runner-up Notre Dame.

Tyler, who will major in industrial engineering, verbally committed in June, 2024.

“One of the main (reasons) was I liked all of the coaches and they made a big effort to get close to me, calling every week,” Tyler said.

“They made me feel like they wanted me to go there. I went to camp and really liked it and decided to commit there.”