Schmidt brothers have it covered for Libertyville's football team

All the doctors and nurses shared the same opinion when little Charlie Schmidt was born.

Not that he was really all that little.

"He was a 10-pound baby, a monster baby, really long, just really, really big," said Lynn Schmidt, Charlie's mom. "Everyone at the hospital was like, 'Oh, he's going to be a football lineman someday.' "

Sure enough, that's exactly what Charlie is, a big ol' offensive lineman at Libertyville. Just a sophomore, he is 6-foot-4, 255 pounds and still growing. And he starts for the Wildcats, who are 4-0 heading into tonight's big rivalry game against 3-1 Stevenson, the defending Class 8A state champion.

"Even though I'm just a sophomore, the older guys have really taken me in," Charlie Schmidt said. "They've helped me adapt. They've all been really nice to me."

Some have probably been nicer than others, such as Henry Schmidt, Charlie's brother.

Charlie, nicknamed Chaz, is carrying on a football tradition for the Schmidt family, albeit in just a slightly different form and fashion. Charlie has two older brothers, A.J., who played football at Libertyville and graduated in 2013 and Henry, who is a senior for the Wildcats now.

Both A.J., now a lacrosse player at St. Lawrence University in New York, and Henry are the furthest thing from linemen. Spry and lanky, A.J. and Henry use their speed and athleticism in sports. A.J. was a cornerback. Henry is a wide receiver.

Quite frankly, A.J. and Henry joke that neither of them look as though they're even related to Charlie. Both are around 5-foot-9 and well below 200 pounds. In fact, Henry is just 155 pounds, "dripping wet," says Libertyville head coach Mike Jones. While Henry wears a size 11 football cleat, Charlie is in a size 15.

"It's kind of weird," Henry Schmidt said. "All of my friends give me the business about how my little brother is so much bigger than me. They're surprised I'm the older brother. They wonder where Chaz gets (his size)."

Who can explain it? No one on either side of the Schmidt family, on Lynn's side or on her husband Andrew's side is all that big. At least not any bigger than about 6-foot-1. And no one has the girth of Charlie, who has been the biggest person in his family since seventh grade, when he was 6-foot-1.

"I don't know where he gets it, but I really did give birth to Charlie," said Lynn Schmidt (who is 5-foot-8 while her husband is 5-foot-10) with a big laugh. "Charlie has always been huge. I remember when Charlie got to high school, everyone would say to Henry, 'Oh my God, that's your brother?'

"Charlie is just so much bigger than his brothers."

Of course, Charlie is bigger than many high school kids, which is a big reason he's getting the opportunity to start varsity as a sophomore.

The opportunity for Charlie and Henry to play together on the same team is cherished by the entire family. A.J. and Henry barely got that chance, other than when Henry, a sophomore at the time, got to stand on the sidelines for a couple of playoff games during A.J.'s senior year.

"It's meant a lot to be able to be on the same teams as Charlie, with this being my last year," said Henry Schmidt, who has 2 touchdowns on the year. He had his best game last week in a 42-7 win over Lake Forest, 5 catches and a touchdown.

"I've never really gotten the chance to play with Chaz before," Henry continued. "It makes our relationship even stronger. And it's fun getting to see each other work so hard for something."

Charlie Schmidt would like to work his way up to playing college football someday. He figures his size will set him apart with college scouts, just like it does in his own family.

"I don't know how much taller I'll get, but I know I'll definitely continue to put on weight and muscle," Charlie said. "I think I'll be able to play in college. It's definitely one of my dreams."

In the meantime, Lynn Schmidt will enjoy what truly is her dream season. She gets choked up when talking about her sons getting the chance to play football together.

"To have my two guys playing together…it's just a joy," Lynn Schmidt said. "They're very close anyway. I know it's been fun for them, and it's been fun to see Charlie be a part of this really fantastic group of guys. Charlie is so lucky to be a part of this."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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