Carmel's LaRon Biere won't forget 'MB,' his guardian angel

When LaRon Biere went to order his football cleats for the new season, he decided to go the custom route so that he could personalize them a bit.

It was important to the Carmel senior linebacker to have the letters "MB" neatly imprinted in a visible location. He chose the heels.

He writes the letters "MB" on his wristbands, too.

"It makes me feel good to look at (the initials)," Biere said. "I feel like she's looking down from somewhere."

The letters "MB" are a tribute to Biere's late mother, Marion Biere. They also serve as a reminder during tough times that he's got his own personal guardian angel up in heaven.

Interestingly, Marion Biere was also LaRon's guardian angel here on Earth.

"She was a saint," Carmel football coach Andy Bitto said of Marion Biere. "When she saw that LaRon needed her, she stepped in and saved his life."

Marion Biere, who died in January at the age of 78, had been the nursing coordinator for the Lake County Health Department's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Program in Waukegan for 30 years. She also worked with the area's foster care system.

When LaRon was born 17 years ago at St. Therese Hospital in Waukegan, Marion found out from concerned doctors and nurses that his biological mother was struggling with various addictions and probably wouldn't be able to take care of him.

The question was: Now what? Now what were doctors and nurses going to do with little LaRon?

Marion Biere came up with an answer before anyone else could.

After talking with her husband James, Marion told the hospital she was interested in taking care of LaRon. Permanently.

"I was about 64 at the time and still working. Marion was about 63," said James Biere, a retired painter who is now 80. "I told the guys I worked with what we were thinking about doing and they thought we were crazy to be bringing home a newborn at our age.

"But Marion really wanted to. I think she knew it might be rough for us sometimes. But she said she knew that she could do it."

And so, that was that. Marion, a strong and determined woman who had already raised six children of her own and was close to retirement, brought LaRon home when he was just three days old.

The Bieres, who live in Fox Lake, were able to legally adopt him three years later.

"I am so thankful for what they did," LaRon Biere said. "So many things I have, my entire life - I wouldn't have any of it if they hadn't done what they did."

Although Biere immediately gained three brothers and three sisters, he was essentially an only child because they were all grown and out of the house already.

As Biere got older, he used sports as a way to connect with people his own age.

"When I was in grade school, I was playing football every day at recess," Biere said. "I asked my parents if I could starting playing youth football and I played my first real games for the Antioch Vikings when I was in like fifth or sixth grade. That really brought the whole family together."

Biere says his older brothers Tom and Pat, who live nearby, came to many of those early games and have been regulars in the stands ever since.

"My dad goes to all of my games, too," Biere said. "We have a love of sports in common. He was a big basketball player in high school. But he's also really into football."

Attending football games was a favorite pastime for Marion, too.

"She loved the games and she loved to kind of keep track of everything," Biere said. "She would send out pictures of me to friends and family. She would tell everyone how I was doing."

Marion would have had a lot to say this season.

Biere missed much of last season with a knee injury. But he's healthy now and certainly seems to be making up for lost time.

A running back in previous years, Biere was moved to linebacker in order to give the Corsairs more speed on defense.

Leary of the change at first, he has flourished there. Biere is among the team leaders in tackles this season with 20 so far. And he made a game-changing play against Libertyville two weeks ago when he scooped up a fumble and ran in for a touchdown that broke Libertyville's back.

"LaRon wasn't sure about playing defense because he had been a running back his entire life and felt comfortable there," Bitto said. "But since he was coming back from an injury, we weren't sure where he would fit in.

"I told him, 'Why not go over and play defense? You'd be a star over there.' So he decided to try it and he's had a blast. He's had fun smacking people around.

"His style bodes well for linebacker. He's fast, he can run, and now we know he can tackle. He has a lot of athleticism."

Sometimes, Biere can't help but wonder where that athleticism came from.

He's never met his biological parents. But he does know that he has four biological siblings, including a couple of brothers.

"I think about what it would be like if we tried to compete," Biere said of his biological brothers. "I wonder if they play football and which one of us would be the best."

For now, though, Biere is simply trying to be the best he can be.

He'd like to honor his mother further by continuing his education in college, preferably while playing football.

"I'd love to play in college and I'd like to keep playing linebacker because I just started and I'd like to see how good I can get," Biere said. "I think I have some potential."

Marion Biere knew that a long time ago.