Brooks Yurachek now making a name for himself on the gridiron

By Steve Andrews 

Brooks Yurachek had a familiar name before he ever stepped onto a football field, thanks to his father and two older brothers. 

But the senior middle linebacker at Fayetteville High School is now carrying on the legacy, while also making a name for himself as one of the top defenders in the state.

He leads the state’s Class 7A with 11.1 tackles per game, 13 tackles for a loss, and 6.5 sacks. He also has three pass breakups and ran back an interception 84 yards for a score in the Bulldogs’ win over Fort Smith Southside two weeks ago.

“He’s the most important person on our team, because of what he brings to our team, both, on and off the field,” Fayetteville head coach Casey Dick said. “Obviously, he is a great football player, but the things he does in our school building, in our locker room, the type of person that he is, the type of leader that he is for our team -- that stuff carries a lot more weight than simple Xs and Os, and him just being a good football player.

“When he’s out there it’s like having another coach on the field, because he makes sure everybody is lined up correctly. He comes from that background and comes from that family, so he understands the game of football. He has just answered all our needs, as well as anything else we could have ever asked for.”

Hogs fans statewide know the name fondly for his dad, Hunter Yurachek, who has been the athletics director at the University of Arkansas for the past six years and has helped lift Razorback athletics out of the doldrums across the board.

His oldest brother, Ryan, played tight end at Marshall from 2014-17, before brief stints with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. After serving two years as a graduate assistant on the Arkansas staff, he is now the tight ends coach at Austin Peay.

His brother Jake began his career as a linebacker at Colorado, before transferring and spending the past three seasons at Arkansas. After graduating in December, he is currently a fundraiser in the athletics department at SMU.

“Obviously, as a father, it’s been exciting to watch all three of them play,” said Hunter. “I miss seeing Ryan and Jake play, and now I just relish every time I get to see Brooks play.”

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Brooks literally grew up learning the game of football as far back as he can remember.

“Growing up, it was coaching, 24-7,” he said with a laugh. “Even now, my brother Jake watches my film every week and sends me notes, so he gives me a lot of knowledge going into each week.”

The youngster also began going to practices with his dad at an early age and would travel with him on road trips to games, taking in as much of the game as he could. Hunter spent time as an administrator at Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Western Carolina, Virginia and Akron, before landing his first AD job at Coastal Carolina in 2010, where he was named the 2014 FCS Athletic Director of the Year. He served in the same capacity at Houston from 2015-17, before landing in Fayetteville.

“Brooks’ success and knowledge of the game probably has to do a lot with my job,” said Hunter. “And he’s watched both of his older brothers play, and they talk about the game of football all the time. So, it’s just a combination of him being around the game his entire life and also having his brothers around, who have both played the game at a high level. They have helped him grow as only brothers can do. They seem to have this special language that they use.”

Film study has become a big part of Brooks’ preparation each week, watching as much as six or seven hours’ worth each week, which gives him an added advantage heading into Friday nights.

“That allows me to kind of predict things that are going to happen before they even happen in the game, which helps me get tackles and do what I need to do to be successful,” he said. “That just comes natural to me. I try to be the smartest player on the field every time I step out there. I know if I can be the smartest, most well-prepared player, I think the rest of my game will come along with it.”

Yurachek and his Fayetteville teammates are now 4-3 this season, including 2-2 in the 7A-West, after a heartbreaking 31-30 overtime loss to Bentonville last Friday night. They have lost all three games by a combined five points. But the Bulldogs are still very much in the playoff picture, thanks to their humble leader in the middle.

Humility and education are things that have been instilled in him and his brothers from an early age, and the soft-spoken Brooks, who also sports a 3.8 grade point average in the classroom, is a shining example of a true student-athlete.

“What I’ve tried to teach them to do, and instill in them, is just hard work and being a great teammate, then let the chips fall where they may after that,” Hunter said. “All three of them have been incredibly hard workers. They have used the talent that God gave them, then worked hard to accentuate that and get the most out of what they can do and the talents that they’ve had.”

Then, with a laugh, Hunter admits that Brooks may sometimes be a little too humble.

“I have actually tried to get Books to get a little more excited after he makes a big play,” he said. “I have taught him that if he makes a great play, that is awesome, but don’t draw too much attention to yourself because this is a team sport. But now I have tried to encourage him to be a little bit more energetic. As a senior leader on this football team, it’s okay to show some energy and show some passion and get excited when you or one of your teammates makes a great play.”

Hunter and his wife, Jennifer, attend every Fayetteville game, sitting among the other parents. Thus, they do not travel with the Razorbacks to away games, but instead fly out on Saturday mornings, in order to watch Brooks play. Of course, mom and dad couldn’t contain their excitement two weeks ago in Razorback Stadium, when Brooks picked off a Southside pass and rambled all the way to pay dirt for his first career pick-6.

“I think as all fathers do, when the ball is snapped my eyes are kind of always on him,” said Hunter, recalling the interception. “I could see his head kind of turn toward the quarterback, saw him break on the ball, then I was thinking, if he could just get by that one guy he could go all the way. My wife is sitting next to me screaming, and I’m trying to be as calm as I could, but obviously I had a big smile on my face and was excited for Brooks and his teammates. And a proud moment for Jennifer and I, for sure.”

With construction going on at the Bulldogs’ facilities, the game was played up the street at the University of Arkansas, which made the moment even more memorable.

“For it to be in a game where he and his teammates had an opportunity to play there in Razorback Stadium, and for that special moment to happen in a stadium that has been so special to our family, was just icing on the cake.”

Ironically, Brooks scored in the same end zone that his brother, Jake -- who graduated in December -- blocked a Texas punt last season, leading to a Razorback score in the 40-21 victory over the Longhorns.

“So, our family has some pretty exciting memories there,” he added.

Hunter was actually a basketball player at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C. He later coached all three of his sons in basketball, which they each played throughout high school. Brooks will play for Fayetteville this upcoming season. But, in the end, they have all chosen to play football at the next level.

“Football is the game that they all three just fell in love with first -- they have all loved basketball, but I think football has always come first,” he said, before laughing. “It may have been that I coached them in basketball and didn’t coach them in football, so they chose football.”

Despite his pedigree and his last name, Brooks carries himself no different than anyone else on the team and is loved and respected by his teammates, according to Dick.

“He’s the most calm, cool, collective person you will ever meet in your life,” the coach said. “He is very well-prepared in everything that he does. He is constantly watching film and studying scouting reports, so he understands all those things. You can always tell those coach’s kids, because that’s what they know. A coach’s kid is going to have that blood in them, so that’s just who Brooks is, what he does and what he loves to do.”

Brooks is beginning to garner some attention from colleges but has not made up his mind what his next step will be. The decision is all his, and his dad only wants what’s best for his son.

“I think he deserves some more opportunities, because those really haven’t come for him yet,” Hunter said. “But I think he is having a senior year that should provide him some other opportunities. He is keeping an open mind, but he does want to play football somewhere next year. He just wants it to be the right spot. If Arkansas is the right spot, as a preferred walk-on, then I think that is where he will end up. But I think he wants to see what other opportunities may come for him.”

After his playing career is over, Brooks has already made it known that he wants to remain in athletics, likely as a coach, thus following in the footsteps of his dad and brothers.

“He has already let me know that he wants to be a college coach someday,” Hunter said. “They have all kind of followed my path. So, I guess it’s just in their blood, for sure.”