Who is Jared Broughton?

In one word: stud. In a few words: Jared Broughton is Big Man on Campus at Lutheran. The senior is in the midst of trying to attain his first sectional title in any of his three sports, currently playing floor leader for the Saints' boys hoops team. And when the hardwood season wraps up, he'll be headed to the diamond where his true passion lies. HSSTM's Dave McConnell sat down with Broughton in early February to discuss his leadership abilities, being on the big stage at a small school and his desire do things the right way. McConnell: You're the quarterback of the football team, starting guard on the basketball team and a pitcher / third baseman for the baseball team. Not to mention, I've heard you're pretty darn good at all three. This is kind of a joke, but do you feel like a rock star walking around these halls? Broughton: Well, sometimes I guess (laugh). I've played so many sports and I've been recognized for some things, so you kind of feel good about it. I'll admit that. McConnell: But the truth is, you've got a good head on your shoulders. And if I didn't ask you that question, you'd never admit that. How do you deal with knowing that your classmates and younger kids look up to you? Broughton: You know, I've just become so inclined to it and I've been so used to it, that it really doesn't bother me. At times there's a lot of pressure, but you learn how to take that pressure and turn it into a positive. McConnell: You've been playing four years of varsity hoops now, starting all four years, and the team has come a long way. What has it been like to see the development first-hand? Broughton: It's really, really rewarding. Brad Naffziger and I played as freshmen and then a big group of seniors went out, so we were put into a position as sophomores to lead a team full of sophomores. There were five of us starting. Playing together for so long, this season it just seems like we really know how to play with each other. McConnell: Some of our readers are probably reading this article and hearing about you for the first time. What have been some of the trials and tribulations of being at a smaller school, perhaps not being recognized as much as you deserve? Broughton: It was a big decision for me (to come to Lutheran). My parents saw that I had some talent at a young age. Both my sisters went here. But it was a decision that I made. I had opportunities to go to Franklin Central, Roncalli or some of the bigger schools around here, but I chose Lutheran because I knew the atmosphere from coming here so much as a little kid. Another big part was the fact that I play on the (Indiana Bulls) travel baseball team, the best in the state, so I didn't really need the extra recognition from a high school standpoint. I got enough recognition from playing on the Bulls that it was easy for me to come here and not have to worry about going to a bigger school. McConnell: Speaking of the baseball, I would guess that you consider yourself a baseball player first and foremost? Broughton: Definitely, no doubt about that. I've had some success in both football and basketball, but baseball is my first love and it will always be my first priority. I play baseball during football and basketball seasons. I have a batting cage at my house, so I'm hitting every day. McConnell: You're good with transitions - funny you should mention hitting. I got my hands on your stat line from last season. Did you really hit .605? Did I read that correctly? Broughton: (Laughs). That's actually pretty legit. Playing at a smaller school, I didn't have a big-time power hitter that was hitting behind me, so I got walked quite a bit. It seemed like if I didn't get walked, I got a hit. McConnell: I guess I need to read you what this says: 49 hits in 81 at-bats; .605 batting average; 13 home runs; 11 doubles; 42 RBIs; an on-base percentage of .728; and you struck out just six times. Clearly, not having a big-time power hitter behind you didn't have too much of an affect. It looks as though you seek balance offensively? Broughton: I'd like to think of myself as a power hitter that also hits for average. I'm more of a guy that just wants to crack a line drive in the gap and run for a double. In the game of baseball, it's a game of inches. If you hit the ball the right way, it's going to go a long way. When I stepped in the batter's box last year, I had such confidence that I was going to get a hit every time up there. If I didn't get a hit, I was the most shocked person on the field. I know how to work a count really well and I'm a smart hitter - all that good stuff that goes along with it - and I never tried to do more than what I was capable of. I didn't ever try to do more; instead I tried to do what I've been taught my whole life and it felt right. McConnell: That was last year. How the heck do you accomplish that same feeling this coming season? Broughton: It's not like you can hit .605 and people don't know about you the next year (laughs). I hit (over .400) as a freshman and sophomore. It's not like I'm sneaking up on anybody, so the big thing this year will be producing like that again with a target on my back. McConnell: To wrap things up, in regards to this interview and also to your high school career, what accomplishments are still left to check off your list? Broughton: First of all, in all the sports I've played in high school, I've never been able to win a sectional title. My main concern right now is to win the basketball sectional and that's a very realistic goal for our team. In baseball, of course I want to win a sectional, too. But overall, I want to hang some banners in our gym. Our gym is dominated by softball and volleyball and girls basketball - I want to put some boys sports up there. So when I come back here after I graduate, I can look at it and say I was a part of it.