No, you’re not seeing double when you look at the tackles on either end of Polk County’s offensive line.
You’re not looking at the same player on defense, either.
Acer and Callum Eadus have become fixtures on both sides of the ball for the Wolverines since starting football as freshmen. The brothers are triplets, along with their sister, Juniper.
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Acer has 24 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. Callum has 27 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, two fumble recoveries and a blocked punt.
But where they really stand out is at opposite ends of the offensive line. And they had little time to ease into the work.
Injuries pressed the brothers into action as freshmen. They got a few more breaks as sophomores, but depth remains thin. Giving either a breather at tackle now would mean moving a guard outside.
After a stint at tight end, Acer has established himself at right tackle.
“I’ve always been a bigger person, so it’s kind of natural to be a better blocker,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun. They call it the trenches, and you get down and dirty and put your body on the line. It’s fun to let out some anger and just have fun.”
Callum, who is three minutes older than Acer, protects the quarterback’s blind side at left tackle.
“I like being able to protect somebody and having that sense of purpose,” he said. “These people are counting on you. You’ve got to set, block, make sure they can get the ball out. I try to take it as seriously as I can. I mean, I know that if I miss a block and there’s an end coming through, he can take the quarterback out and it could set us back.”
For Acer, run blocking has a more straightforward appeal.
“Pass blocking isn’t my favorite,” he said. “It’s easier for somebody to run a move on you and then you’ve got to deal with all that. It’s a lot simpler if you’re pulling or if you’re just blocking down with somebody. You can just go straight to it and you don’t have to worry about anything else.”
Both welcome the chance to put their strength to work on game night.
“It’s just a switch that you have to flip where it goes from taking it easy to ready to go,” Callum said.
They’re also quick to credit each other’s strengths. Asked where Callum excels, Acer doesn’t hesitate.
“He’s a better overall tackle,” he said. “I played tight end last year, and he was at tackle, so he’s been around it more and he’s got more experience.”
Callum returns the compliment.
“His footwork is better than mine,” Callum said. “From playing tight end, he moves really well.”
Growing up together meant plenty of competition.
“It was interesting,” Callum said with a laugh. “We were very competitive, played a lot of sports growing up, did a bunch of stuff outside.”
In high school, they’ve helped each other adjust to new roles.
“It’s been a journey,” Acer said. “Our sophomore year we both got thrown into positions that we had never played before, and it was a rough time at first. But over the years we’ve gotten more used to it and helped each other out a little bit.”
“We’ve always been close, played sports together,” Callum said. “It’s been a ride. And there have been a lot of fun things.”
They’re hoping for another highlight Friday: a first-round playoff win.
“If we can win this week, that’d be amazing,” Acer said. “I’d love to see how we could do in the second round and see if we could make a run.”
His brother agrees.
“I’m hoping we can get a win,” Callum said. “I think we can do it if we all play our parts.”
