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Kokals show brotherly love on, off field

Brothers Anthony (left) and Mike (right) are playing on the same team for the first time.
Brothers Anthony (left) and Mike (right) are playing on the same team for the first time.

Dan Kukla

Brothers Anthony (left) and Mike (right) are playing on the same team for the first time.

"They're very close, as close as brothers can be."

That is how Miami University football Head Coach Shane Montgomery describes the relationship between quarterback Mike Kokal and his younger brother Anthony.

Now in his fourth year with the team, Mike has stepped up into a leadership position as one of the team captains.

Anthony, on the other hand, is in his first season as a RedHawk, joining the team as a freshman defensive back. Despite their very different roles, both brothers are excited about the opportunity they have this season to be together.

"It's going to be really cool," Mike said. "I feel like he's still my biggest fan out there; when things go good he's excited, and when things go bad he's upset. It's a comforting thing to know that you can come home and have a family member there for you."

Mike and Anthony did not attend the same high school, so this will be their first time playing on a football team together. Since Mike will be graduating after this season, both brothers want to make the most of this rare circumstance.

"We've only got six months together, but they're going to be a great six months," Anthony said. "We've never really had that long of a time period to spend together in the last six or seven years. It's going to be a great experience and I think we can really help each other out."

Growing up, the Kokal brothers were very close, but that didn't stop them from having a typical sibling rivalry. Just like most youngsters under the same roof, they had their fair share of competition and quarrels.

Anthony recalled playing a game called hand-sock in the hallways, and Mike remembers using his size advantage to "beat him up pretty good."

Here at Miami, the Kokal brothers plan on continuing their sibling rivalry. In their spare time, they are very intent about spending time with one another to make sure they stay close.

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"Recently we've had some serious Xbox games, and our newest thing is (having) dart competitions," Mike said. "(Anthony) lives in the dorms and I'm in a house so he comes in and we have some pretty stiff competitions."

From a coaching perspective, Montgomery believes that Anthony's presence on the team will have a significant impact on the growth and development of his senior quarterback and captain.

Even though Anthony will most likely not play a down on the field this year, Montgomery knows that he will still play an important role, especially through his relations with his brother Mike.

"Just having Anthony here is another way for Mike to realize that he has a lot of responsibility," Montgomery said. "He realizes that all the young players are going to look up to him as a guy who is a senior and a captain and the quarterback. Having Anthony here, I'm sure that Mike wants to set a good example for him. As for Anthony, he's coming in as a freshman, where he was a senior in high school last year, so he needs someone to look up to."

Both Mike and Anthony realize what a unique opportunity they have this year. Beyond growing closer together as brothers, they each want to make an effort to encourage one another as football players.

Due to the nature of their respective roles on the team, they each feel that they have something to offer the other. As defensive back, Anthony hopes to provide Mike with another set of eyes and way of thinking.

"I can give (Mike) a different perspective on the ball," Anthony said. "He's always used to seeing the offensive side. You can't always get the defensive perspective without having someone as close as me."

As for Mike, he looks forward to helping his younger brother simply grow and develop as a player and as a person.

"I try to encourage him more with the intangibles, for example, learning how to cope with being both a student and an athlete," Mike said. "I think since those are things that I've been through I can help him and further him. Where I had to make the mistakes to learn he can hear it from me the first time."


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