Not a lot of people can say they achieved something that only five others in the history of the state have accomplished. But if you’re Logan Bruns, kicker for the Jackson Indians, well… you can absolutely say that.
Last Friday night, after nailing a 28-yard field goal, Bruns eclipsed the 200 point mark in his historic high school career, becoming just the sixth player in Missouri state history to accomplish such a feat. It came in a game that marked the surging Indians’ fourth consecutive perfect regular season, and proved what an integral part the kicking aspect of the game can be for a such a complete and dominant program.
Ameritime Sports caught up with Bruns and asked him five burning questions about his backstory, his accomplishments and his future. Enjoy.
- How long have you been playing football and what’s your first memory playing?
“I played flag football for a few years when I was a lot younger, but I really enjoyed playing soccer so I ended up sticking with that instead. In 8th grade, a couple of friends and coaches tried convincing me to play football, which at first made me a bit skeptical, but I ended up trying it out. Ultimately I chose football over soccer once I got into high school and have been playing ever since. The memory that sticks out to me that year was in our last game against Caruthersville, where they had a house not far behind the field goal and on an extra point I actually ended up kicking the ball onto the roof and the owners came out the back door yelling.”
-
What a story! So, what inspired you to become a kicker?
“Since I had a soccer background, my mom kept drilling me to try out for kicker. I tried kicking after practice one day and I guess I was kicking the ball a lot farther than most do because the coaches and other players were shocked by how far the ball was going.”
-
There is a different type of mental toughness being a kicker. What have you done over the years to become so dominant and how do you get mentally prepared?
“It definitely took a lot of time and reps to become mentally comfortable and confident. Really the more experience I had and the more games I played helped me become mentally stronger. I also pitch in baseball, which is another mentally tough position to be in, but playing both kicker and pitcher helps me sharpen myself for each sport. My Sophomore year I was introduced to a coach up in St. Louis, David Brader, who is a special teams instructor. Nick McClard, our long snapper, and I traveled up to St. Louis every single Sunday of our Junior seasons to perfect our craft. It wasn’t mandatory, but both of us wanted to help our team the best we could and be as consistent as possible, which is why we are able to execute so well in games.”
-
Being a part of the Jackson Football team is a special thing, what does it mean to you to be a part of this program and reach a historic achievement in an Indians uniform?
“The achievement alone is a surreal feeling, but being able to experience it while being supported by such a passionate and loving town makes it all the better. And it’s easy for people to congratulate me on the accomplishment, but it would not be possible without the rest of our mechanism and our offense and defense scoring so many points. So, really the achievement is as much the team’s as it is mine.”
-
What are your plans for college? Is playing at the next level something you want to do? If so, do you have anywhere you’re looking at or any offers on the table?
“As of right now, I would like to try playing at the next level. For the past year or so I have been back and forth on whether I’d like to keep playing or if I would rather hang up the cleats and take some time for myself after high school. Three weeks ago I thought I had my mind made up that I was not going to play in college, but then the coaches at the University of Arkansas began contacting me. I won’t go into too much detail about how they found me, but basically, God connected a lot of seemingly unlikely things together that really opened my eyes and convinced me to see where this path takes me. Ultimately, I am leaving whatever happens in the future in God’s hands, but if the opportunity stays open. I would love to kick at a college I’m interested in… such as Arkansas.”
Exciting, intriguing and confident-yet-humble words from the young kicker.
Bruns has proven over and over and over and over-X-100 in his career that he is beyond capable, and well into the realm of excellent. His remarkable ride certainly isn’t over yet though. There is a still a State Championship to defend in 2021 and his college future appears to be bright as well. Turns out the sky is the limit with this talented young man.
Good luck Logan and good luck Indians!
