His dad Chris is the head football coach at Hope Academy, and his brother Judah is a freshman walk-on receiver at Iowa.
But Levi Mallette spent most of his life shying away from the sport.
“Ever since I was a kid, I really did not think I was gonna play tackle football ever,” Levi said.
Instead, he focused on lacrosse, playing goalie. And he was a pretty good one, according to his dad.
But then when Levi graduated from grade school, his focus changed.
“I was wondering, what am I gonna do once I get to high school?” he said. “So I was like, I might as well just give it a try and it’s just changed my life entirely.”
Now, he’s the starting center for the Eagles (8-1), who are the No. 3 seed in the northern half of the IHSA Class 1A playoff bracket. They open the postseason at 2 p.m. Saturday against Peru St. Bede (5-4) at Altgeld Park on the West Side.
Levi started two games as a fill-in for a team that lost in the second round of the 1A playoffs to Forreston. He’s not the same player in more ways than one.
First of all, he’s dropped 30 pounds and now carries 245 pounds on his 6-1 frame.
“It was definitely a little difficult, but I just worked out every day, just stayed in the weight room,” he said. “I played rugby in the offseason and that helped me lose weight.”
Levi also spent time on his pass- and run-blocking technique. And there was time to get in sync with the other members of a young offensive line that also features junior right tackle Kennedy Washington, sophomore right guard Andre Mills, junior left guard Noah Miranda and senior left tackle Daniel Banks.
“In the preseason, I just really worked with my offensive line, getting that brotherhood going,” Levi said. “We just came together and figured it out.”
That line has helped the Eagles average 37.6 points a game and earn a share of the Chicagoland Christian title with Aurora Christian and Wheaton Academy. Among the skill players benefiting from that line play are Northern Illinois-bound receiver Ryan Williams, quarterback Eddie Jenkins, running back Jamarkus Lofton and receiver Jamari West.
The line’s success also has opened Levi’s mind to his potential in the sport. He did the college camp circuit over the summer, with stops at Illinois, Northwestern and Princeton, and last weekend visited Miami (Ohio).
“I definitely think that I have the ability to play Division I football,” he said, “It’s definitely going to take a lot of work, but I believe I could get there.”
His older brother’s journey to a Power Five roster spot is an inspiration in that regard.
“I was like, ‘That’s my brother,’” Levi said. “I saw him growing up, I saw the mistakes he made. And it made me realize it’s not gonna be perfect — the journey’s not gonna be perfect but it’s possible.”
And his dad is there every step of the way.
“He was a phenomenal lacrosse goalie as a young guy and that’s what we thought he was gonna pursue,” Chris said. “But he caught the football bug. ... He just embraced the line. He would work and work and work and ... I’d be trying to go home and he’d be in the gym trying to get more reps in.”
What makes football such a good fit?
“It’s something for me to be committed to,” Levi said. “It’s something for me to just keep working at so I don’t lose myself. And in a way it helps me keep a strong relationship with God.”
As for his dual coach/dad relationship with Chris, it’s a matter of compartmentalizing the roles.
“When we’re on the field, I don’t really think of him as dad, I just think of him as coach Mallette,” Levi said. “I call him coach Mallette on the field. Outside of football, he’s my dad.”
