BROWN DEER, Wis. — The Super Bowl will feature a few Wisconsin connections who played high school football in the Badger State. Guard Mike Caliendo and linebacker Leo Chenal of the Kansas City Chiefs will faceoff against fellow Wisconsinite and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Zack Baun.
Baun grew up in West Bend, before moving to Brown Deer to star as a quarterback for the Falcons. He attended college at the University of Wisconisn-Madison, where the Wisconsin Badgers took a chance on him and moved him to linebacker.
He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2020.
It took him until his fifth NFL season to break out as a star player in Philadelphia. He signed on to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2024.
Former Brown Deer head football coach, Rob Green has over 25 years experience in coaching. He said Baun is the most explosive and high-powered athlete he has ever coached.
“Keep on growing as he does as a young adult is, it's impressive to see him do what he's doing for Philadelphia,” Green said. “He just needed an opportunity, and he's got it now.”
Baun scored 98 touchdowns in two years at Brown Deer and was named the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year in Wisconsin. He also was a back-to-back state champion in basketball.
Green said the most memorable game of Baun’s high school career was in the first round of playoffs his senior year against archrival Pewaukee. Baun scored six touchdowns to help will his team to victory.
“His runs were definitely showstoppers and his ability to maintain his speed over the course of the game is really evident in there because he's still running his 4.5 forties in the fourth quarter where everybody else is starting to tire,” Green said.
Shayna Key graduated with Baun from Brown Deer in 2015. She now works with him to help sponsor kids at Camp Anokij with scholarships.
She said seeing him make his dreams come true while being humble enough to still give back to his community is admirable.
“Growing up, like he took athletics and being an athlete as a huge part of him,” Key said. “So to know that he's achieved like all of these dreams is really, really cool. For me to just like know someone that plays in the Super Bowl is really cool.”
Baun gifted his high school a shadow box filled with his jersey from UW-Madison, a bright red cleat and a thank you letter. In that letter, Baun said, “Passion drives results, that lead to dreams becoming reality.”
That's a reality Green is thankful to have seen come true.
“That thank you… For all your hard work and what you do for kids,” Green said. “That's pretty memorable.”
Green said even though he is a Green Bay Packers fan at heart, he will be cheering for the Eagles Sunday night, watching one of his good friends compete for the ultimate goal in the sport they both love.