On Friday nights in Byron, the lights go up, the crowd roars, and the Tigers charge the field. At the center of it all is senior running back and linebacker Caden Considine, a young man whose presence on the field is as commanding as his presence off it is humble. To see him run is to see strength and speed converging, but to know him is to understand something deeper: Caden is not defined by a single dimension. He is an athlete, a student, a brother, a friend, and a leader—and in each role, he carries the weight of lessons learned from the people who have lent him their shoulders to stand upon.

Caden's story begins in Byron, though it stretches beyond its borders. His father, an NFL journeyman who played for teams from Philadelphia to Jacksonville before winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens, gave his son more than a legacy. He gave him a model of perseverance. When the family learned they were expecting triplets, his father made a choice: "Raising four kids in NFL football probably wasn't going to be the best for our family," so he retired and moved back to Byron. "Having someone like my dad in my corner... he knows how to be successful at the highest level," Caden says.

That culture of support was critical when adversity struck. Last year, Caden faced what felt like an endless string of injuries—pulled hamstrings, a broken wrist requiring surgery, even teeth knocked out during basketball. For many, those setbacks would have been a stopping point. For Caden, they became fuel. "It was an injury-plagued year, but I bounced back. I made sure my body recovered—ice baths, workouts with my grandpa, whatever it took." By summer, his work paid off with scholarship offers from North Dakota State and Western Illinois University, a roster spot at Iowa, and interest from other programs.

Yet Caden's journey to running back wasn't always obvious. In middle school, he was "too heavy to even be able to touch the ball" despite being "probably one of the faster kids on the team," so he played offensive and defensive line. That experience taught him something invaluable: "You learn what it takes to be selfless... they don't get all the praise for scoring touchdowns, but they're doing the dirty work."

His perspective remains grounded in the mentorship that shaped him. "You've got to surround yourself with people you look up to," he says, recalling Josh Harris gathering eight players for 5 AM lifting sessions—"getting hype around each other, lifting big weight, challenging each other." Now, as a senior, Caden carries that tradition forward, rallying teammates to do the things "nobody else wants to do."

He also embraces being more than a football player. A three-sport athlete, he credits basketball and baseball with teaching him resilience and versatility. "Three-sport athletes are a dying breed, but being in all those different situations—hitting a clutch free throw, pushing through in football—it all comes together to make you better."

Team bonding runs deep at Byron, from the legendary Camp McCormick trips where players "practice out in the woods... stay the night for two nights... sleep together in a cabin with bugs crawling all over." These experiences, Caden says, create the trust essential for success: "I want to be able to look them dead in their eyes and know they have my back."

Academics have also left their mark. Caden discovered a passion for business through an entrepreneurship class where his team created protein- and hydration-packed popsicles, winning the competition and a $500 prize. The victory sparked schoolwide interest: "Everyone wants to start taking entrepreneurship class now, seeing how successful our group was." He sees his future in finance, following his father's footsteps as a financial advisor.

At home, Caden is the oldest of five siblings, including triplets Hadley and two brothers, Cohen and Corben, plus youngest brother Caiven . The family dynamic brings its own humor—Hadley hit a growth spurt and now towers at 5'11" while her triplet brothers are "like 5 foot, 70 pounds." As Caden laughs, "When you look at them side by side, you're like, how are they triplets? It makes no sense."

Being the big brother carries responsibility he takes seriously. "I hope I've been a good role model. I know they look up to me, so I try to be my best self—not only for my future, but for theirs too."

Ask him what he'll remember most about Byron, and his answer isn't about stats or trophies. It's about bus rides filled with laughter, grueling practices that forged friendships, and the bond of looking teammates in the eye knowing they'll stand with you when the game is on the line.

In many ways, Caden's journey echoes that famous line: If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. His giants include his father, grandfather, Coach Boyer, teammates like Josh Harris and Nolan Brass, and countless others who lent him strength and perspective.

Now, as he prepares for college, Caden himself has become a shoulder for others to stand upon—for younger players, for siblings, for a community proud to see one of its own step forward with discipline, courage, and humility.

Because in Byron, greatness is never just about the touchdowns. It's about the people you lift, the memories you make, and the shoulders you're willing to offer for the next generation to climb.