When Brandon Chillar returned to Qualcomm Stadium last week to
play San Diego State, some of the magic was gone.
He once claimed playing at Qualcomm in the CIF high school
championship game as his biggest thrill. Call him jaded, but
Chillar has his sights set a little higher nowadays.
“Making a big play in college football is probably my
biggest thrill right now. Hitting a quarterback is one of the most
fun things in football. You have to like that to play
defense,” Chillar said.
He looks both wild on the field and chillingly serious.
“Getting a sack means you defeated the running back or
tight end in the one-on-one matchup,” he said.
With redshirt freshman Spencer Havner starting at inside
linebacker and no experienced depth behind Chillar and senior
middle linebacker Marcus Reese, Chillar helps anchor the group.
Chillar’s passion for abuse is purely
whistle-to-whistle. He has never gotten in an on-field fight
because he hates “stupid” penalties.
“He was just an animal on the field,” said sophomore
offensive guard Steve Vieira, Chillar’s former high school
teammate. “He was making plays every play.”
While the raw material was always there, what distinguishes
Chillar’s play today from his days in high school or as a
freshman is his maturity. If Chillar waited until he moved
away from home to focus, as most people do, it was not for lack of
effort on his parents’ part. In fact, he credits his
current discipline to his parents, Ram and Kathy.
“I am a disciplinarian,” Ram said. “I like to
have him do things.  (Brandon and his older brother
Kevin) were not latch-key kids.”
“My dad and I have become closer since I started
understanding him a little more,” said Chillar, the only
person of Indian descent on the football team. Ram emigrated from
New Delhi to the United States when he was 18 years old where he
met Kathy, who is Italian. As for Brandon’s athletic roots,
Ram competed in the discus, 100-, 200- and 400-meter races in
India.
“I was pretty big for Indian people: 6-foot-1, 200
pounds,” Ram laughed. “There was no American football
there at that time.”
When Chillar last played in Qualcomm, he was more the crazy kid
than the cool executioner he is now.
“He was really laid back, one of those guys with a
carefree lifestyle,” Vieira said. “He wouldn’t
stress about anything. He’s matured.”
After playing on special teams in all 12 games as a true
freshman, Chillar earned a starting spot by the second game of his
sophomore season.
“For special teams they look for big, fast people who want
to put in the effort. It is all effort,” Chillar
said. It is also a perfect description of Chillar, who
combines a 6-foot-3, 240-pound frame with the wild drive that
characterizes players who are less fit for the game.
But Chillar garnered little attention last year playing
alongside star seniors Robert Thomas and Ryan Nece, who are both in
the NFL now.
“At the beginning, Brandon was the new guy. I like to
give him a hard time about knowing his plays still,” junior
defensive tackle Rodney Leisle said.
“Working with Robert and Ryan showed me how much hard work
it takes,” said Chillar, who hopes to play in the NFL
eventually. It is that desire to make it to the next level
that marks the difference between his play this year and last.
In addition to watching 45 minutes of film before meetings, this
year Chillar has taken to watching an hour of film every night
after dinner as well, a habit he learned from Thomas.
“I didn’t watch enough film last year and was still
somewhat successful, so I figured I had a better chance if I
did,” Chillar said. He finished fifth on the team with
42 tackles last season. He ranked third with 4.5 sacks and
eight tackles-for-loss.
This year, Chillar came into the season opener against Colorado
State on fire. Carrying the torch in the absence of Thomas and
Nece, he racked up 10 tackles and picked off a pass that night,
earning Pac-10 defensive player of the week honors. Currently,
he ranks sixth on the team with 20 tackles and has two
tackles-for-loss, an interception and a fumble recovery.
“He is one of the best, if not the best outside linebacker
in the league,” linebackers coach Mark Dove said.
“He’s very quick for his size and has good knowledge of
the game. He wants to be the best. That means everything. The
maturity that Brandon brings is his level-headedness in difficult
situations.”
But as Kathy watches her son grow up, she still sees her wild
little kid in his play and his personality.
“I’ve seen those shows on NFL players,” Kathy
said. “I tell Brandon: “˜Just remember, there’s
got to be a big room for Mama. I’ll cook dinner.
I’m Italian!'”
The perfect mix.