JACKSON, HONDRU PUT TEAM FIRST
Peters Township middle linebacker Corban Hondru is a throwback.
One of his idols is Jack Lambert.
Flash isn’t a part of his game. It’s more like bash and mash.
His dad, grandfather and uncle were all linemen at Division I schools.
And he also exudes some superhero qualities when he saves the day by making a key tackle or sack, appropriate because he has a hankering for watching superhero movies. His favorite characters are no surprise — Hulk and Thor.
“He‘s your prototypical Michigan Wolverine 1985 middle linebacker,” Peters Township coach T.J. Plack said. “But on top of that, he is athletic. He’s never not fast enough to work sideline to sideline. He tracks people down. He’s definitely your alpha male. He’s a guy who is a tone setter at practice and makes plays in games.”
Hondru (6 feet 1, 225 pounds) is a senior and Miami (Ohio) recruit who is one of the top players in the WPIAL. He’s a two-time allconference selection who last season was named Class 5A all-state and was picked to the Post-Gazette’s Fabulous 22 team when he collected 69 tackles — 16 for loss — and 10 sacks.
While his statistics are impressive, Hondru is a team-first guy who is focused on leading Peters Township to its first WPIAL championship this fall after the Indians lost to Gateway, 21-20, in their first appearance in the finals last season.
“It’s the main goal,” Hondru said. “We’ve been working for it since our freshman year. We’re a band of brothers out there. We want to give it our all in our senior season. We’re just hoping there’s a season.”
The COVID-19 pandemic might be the only thing that can slow down Hondru, who is one of the most experienced players in the WPIAL. You don’t see many players, particularly in the largest classifications, start the very first game of their freshman seasons, but that was Hondru in 2017 after he was thrust into the lineup after a strong summer.
“We scrimmaged Upper St. Clair, and we didn’t know if this ninth grader was going to hold up against a big team like that,” Plack said. “After that scrimmage we viewed him on film, and it was enough to see for us to know that this kid was going to be a staple on our defense for years to come. He was so much more physical than most ninth graders.”
So, there Hondru was a 14year-old playing against future Power Five players such as Pine-Richland’s Phil Jurkovec and Andrew Kristofic and Bethel Park’s James Gmiter.
“It was better to get that experience then,” Hondru said.
By the time his sophomore season rolled around, Hondru had already evolved into an all-conference player. Plack said he then noticed a big uptick in Hondru’s strength and production as a junior after hitting the weight room even harder. In turn, Plack said Hondru “became that much nastier on the field.”
Hondru’s experience and toughness actually began to show when he was a 4-yearold playing backyard tackle football with older kids in his neighborhood, sometimes even 12-year-olds. It doesn’t sound like any kid Hondru’s age would have any success in that situation, but he said he more than held his own. Two years later, he found himself in a much more suitable environment when he started playing organized football with players his age.
Fast forward about a decade, and Hondru is now making some opposing players look like they are about eight years younger than him. He’s a physical force for a defense that also features safety Donovan McMillon, a Florida recruit.
“One of the things that really sticks out with him is his physicality,” said Upper St. Clair coach Mike Junko. “Defensively, they design a lot of things that filter to him. They put a lot of pressure on him to make plays in their scheme. It’s a good scheme because he’s the type of kid who makes the play most of the time. That’s a credit to him because he’s a key cog in that defense.”
Seeing a Hondru shine is not a first for Junko, who played with Hondru’s uncle Mark at Upper St. Clair in the early 1990s. Corban’s father, Scott, came along a few years later. Both Mark and Scott were defensive tackles who went on to play at Delaware. Corban’s grandfather, Bryan, was a two-year letterman as an offensive lineman at Penn State in the mid-1960s.
“You can tell he’s from the Hondru tree,” Junko said. “It’s the same type of thing you see when he’s out there. He makes plays. He’s a surehanded tackler who is just a physical force out there on the field. Mark is one of the finest players to ever come through Upper St. Clair. It’s no surprise to me [Corban] is having success because he’s a Hondru.”
Hondru has a sister who is a Division I athlete, as well. Kate plays softball at Delaware.
Corban’s toughness and throwback nature displays itself in his style of play, which he patterns after Lambert and former Carolina Panthers All-Pro Luke Kuechly.
“Kuechly was just a mastermind linebacker,” said Hondru. “He was always watching film and studying. I try to do that, too. And Jack Lambert, I grew up watching the Steelers and watching his highlights. He put fear into opposing players.”
Hondru is known best for his play on defense, but he’s also a big contributor on offense as the team’s starting tight end. He had six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown last season, but Plack said Hondru’s role in the passing game could expand this season, adding that he may also see some time at tailback.
Oh, and then there’s his impact on special teams. How often do you see a future Division I linebacker also handle his team’s punting duties? Enter Hondru, who averaged a solid 33.5 yards a punt last season, albeit with boots that usually don’t include great hang times.
“I get some nice rolls,” he said with a laugh. “In soccer (he played when he was little), I was always the goalie. I would just try to punt the ball really far every time.”
Miami (Ohio), the reigning Mid-American Conference champion, is obviously much more enthralled by Hondru’s ability to stick running backs and quarterbacks than his ability to stick opponents with miserable field position.
“They like that I’m a true inside linebacker and think that I can contribute immediately,” Hondru said.
Chances are they like that he’s a throwback, too.