BOZEMAN — Ty Gregorak calls him the den mother.
It comes as no surprise then that family has always defined Brandon Hayashi. Before his recruitment out of junior college, Hayashi had never left Southern California. At home in Hacienda Heights, Hayashi found himself constantly surrounded by cousins and siblings as his great grandmother holds more than 250 grand and great grand children, most who all still live in the area.
The Montana State defensive tackle originally chose MSU because of the family feel head coach Jeff Choate, Gregorak, MSU’s defensive coordinator, and the Bobcat coaching staff want to cultivate. As Hayashi reaches the midpoint of his senior season with Saturday’s showdown against Portland State in Bozeman, his natural nurturing ways have enchanted Montana State’s defensive line group and the MSU locker room in total.
“His personality is centered upon the concept of family and his instinct it to take care of others,” MSU second-year defensive line coach Byron Hout said on Monday. “His instinct is to put himself last and put the needs of everyone else first. He totally gets what we are trying to build as far as a culture here.
“He’s a very family oriented guy, family is very big to him and that’s how he sees the team. This is his family now.”
After his second standout season at Citrus College, the 6-foot, 310-pound nose tackle had several offers in hand. He visited Gardiner Webb in North Carolina and Eastern Illinois, his first two trips outside of California. When he came to Bozeman for his official visit in the spring of 2016, he was struck by the beauty of his surroundings. As he walked around town, the polite and engaging nature of those who lived in the community stuck out to him as well.
MSU head coach Jeff Choate working with defensive lineman Brandon Hayashi (56)
In his first meeting with Hayashi, Jeff Choate asked the young man what he wanted from his final two years of playing college football.
“I asked him what he was looking for from this,” Choate said. “He just said, ‘I want to be a part of a team that is like a family.’ That stood out to me.”
Choate’s primary tenet of CATS — character, accountability, toughness, state — resonated with Hayashi instantly. He committed to Montana State before leaving Bozeman.
“For me, what made me choose this school was the morals that Coach Choate stood for,” Hayashi said. “When he gave us the cowboy code, the 10 commandments for a cowboy, when he gave me that, I was sold. Then once I saw CATS and he explained it to me, to me, that’s what I’m all about.
“It was a huge family environment he created here and the moral aspect of what he gets us to believe in was just what I wanted.”
Now with six games left in his career, Hayashi has carved out a distinct role both as a powerful plug in the middle of MSU’s defensive line, particularly on short-yardage downs, and as the steadying, uniting presence in a defensive line group in which he is one of just two seniors.
“If you were to ask me to describe him in one phrase, I would say, ‘Great teammate,’” Choate said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve ever seen in my career. He’s a guy who will be there for you. If someone needs to be taken to the hospital at 2:30 in the morning because they are sick, that’s who they call.
“He’s a genuine young man. I think family, not only his biological family but his extended family, this football team, his brothers here are really important to him. He provides a lot of quiet, behind the scenes leadership for us.”
Growing up in Hacienda Heights, Hayashi never remembers having friends other than the kids on his various athletic teams. There wasn’t much of a need to make friends outside his family ring because cousins and siblings and aunts and uncles surrounded him wherever he went.
Hayashi’s paternal great grandparents were Japanese immigrants who survived the horrors of World War II interment camps. The couple had 14 children and today, Hayashi’s great grandmother claims more than 250 grand and great grand children. His mother also comes from a sizeable family who immigrated to America from Egypt, tightening their bond as they acclimated to a new way of life.
“Family affected me through and through throughout my whole life,” Hayashi said in April of 2016 after signing with MSU. “I’ve grown up with nothing but family. The only friends we have had are the people we played sports with. That’s translated into football with the family mentality of I have your back, you have my back.”
At Montana State, Hayashi feels like he has found a second family.
“Even 20 years down the line, I know I will call these guys,” Hayashi said. “It’s been nothing but support from everybody. We help each other every day. We have each other’s backs here too. That’s what I grew up in is a family environment like that. To come somewhere completely different than Los Angeles, California and to experience that has been amazing for me.”
Hayashi is Montana State’s No. 2 nose tackle behind junior Tucker Yates. He has carved out a role on the field as an immovable object against opponents’ run games.
“He’s hard to move,” Hout said. “He plays with great pad leverage. He can create some knockoff and that’s his strength at the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t move. That’s what you want in our scheme is a guy who can plug the middle for you and is hard to move up front.”
He has notched eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack while playing about 25 plays per game.
“He’s got great knockoff footwork, which means he can push guys back in the backfield,” Yates said. “That’s what he’s good at, driving guys straight back five yards and that’s huge when it comes to d-line play.”
Hout said he noticed Hayashi’s “moral compass” right away. Last season, Hayashi quickly realized what MSU is trying to build is exactly how he wants to live his life and develop into a man.
“He’s a really high character guy,” MSU sophomore defensive end Derek Marks said. “He cares for people and he’s a great leader.
“On the field, he’s really strong. He’s a great player, has done some great things for us. He’s a great leader in the defensive room who the younger guys look up to and are willing to follow.”
Off the field, Hayashi will graduate with a degree in sociology in the spring. He wants to stay in football as long as he can. He has talked with MSU director of football operations Brittney Johnson about perhaps following in her footsteps and learning the ropes of being a DFO.
On the field, Hayashi has a switch he can flip, transforming himself from the gregarious and carrying leader of MSU’s defensive front to a mean, aggressive, hard-hitting plug in the middle of the defensive line.
The Bobcats currently rank second in the Big Sky Conference in rushing defense, allowing 143.5 yards per game. The Bobcats are third in total defense (390 yards per game) and scoring defense (27 points per game allowed) despite playing a schedule that included four straight ranked teams.
MSU’s home game against Portland State offers little reprieve. Despite their 0-4 record, the Vikings average 230 rushing yards per game, second in the conference. The Bobcats themselves enter the contest with a 1-3 record, a mark that belies their consistent efforts so far.
As the stretch run of Hayashi’s senior season ensues, his stated goal is to continue maximizing his role and encouraging his teammates to play as hard as they can on every snap. It’s those football brothers that have made his time in Bozeman so unforgettable in the first place.
“The thing I will remember is my teammates,” Hayashi said. “I will remember all the moments I’ve had with them, whether it’s off the field or on the field. We are all bonded. Even in the locker room when we get to hang out and relax, cracking jokes or talking about things that mean the most to each other, that’s what it’s all about.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
