Brianna Gilliam is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Perry High School for AZPreps365.com.

Last year Kael Snyder was playing on the freshman football team for Perry High School. This year, Snyder is a leader for the varsity team as their starting quarterback. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound sophomore has thrown 14 touchdown passes and over 1,000 yards in the first half of the season.

During practice on Wednesday night Snyder talked about his life both on and off the field. One topic he brought up several times was his father, Adam Snyder, who played in the NFL for 10 years. The elder Snyder also happens to be a part of the Perry coaching staff. Him and coach Jake Ayala both spoke on the type of player Kael is.

Kael was born in Palo Alto, California and lived there for about five to six years before his dad got picked up by the Arizona Cardinals and they moved to the Phoenix area. Growing up, Kael played multiple sports including baseball, lacrosse, and basketball but ultimately decided to focus on football his freshman year.

Being raised by a professional athlete has inspired Kael and prepared him to hopefully be one himself. 

“He motivated me to play football but never forced me. I was always driven by myself,” said Kael.

In his time at Perry, Kael hopes to become the top quarterback in the state with the most passing yards, win a championship, and potentially break one of Brock Purdy’s records. Purdy played for Perry from 2015-17 and is the current quarterback for one of Adam’s former teams, the San Francisco 49ers. 

Purdy is one of Kael’s role models alongside his mom and dad who have always been there for him.

“I’m so proud of how he’s handled the pressure as a sophomore. It’s a special thing to have lived it and now watching my son do it,” said Adam.

Beyond high school, the younger Snyder dreams of playing Division I football, going on to the NFL, and having a family of his own one day. He is already on track for some of his goals as he just received his first offer to play at Boise State University.

“If I could describe him in one word it would be: Different,” said Ayala.

He went on to explain how he coached Kael on the freshman team last year and one of the first things he noticed was the amount of knowledge he had as if he was already a grown man at just 15 years old.

Off the field Kael has good grades and enjoys staying active with other sports such as skating, snowboarding, and surfing.

Kael along with his teammates are well on their way to securing a spot in the playoffs whether that be in the 6A or Open Division. In just his sophomore year, he is making his mark at Perry and will continue to do so with the support system he has to lean on and the mentorship of his own father.