Kyle Nabrotzky, a BYU offensive lineman and eighth-generation member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is set to embark on a two-year missionary service after completing his final high school football season in Tennessee.
A Mission on the Field and Beyond
The mission, which the church encourages but does not mandate, will see Nabrotzky join a long line of family members who have served abroad, including his father in Chicago and his oldest sister in Provo, Utah, while five cousins currently serve in places such as Spain, the Netherlands and various African nations.
Physical preparation is a cornerstone of the assignment; BYU will provide a customized workout guide to ensure he meets the program’s daily hour of exercise requirement, a regimen he says will also ready him for the rigors of college football.
Nabrotzky’s decision-making process was methodical. He scored BYU, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech on a blend of logical criteria and emotional or spiritual considerations, a framework that impressed both Brentwood coach Clint Finch and his mother, Sharalee Nabrotzky.
Both Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech coaches signaled flexibility, offering to accommodate his mission plans should he choose their programs, a factor that added weight to his final choice.
This season he will focus exclusively on the offensive line after recovering from an injury that limited his early varsity snaps, a position shift that reflects both his physical readiness and the coaching staff’s confidence in his development.
Beyond the gridiron, Nabrotzky sees the mission as a crucible for character, believing the experience will forge resilience and perspective that will benefit him on the field and in life.
The upcoming departure, scheduled for December, marks the culmination of a recruitment journey that began with a single varsity snap last year and has now led him to commit to BYU, where he hopes to blend athletic ambition with spiritual service.
As he awaits his assignment, which could place him anywhere from Germany — honoring his heritage — to distant corners of the globe, Nabrotzky remains open, confident that the lessons learned will echo through his future career, whether in sports, business or community leadership.