Hayley Brown is an ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Chandler High School for AZPreps365.com 

CHANDLER -- On most days, Chandler senior Brayden Nesbitt finishes football practice in his jersey and pads, covered in sweat. A few hours later, he’s standing on a stage rehearsing for his next performance. 

The settings couldn’t be more different, but for Nesbitt, both play a role in who he is. 

“I’m originally from Illinois, but I moved to Arizona when I was about 9. That’s when I picked up tackle football — and I’ve been playing ever since,” Nesbitt said. 

Football came naturally to Nesbitt. The Chandler defensive back grew up surrounded by competition with his older brother playing football as well. 

Acting came later, but grew more serious when connections led to opportunities. 

“When I was about 12, I got my first audition,” Nesbitt said. “I met a family friend who was an agent for Zendaya and other big names in Disney and Nickelodeon, and I thought, ‘I love acting. Why not try this?’”

Standing under stage lights, rather than field lights, made Nesbitt feel something he hadn’t felt before. 

“After my first musical, I thought, ‘Wow, this is different. I love this,” Nesbitt said. “I started out in the ensemble for 'Beauty and the Beast,' and that’s when I fell in love with it.” 

Acting gave Nesbitt a second home. Pursuing both of his passions made him feel like he was expressing both sides of himself. 

“Our production of “Hadestown” sold out in 25 minutes,” Nesbitt said. “People were talking about it all over the Valley. Putting Arizona theater on the map means a lot.”

Despite all the success and attention garnered by the “Hadestown” production, Nesbitt missed that Friday night lights sensation he felt every time he stepped on the field.

“After a while, I really started missing football,” Nesbitt said. “My teammates were texting me like, ‘Where are you at, Nes? We miss you, man. We want to see you out here.’ That’s when I knew I had to go back.” 

Nesbitt returned to the team just a few weeks before the season began, missing most of the spring and summer workouts. 

“People told me I was crazy — that I’d be stupid to think I could play after missing the whole summer,” Nesbitt said. “But I just kept my head down, working to prove them wrong.” 

Chandler coach Ty Wisdom saw Nesbitt’s commitment to the team from the moment he got back and gave him a chance to earn his spot for his senior season. 

“I had talked to him in the spring about coming out for football,” Wisdom said. “He came out to some practices, but then messaged me in the summer saying he didn’t think he was going to play due to focusing on his acting career. I was disappointed, but understood.”

Nesbitt’s coaches and teammates never discouraged his acting dreams and supported him being committed to them in addition to football. 

“A week into fall camp, I heard he was really missing it,” Wisdom said. “So we set up a time and talked about him being fully committed to the program. Since then he has excelled, and earned his spot as a starter in the defensive backfield.”

For Nesbitt, balancing both commitments isn't easy; he often finishes one thing and jumps straight to another. 

“We get done with practice at 5:30, I shower at Chandler, hit the road, and get to rehearsal,” he said. “Rehearsals are long — sometimes until 10 or 11 at night — but you’ve got to get everything right because it’s all live. You can’t have mistakes.”

Chandler defensive coordinator Airabin Justin said Nesbitt’s work ethic and acting experience shows up on the field. 

“He has to remember the script in acting parts, which I think has helped him pick up the defense fairly quickly,” Justin said. “Acting has also helped him commit to the role he is in — I believe that is the reason he is always going 100%.”

At first, Nesbitt’s teammates weren’t sure how serious he was about acting — until they saw it for themselves.

“My teammates thought it was funny — they’d always known me as just football, football, football,” Nesbitt said. “People used to make fun of me for doing theater, but now that they’ve seen what I can do, they respect it.” 

Now, Nesbitt feels supported in ways he hadn’t before. His teammates even gave him a nickname — “Denzel,” after actor Denzel Washington. 

Many high school students feel pressure to focus on one passion, but Nesbitt is determined to pursue both football and acting after graduation. 

“I’ve recently sat down and thought about the next step after high school,” Nesbitt said. “If I were to pick up some offers for football, I think I’d definitely take one — and probably minor in musical performance. I definitely see myself doing both as long as I can.” 

With Chandler football nearing the end of its regular season, Nesbitt is looking ahead — both to his final games and a recent Netflix audition. 

“I’m really excited about that, but also to finish this last season with my guys. It’s my senior year — I’m never going to get this back. So why not go all in?”