Hinsdale Central defensive end Tommy Riordan was a freshman when a reporter asked him the question.
Who is a better athlete, him or his older brother Gene?
“Me, by far,” Tommy Riordan answered. “I’m also better looking and much smarter.”
Two years later, Tommy Riordan was asked whether there were any repercussions from that statement.
“There weren’t,” he said.
This drew a chuckle — and a rebuttal — from Gene Riordan, who was standing next to him at the time and is a year older.
“There was a stern talking-to — and an example of my transcript compared to Tommy’s that was shown to him,” Gene Riordan said.
But Gene Riordan, a 6-foot-5, 280-pound offensive lineman, said there isn’t too much difference between their resumes.
“It was more of extracurriculars,” he said. “I’m much more of a representative in the community.”
That might be up for debate, too, but there is no doubt about the Riordan brothers’ talents on the football field. Gene Riordan has committed to Iowa, and the 6-4, 240-pound Tommy Riordan, who also plays tight end for the Red Devils (3-1), has offers from Iowa, Illinois, Kanas, Minnesota, Purdue and Wisconsin, among others. Tommy Riordan recently visited Michigan and Ohio State and has visits to Iowa and Penn State planned for this fall too.
As for academic credentials, Gene Riordan has a 4.95 GPA, and Tommy Riordan has a 4.7 GPA, and both are members of the microfinance club at Hinsdale Central.
“We take school very seriously,” said Gene Riordan, who is president of the club as well as a class senator. “Hinsdale Central is a great academic institution, so it gives us an opportunity.”
Th Riordan brothers also are deeply involved with the Hinsdale Falcons youth program. Tommy Riordan is one of the coaches, and Gene Riordan is the public address announcer for games, which are played at Hinsdale Central’s stadium.
“You help yourself out so much by doing all of the things well, instead of just being a football player or just being a schoolkid,” Hinsdale Central football coach Brian Griffin said. “To see them both be able to see the fruits of that has been fun to watch.”
The Riordan brothers say they got their athleticism, work ethic and love for football from their father, Matt, who played guard at Marist and Western Michigan.
“He really got us started,” Gene Riordan said. “He was a coach for the youth team before he had any kids in the program, so we’ve been around football since probably 2 or 3 years old.
“That was really good for our development. He’s a great influence on us, and we strive to be like him. He’s a great man.”
The Riordan brothers are great football players. They are not only big, but also lean, which enables them to dominate opponents, and they’re always striving to improve.
“There’s one thing to have size and then another to try to get that to translate onto a football field,” Griffin said. “They both work incredibly hard at that part, at trying to make the football aspect reflect their athleticism and size.
“It’s fun to watch them go against each other. On the competitive side, there’s nothing like your brother to make you want to work a little harder and do a little better, grind a little more.”
But the Riordan brothers keep things in perspective.
“They do a good job of balancing,” Griffin said. “You want it to be competitive but not distracting, and they do a great job of doing that.”
The sibling rivalry is more muted these days with Tommy Riordan playing both ways. That means he’s lining up next to his brother, too, during practices.
“It’s a good competition when we do against each other,” Gene Riordan said. “With Tommy, it’s a battle every day.”
The Riordan brothers wouldn’t have it any other way. They are each other’s toughest challenge.
“Definitely going up against a good offensive tackle every day in practice is very helpful when you go up against what I would say is the average high school player,” Tommy Riordan said. “Going against better competition, you get better.”
So who better to analyze what traits make someone a special player than his brother?
“There’s a lot of offensive linemen that can’t really move as much,” Tommy Riordan said. “They have the size, they have all that strength, but Gene moves really well. He has really good footwork, and he can bend at the hips.”
That’s a necessary skill when someone like Tommy Riordan is coming for you.
“I think Tommy’s best aspect as a pass rusher is his ability to convert his power and also keep up speed simultaneously,” Gene Riordan said. “He does a great job of making offensive linemen be aware of the bull rush. It’s really hard to counter sometimes.
“And as a tight end, I think he does a great job of downfield blocking and blocking the line of scrimmage. We do double teams together, and it’s always a joy with that.”
The Red Devils hope this season will be filled with joy. In their final season together, the Riordan brothers hope to lead the team to the playoffs.
“We have a lot to look forward to as a group,” Gene Riordan said. “We have a very strong bond between the junior and senior grade levels, and our offense has a lot of firepower.
“On the offensive line, we work as a unit, and we’re very smart with what we do. Just got to go out on Friday nights and execute. We’ve got to fight every week to win games.”
Those who know the Riordan brothers best know they have a high ceiling. But exactly how high it is remains a mystery.
“What determines someone’s ceiling is a bunch of factors that haven’t happened yet, right?” Griffin said. “But for me, the more important part is what have you done up to this point to set yourself up to continue to have success, and both Gene and Tommy have done the things they needed to do.
“They’ve worked in the offseason, they’ve played other sports (lacrosse), they’ve worked hard on the field, so they’ve done the things to set themselves up to reach their potential, whatever that is, down the road.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.
