Brodie Merrill

Brodie Merrill was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on November 5, 1981, and later moved to Orangeville, Ontario, at the age of eight. He developed his athletic skills early, participating in hockey, soccer, and baseball. Merrill attended Salisbury School in Connecticut, where he distinguished himself as a standout lacrosse player, earning the titles of New England Defensive Player of the Year and First Team High School All-American. He continued his academic and athletic career at Georgetown University from 2002 to 2005. At Georgetown, Merrill was a two-time First-team All-American and won the Schmeisser Award for Defensive Player of the Year in his senior year. He was also a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist and collected 250 ground balls, a university record for non-faceoff specialists. Merrill’s collegiate achievements established him as a prominent figure in the sport.

Merrill’s professional career began in 2005 when he was the first overall pick in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft by the Portland LumberJax. In 2006, he was named both the NLL Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He continued to achieve success, earning multiple NLL All-Star selections and three Transition Player of the Year awards (2009, 2010, 2017). His NLL career spanned several teams, including the Edmonton Rush, Philadelphia Wings, Toronto Rock, and San Diego Seals. In 2018, he joined the San Diego Seals as captain, playing under his brother, Head Coach Patrick Merrill. Merrill became the NLL’s all-time loose ball leader in 2020 and retired from professional lacrosse in September 2023, though he returned briefly in March 2024 to play two additional games with the Seals before retiring again. His number 17 jersey was retired by the San Diego Seals in December 2023, a testament to his impact on the team and the league.

In Major League Lacrosse (MLL), Merrill was named Rookie of the Year in 2005 with the Baltimore Bayhawks. He played for the Rochester Rattlers and the Toronto Nationals, helping the latter win their first MLL championship in their inaugural season. Merrill earned the Major League Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year Award an unprecedented six consecutive times from 2006 to 2011 and is the MLL’s all-time ground ball leader. In 2019, he joined the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) as a member of the Chaos Lacrosse Club and was later selected first overall by the Cannons Lacrosse Club in the 2021 PLL Expansion Draft. Merrill played his 200th professional field lacrosse game in August 2021, marking the most games played by any player in history. The PLL has honored his legacy by naming the award for the top Long Stick Midfielder (LSM) in the league after him, recognizing his revolutionary influence on the position.