The Powell family has established itself as one of the most illustrious in the history of the sport, and for good reason. Each of the three brothers earned All-American honors on multiple occasions, and two (Casey and Ryan) are in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

But Casey Powell will always be remembered as the first of his family to make an impact on the lacrosse community. He was a star at Carthage (N.Y.) High School. He was a three-time All-American at Syracuse, winning the 1995 national championship with the Orange.

He became a household name in his hometown, where his younger brothers were finding their identities. As Ryan and Mike Powell played high school sports, they were constantly reminded of their brother.

“I was at Syracuse, and [Ryan] played in the state sectional basketball game against Nottingham,” Casey Powell said. “Carthage and Ryan were down one, and Ryan gets fouled with three seconds left. He’s in the Nottingham cheering section, and they’re chanting, ‘You’re not Casey.’ Ryan gets up there, airball, airball.”

Casey Powell joined former teammate Paul Carcaterra on the “Overtime” podcast to talk about the burden of being a Powell brother. You can listen to the episode today on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Ryan Powell was labeled as “Casey’s brother” in newspapers, and when he committed to Syracuse, the expectations came with that decision. He worked even harder to meet, and surpass, the standard set by his brother just a couple years earlier.

“Ryan did a great job of doing what he had to do and constantly developing as a lacrosse player,” Casey Powell told Carcaterra. “One of the coolest things about Ryan was — I went to pick him up for Christmas break, and I walk into his apartment and I see a huge 96 on his wall. I said, ‘Ryan, what’s that?’ He said, ‘That’s how many points I need to tie your all-time record.’”

Ryan Powell famously scored point No. 96 in a national championship victory in 1999. He immediately ran off the field. He handled the pressure of being a Powell brother, while his brother, Mike, was waiting in the wings.

Mike Powell may have been the most talented of the Powell brothers, displaying his flashy skills at the Carrier Dome and in front of a national audience. However, with the success of his brothers before him, Mike Powell started to lose interest in the game.

He had seen his brothers accomplish great things in college lacrosse, and Casey Powell said his brother started to ponder another path.

“The media was comparing him to us all the time, and it was at a time period where Mike wanted to be his own person,” Casey Powell said. “He was becoming a man and growing up. He was such a pathfinder with everything he had done. He was like, ‘Well this has been done before. I’m done with this.’”

Casey and Ryan Powell found success in the professional lacrosse landscape, while Mike Powell has developed a passion for art and music. Regardless of the expectations placed on the younger brothers, each has carved out a successful career.