When Aaron Broussard first got to Iceland – yes, Iceland – he had to learn how to drive stick shift if he wanted to go anywhere.

“We’re on a big hill one time and the car starts rolling down – I killed the engine,” Broussard said. “At the time you’re not even thinking; it was sink or swim.”

That’s a perfect parallel for a 6-foot 5-inch American uprooting all he knows after college and moving with his family to Iceland, and then France, to play professional basketball.

But Broussard has certainly been swimming since he cannon-balled into foreign waters.

You might not be able to tell if you spoke to him – he’s humble, soft-spoken, and has a sense of humor dry as the Sahara desert – but he was dubbed a “match-up nightmare” by his college coach.

Broussard, known by those closest to him as “AB,” is a lifelong Federal Way resident, having gone to Nautilus Elementary School, Sacajawea Middle School and Federal Way High School. Being around the community for so long, as well as being the high-caliber athlete that he is, lets people get to know Broussard a little bit. The rave reviews for the son of Robin and Arnold (more commonly known as “Bubba”) come by the boatload.

“Really nice guy. No one ever had anything bad to say about him because he’s where he needs to be all the time. You never have to tell him anything twice – he takes a lot of pride in getting things done,” former teammate C.J. Green said right after calling Broussard a “freakish athlete.”

Former coach Yattah Reed remembers having “serious” debates with Broussard over the rap prowesses of Lil Wayne and The Notorious B.I.G. – the younger generation believing Wayne had the edge in talent and vice-versa. Despite Reed being dumbfounded he was even having such a debate, he echoed similar sentiments as Green regarding Broussard’s character.

“I remember times when I would leave practice, or after a game, and share with my wife that if we ever have a son I want him to be like AB,” Reed said. “He was a competitor, coachable and his actions spoke louder than his words.”

Funny enough, for a guy who has now had to take numerous trips back and forth between foreign and domestic lands, Reed said Broussard had a fear of flying so intense that his coach had to accompany him on a trip to California.

“I wish I had pictures of his face,” Reed laughed, “and how he was gripping the armrest when the plane was taking off.”

Like many other athletic youths, Broussard found himself on just about every field and court imaginable growing up – as well as in the occasional school band production. Those are the days Broussard remembers frequently, especially when he thinks back to the bonds he made with his childhood friends.

“Our favorite memories were always the Little League games,” Broussard said. “A lot of close friends, we all came up playing the same sports together. As a kid you couldn’t ask for more. Sports became a big part of our lives because of the friendships we made within it.”

Fast-forward to his time as an Eagle and it started becoming clear that Broussard was going to do something special with an inflated rubber ball covered in leather and strategically placed black stripes. Still, he wanted to keep the child-like enjoyment of playing all sports with his friends intact by lending his efforts to the gridiron — which he refers to as “the ultimate team sport” – as well as track, despite having some admitted regrets about not furthering his baseball career.

“At the time I was having fun with all the sports,” Broussard said. “I think, in the end, everything happened the way it was supposed to.”

He may have just been having fun, but Federal Way head football coach John Meagher knew there was something special about the kid who expertly went about his business day in and day out.

“He was always that guy, always making a big play. You didn’t always know it based upon his demeanor. And then you see him play and it’s like, ‘Holy cow – that kid is an athlete,’” Meagher said, emphasizing the word athlete. “He is one of my favorites. I really like and enjoy and love Aaron Broussard. He’s a great kid.”

The Seattle University Redhawks loved him too, giving him a full-ride scholarship to play basketball after four years as a varsity player for Federal Way that included all-league and all-state selections — in addition to leading the Eagles to their first-ever trip to a state championship game in Broussard’s senior season. The Eagles have won three championships since then, and it’s undeniable to former coach Quinn Gillis that Broussard’s leadership and integrity left a mark on the successful program moving forward.

“Aaron created our formula,” Gillis said.

As a Redhawk, Broussard picked up where he left off as an Eagle and contributed right away. His role enhanced every year, scoring just over 7 and then 10 points a game in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively, and then scoring 14.5 per game his junior year and 18.2 per game as a senior. But it wasn’t always smooth sailing for Broussard in Seattle, especially after the head coach, who recruited him, departed for a new job following his freshman year.

“This guy that came to my house and said this is our dream for this school; you can help us do it,” Broussard said. “He left, so now what direction is the program going?

“It just felt like we built this momentum and it was like, ‘What do we even do now? Do I want to stay here?’”

In stepped Cameron Dollar, a coach unlike any he’d had ever had, whose intensity helped light a fire in the unassuming Broussard to be comfortable with the uncomfortable – something he would eventually need when going off to play in Iceland and France.

“He’s your best friend off the court. On the court, it’s all about making sure you know how good you can be and pushing you to that potential,” Broussard said. “Having a coach that challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally had an incredible impact on me. I wouldn’t have been ready to go and play overseas without my experience at Seattle U with Coach Dollar.”

It was his senior year in the red and black, 2012, when his life hit a turning point and he became a father to his son, Aidan, and married his wife Katie. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice and went to Iceland to build a family and play professional basketball, which admittedly came as a “shock” to Broussard.

The shock has worn off as he continues getting comfortable with the uncomfortable, something made easier by his family’s devotion – both with him and back home in Federal Way – to stay unified and work together.

“Keeping a family overseas, and growing together, it’s a little challenging,” Broussard said. “But I think life anywhere is going to be challenging, and it’s working out for us right now. We’re all happy.”

In his lone year playing in Iceland, Broussard averaged just over 24 points and 9 rebounds per game. He also was the league’s top vote-getter for its annual all-star game, and he led his team, UMF Grindavik, to a championship win that saw him crowned Most Valuable Player for the series.

As for living there, Broussard describes it as not having much to do – he finished the whole series of “Lost” with his wife in about two weeks – being able to look at dried lava rock as far as he could see and having one “main road” that ran out of road after 700 or so feet. The family, however, still managed to find the bright side of living in a place where they were happy to have a day with temperatures in the mid-40s.

“What we found there was the people were so nice and welcoming,” Broussard said. “At the time you’re maybe not in the place you want to be at, but that was one of our favorite places. It was a simple life; it was a perfect place for us to have a test run at what it was going to be like to have a family.”

In the midst of so much basketball, that’s how it has always been for Broussard: Family comes first. That didn’t change when he went to France, where he’s now finished up three full seasons on two different teams and is playing in a league that saw players drafted in the most recent NBA Draft. France has much more to do than watch “Lost,” and the Broussards – now equipped with the Broussard’s second-born, Maia – have taken advantage of that, visiting Strasbourg, Marseille and Disneyland Paris.

“It’s important with family to make sure they have time where they can do things they enjoy, too,” Broussard said.

He doesn’t know when his career will come to a close, but Broussard and his family plan to come back to the States when he’s done playing. When he spoke, essentially reviewing his own life, it was an obvious struggle for him to feel he’d done justice to his love for his journey and for everyone who’s been along for the ride.

“Growing up as a kid, playing all these sports, not only did I love to play, but there’s reasons why you love to play and it’s who you were with,” Broussard said. “All the support – my grandparents always at the games, my parents too. My grandpa used to record the games and you go back and watch them, you just see how fun it was. I think I’m where I’m at now because of how much I loved it as a kid.”

Aaron, Katie, Maia and Aidan pose for a family picture. Contributed photo