Technically speaking, Amari Gittings was only born a couple of minutes before his twin brother Shamari — but sometimes sibling rivalry can be a game of inches.

"He knows who little bro is," Amari said with a smile.

Such statements of one-upsmanship, though, are few and far between when it comes to the juniors, both of whom have become mainstays on the Griz defense this fall. Shamari, a defensive back, is tied for sixth on the team with 20 tackles; Amari, a linebacker, is right on his heels with 16.

Both played sparingly during their first two seasons in Franklin, but they credit a strong summer of preparation for the increased reps they've seen this fall.

"It's all about preparation, offseason work," Shamari said. "Just trusting who you are and doing anything that's going to help the team."

Franklin defensive coordinator Kenny Kuzmuk describes the twins as diligent workers who do the right things all the time. He says that the two listed 175-pounders made it a priority to add muscle in the offseason so they could play at a higher level.

"They've taken the necessary strides to be a key piece within our team, and they both bring a lot of energy every day," Kuzmuk said.

Though the Gittings twins are similar in size and extremely difficult to tell apart, their games differ pretty significantly from one another.

"He's a little bit more of a bruiser," Shamari said of Amari. "He really played linebacker a lot in high school, so he can get in between the gaps and stuff like that. He's still quick, still versatile with his feet, still got good hips."

"I'm more of a downhill, like to stop the run guy," Amari offered back. "(Shamari is) more versatile; he can lock up a 1 receiver out on the outside. Not saying I can't do it, but he's just faster, a little bit more fluid."

The duo is used to being a part of the same lineup. When they were growing up in Logansport, Indiana, there was always a rule — written or otherwise — that whatever team drafted one brother also got the other. No matter the sport, Amari and Shamari have always been a package deal.

That's not to say, of course, that there isn't any competition between the two at home, but it's ultimately been as a means to strengthen one another rather than settle scores.

"We're good at so many things, so many different things," Shamari said, "but just to have somebody you can truly compete with every day in anything — who's got better handwriting, you know? It's really anything. It just makes you better as a person, on and off the field."

"It's truly a blessing to be able to piggyback off of him every day," Amari agreed.

And now, the twins get to piggyback off of each other as part of the Grizzlies' defense under head coach Mike Leonard, an experience both have truly enjoyed so far.

"He has significantly brought the love for the game back to Franklin College," Amari said of Leonard. "I won't say anything about in the past, but when you come in and you know how to lead a group of men, and you have one common goal, then that says a lot. What he has done in such a short period of time, it's probably been one of the best experiences I've had in my life."

Being able to play alongside one another each Saturday, and be around each other on campus daily, has only enhanced the experience for both brothers.

"This is my best friend," Amari said with Shamari by his side. "We truly are the same soul; we just have different minds. ... The connection off and on the field, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world."