On Max Duggan and toughness

Within the buildup to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl between TCU and Michigan, one of many causes to consider within the Horned Frogs was quarterback Max Duggan. Sure, Duggan was a Heisman Finalist, and he took house each the Davey O’Brien Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, however there was one more reason to consider in him.

His toughness.

The Washington Publish wrote that Duggan had TCU within the playoff as a result of his “arm, grit and tears.” After TCU misplaced to Kansas State within the Massive 12 Championship Sport, Duggan was praised by media shops and his head coach for his “gutsy” effort. That effort led at the least one Heisman voter, Paul Kenney of The Eagle-Tribune, to show in a poll with Duggan’s identify on the high, highlighting how Duggan’s effort in “working and keen his staff from 8 factors down within the remaining minutes” will stand the take a look at of time in TCU soccer historical past.

Duggan’s story is considered one of toughness, and perseverance. After beginning ten video games as a real freshman again in 2019, together with main the Horned Frogs to a victory over Texas, his world modified the next yr. Throughout a medical examination previous to the shortened 2020 season, Duggan was identified with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, a uncommon coronary heart situation.

This situation includes an additional signaling pathway between the higher and decrease chambers of the guts, which may trigger a quick heartbeat when the additional sign fires together with these already current. The commonest symptom of WPW is a sudden onset of a coronary heart price better than 100 beats per minute, which may final a number of seconds, and even hours. The signs can come up throughout train, and even at full relaxation.

(Full disclosure, the writer of this piece was additionally identified with WPW a number of years in the past throughout a routine bodily examination).

Remedy for the situation varies, and is dependent upon the severity and frequency of the signs. In some circumstances, the signs are gentle and rare, so medical intervention is just not crucial (comparable to for the undersigned writer). In additional extreme circumstances, a catheter ablation is carried out, the place a catheter is inserted by way of leg and into the guts as a part of a surgical procedure to dam the defective sign.

Duggan underwent that process, and endured a second surgical procedure a number of days later to take away blot clots. He instructed the Texas Month-to-month again in December in regards to the ordeal. “It put catheters by way of my neck and groin,” he mentioned. “I had a nine-hour process. After which two days later, I had a blood clot from the surgical procedure, so I had to enter emergency surgical procedure proper after that. It type of simply places a cease in your life.”

Duggan didn’t begin the season-opening recreation for TCU that yr, however got here off the bench to throw three landing passes in a loss to Iowa State. Through the 2021 marketing campaign, Duggan battled a damaged bone and a torn tendon in considered one of his toes, and the Horned Frogs struggled. Head coach Gary Patterson, who recruited Duggan to TCU, was fired after the eighth recreation of the yr. Nonetheless, Patterson took to social media to defend his former QB after being let go:

2022 introduced a brand new coach to TCU, in Sonny Dykes. Previous to the beginning of the 2022 marketing campaign, Dykes and offensive coordinator Garrett Riley let the QB know that the brand new teaching employees had picked Chandler Morris because the beginning QB for the season.

Duggan might have transferred.

He didn’t. And when Morris harm his knee within the season opener, Duggan stepped again into the huddle.

And the remaining is historical past.

Duggan’s toughness and willpower is well-documented at this level, as are his outcomes on the sphere. The quarterback accomplished 63.7% of his passes this season for 3,546 yards and 32 touchdowns, in opposition to simply 6 interceptions. As famous he was a Heisman Finalist, together with the opposite awards he gained this yr.

However with the Horned Frogs on the cusp of a nationwide championship, right here is one other means to take a look at his toughness: By it from an on-field perspective.

Toughness on the QB place is a non-negotiable. Lengthy-time coach Terry Shea, in his implausible quarterback guide Eyes Up, wrote this in regards to the place:

It may be argued that toughness — psychological and bodily — is as vital as expertise or self-confidence. Probably the most difficult elements about Quarterbacking is adjusting to the psychological and emotional stress. The stress may be huge in video games in any respect ranges. As the sport unfolds, a Quarterback’s psychological toughness is keenly examined. To hold in there when you’re worn down and your physique hurts. To own the nerve to launch the ball with anticipation. To maintain getting up after every hit. To maintain coming again. To refuse to lose. That is how toughness is outlined. A mentally robust Quarterback produces the poise to play effectively in stress conditions and that may be a defining advantage of Quarterback play.

The sub-title to Eyes Up?

Teaching the lads with the nerve to play essentially the most difficult place in soccer.

Duggan’s play throughout his profession, and positively this season, is stuffed with moments like these described by Shea. The place the QB solutions the questions posed of all quarterbacks. Performs like this third-down conversion in opposition to Texas Tech, the place Duggan delivers an ideal nine-ball alongside the suitable sideline from a collapsing pocket, realizing successful is coming:

Or maybe this fourth-quarter landing in opposition to Texas, the place Duggan once more stares down stress within the pocket earlier than connecting with Quentin Johnston on the submit route for the landing:

Duggan takes benefit of a protection bust within the secondary, because the cornerback and the protection in Cowl 4 each run with the out route from the within receiver as a part of a “submit/out” mixture. That leaves Johnston extensive open on the submit, however Duggan has to hold within the pocket an additional second to make the throw, leaving himself uncovered to successful.

That was the circumstances on this throw in opposition to Baylor, the place Duggan hits on a wide-open nook route realizing a giant hit is bearing down on him:

However maybe one of the best examples of how Duggan’s toughness play out on the sphere include him as a runner. TCU has used the QB of their run recreation all through his profession, and this season Duggan ran 127 occasions for 461 yards and eight touchdowns. He isn’t essentially the most explosive athlete on the roster, however he finds a technique to get what he can, and infrequently extra.

Again in Week 6 in opposition to Oklahoma State, TCU was pushed to the brink. The Cowboys acquired out to a 24-7 lead early within the second quarter, and have been up 30-16 late within the third quarter after a Tanner Brown subject purpose. As for Duggan, he was knocked out of that recreation briefly after a giant hit, however sparked a fourth-quarter comeback for TCU, throwing the game-tying landing with underneath two minutes remaining.

Then, within the second time beyond regulation, TCU referred to as his quantity.

That is aggressive toughness on the quarterback place. The need to battle for each inch. Or in Shea’s phrases: “To maintain getting up after every hit. To maintain coming again. To refuse to lose. That is how toughness is outlined.”

Duggan has outlined toughness all through his TCU profession.

He’ll get one other probability to show that on Monday evening. Within the largest recreation he’s ever seen.