By Patrick Klein
Arizona Daily Wildcat
What do Arizona and Georgia Tech have in common?
They both have a Luginbill twin.
Tommy Luginbill was named Georgia TechÕs starting quarterback last Thursday and will lead his Yellow Jackets into ThursdayÕs game against Arizona. His sister Kerry is a UA student and a recruiting hostess for the football team.
With her loyalties pointing in two different directions, Kerry has decided to remain diplomatic about who she is rooting for.
ÒItÕs really hard,Ó Kerry said. ÒI have great relationships with the football program here at Arizona and the school, but blood is thicker than water. IÕm not neccessarily rooting for Georgia Tech, but I am rooting for Tommy.Ó
Father Al Luginbill, formerly the head coach at San Diego State during the days of Marshall Faulk and currently waiting to be hired as a head coach in the NFLÕs World League in Europe faces the same problem as his daughter.
ÒWhen Kerry attended Arizona a couple of years ago no one thought in their wildest dreams that he would be in competition against her university,Ó Al said. ÒArizonaÕs the university I look to every week and wish the best of luck because thatÕs where my daughter goes and because Dick (head coach Dick Tomey) and I are friends and I want to see him do well, so itÕs going to be interesting. YouÕve got both kids, but thatÕs your son out there, and that makes it different.Ó
For Tommy Luginbill, different is good. A former junior college star at Palomar (Calif.) Junior College, the Arizona game marks his first start at quarterback in an NCAA Division I-A game. The move from JC to ESPN is not without its differences.
ÒIf I hadnÕt been around the Division I game, because of my father, since I was a kid, it would be like night and day,Ó Tommy said. ÒBut the biggest difference is overall team speed, everything moves so much quicker. Also this level does more on defense. The JC level has high-caliber athletes, but it doesnÕt have 11 guys at the same high caliber.Ó
A high caliber is what the 6-foot, 175-pound junior Luginbill has had to play at during the spring and fall practices to wrestle the starting job from incumbent Donnie Davis.
ÒIt was a full out battle,Ó Luginbill said. ÒHe started all 11 games last season, so I knew coming in that it was a situation where I knew IÕd have to be better. We both did the best we could and it came down to the coachesÕ decision Ñ they picked who they thought was best.Ó
Luginbill made a bid for the starting job in the spring, when Davis was out with a shoulder injury. He capped off his performance by completing 10 of 16 passes for 220 yards during last weekÕs final scrimmage.
ÒItÕs the most exciting feeling IÕve ever had,Ó Luginbill said about his selection. ÒBut thereÕs another challenge ahead and IÕm looking forward to it.Ó
For Luginbill, his ascension to starter at Georgia Tech is the end of a long journey that began at Torrey Pines High in San Diego.
Torrey Pines was successful during LuginbillÕs enrollment, but primarily as a running school Ñ it did not give Luginbill a chance to showcase his arm. After high school, he elected to attend Palomar, where he flourished in their pass-oriented offense, setting California JC records for passing yards (6,787) and completions (463), while leading his teams to a 21-1 record in two years.
Last year, he led Palomar to the National Junior College championship and a perfect 11-0 record, and was named a first-team All-American by the Junior College Athletic Bureau.
Arizona pursued Luginbill after his freshman season at Palomar, but he stayed, a move he does not regret.
ÒI felt it was in my best interests to go back to JC,Ó Luginbill said. ÒThe best thing I ever did was go to JC. I wouldnÕt be at the level IÕm at now without it. I wouldnÕt be able to throw the ball consistently. Those two years were an unbelievable help to me.Ó
Now that heÕs in the big time, LuginbillÕs attitude remains the same.
ÒIÕm used to winning,Ó he said. ÒRun or pass, I only want to win.Ó
The elder Luginbill feels the same way about his son.
ÒIn high school he was in a situation where they didnÕt throw the football but won a lot of games,Ó Al Luginbill said. ÒThen he went to Palomar and that was an opposite philosophy. They threw it all over the place and they won doing that. HeÕs always been the kid that if thatÕs the philososphy, then that is what heÕs going to do. HeÕs going to do whatever it takes to win.Ó
Whatever it takes against Arizona will mean standing in and not becoming flustered in the face of the WildcatsÕ rush.
ÒArizona is so confident in what they are doing that they donÕt need to change,Ó Tommy said. ÒTheyÕre probably saying, ÔHeÕs a JC guy,Õ and theyÕre going to come after me.Ó
Whether they get to Luginbill or not on Thursday, there will be at least one Wildcat fan rooting for Luginbill when the final gun goes off.
ÒIÕm so proud of him,Ó Kerry Luginbill said, who will join her mom and dad at the game in Atlanta. ÒHeÕs worked so hard for it and he deserves all the playing time he gets.Ó