Steven Johnson: Max Duggan belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of TCU legends

LaDainian Tomlinson, Andy Dalton, Davey O’Brien, Max Duggan?

When you think about TCU football history, the first three names quickly come to mind as the faces of the Horned Frogs.

After leading TCU to the College Football Playoff, Duggan finds himself on a similar level with all-time greats in the eyes of coach Sonny Dykes.

“It’s hard to predict what someone’s legacy is going to be,” Dykes said Thursday. “You look at Max, I think it’s going to be similar to Andy Dalton. You look at Andy and his time at TCU, he kind of put TCU on the map.”

The Red Rifle led TCU to the Fiesta Bowl in 2009 and then the Rose Bowl in 2010. TCU finished 2010 with a 13-0 record and as the No. 2 team in the final Associated Press Top 25.

If Duggan can get the Horned Frogs past Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31, he’ll have an opportunity to lead TCU to greater heights than Dalton. Even if he doesn’t, Dykes believes Duggan’s place in program lore is already cemented.

“Max is going to be on that Mt. Rushmore of TCU guys,” Dykes said. “He certainly deserves to be. Here we are in the College Football Playoff, I think nobody anticipated any of us being here. I don’t think anybody was betting on Max Duggan to be a runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. I think there’s been a lot of things that occurred this year that was beyond people’s expectations.”

Exceeding expectations doesn’t even begin to describe the year Duggan has had. The winner of the Davey O’Brien and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Awards threw for 3,321 yards and 30 touchdowns to just four interceptions. Not to mention his 400 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

He led the Big 12 in numerous passing categories and was one of the catalyst to TCU’s 12-0 regular season.

Duggan walked into Arizona Ballroom at the lavish J.W. Marriott Camelback Inn Resort and caught the tail end of the praise from Dykes.

We know focusing the spotlight on himself isn’t something Duggan enjoys, but hearing those comments from the coach that helped change his life meant something special to the senior quarterback.

“It means a lot coming from Coach Dykes,” Duggan said. “All the success that he’s had with the quarterbacks he’s been with and known for. Being able to grow our relationship and hear that from him means a lot.”

After Duggan’s heroic performance in the overtime loss to Kansas State in the Big 12 championship, Dalton was one of the people that reached out to him and sent encouragement after his tearful press conference.

To be mentioned in the same sentence with Dalton just a few weeks later, was a surreal moment for Duggan.

“Everyone knows the legacy of Andy Dalton and what he’s meant for this program,” Duggan said. “When you come here out of high school you want to be like those guys. Andy, LT, Davey O’Brien, Sammy Baugh, all of our greats. When you come here, you want to leave an impact on this program and this university like those guys did.”

Duggan’s story of being a backup and now one of the best quarterbacks in the country has become the best story in college football this season, along with TCU going unranked to the CFP. Duggan’s impact on the program will be felt for years to come.

Like the Rose Bowl and Fiesta Bowl, the Horned Frogs being on this national stage is likely to help with applications and attention to the university and Fort Worth. On a more intimate level, Duggan’s teammates have already felt his impact and agree with Dykes’ assessment of the quarterback’s place in TCU history.

“No matter how it goes down, he’s the heart and soul of this team,” offensive lineman Wes Harris said. “Not just the offense, but the whole team. Everybody out here has the most respect for the guy, he’s a leader. Even off the field he’s just a good kid. You hang and out and talk to him, he’s not big-headed, it’s never about him. It’s about ‘We’ and the team.”

Quentin Johnston has one of the tightest bonds with Duggan as his go-to receiver and favorite target. Johnston has seen and felt the growth of Duggan this year and admires the spirit of his quarterback.

“What he’s doing on the field is special, but so is his character off the field,” Johnston said. “I don’t think people realize how much Max pours into this football team. Day in and day out, he gives his all. It’s amazing to watch and he should have a place on Mt. Rushmore. It’s surreal to see.”

Outside wide receivers coach Doug Meacham was one of the architects of the groundbreaking TCU offense in 2014 and 2015 led by Trevone Boykin, another quarterback who has a case of being on TCU’s Mt. Rushmore.

Meacham is another example of someone around the TCU program that has been inspired by Duggan on and off the field.

“He embodies what you think a football player is,” Meacham said. “His dominant trait is he’s such a great football player and he’s not a cheerleader, he’s just a leader. He kind of commands without trying to be that way, I think people follow him naturally because of his toughness and his will win to win. He’ll sacrifice anything to win a game.”

We all saw that first hand numerous times this season and will certainly see it again on Saturday when Duggan takes the field against the stout Michigan defense.

Whether or not he keeps TCU’s improbable run going, there’s no doubt that he’s cemented his place in the hearts and minds of TCU and college football fans across the country.