TCU quarterback Max Duggan's dazzling displays aren't surprising to Council Bluffs community
Five years ago, Council Bluffs Lewis Central quarterback Max Duggan signed his letter of intent to play at TCU.
Monday, Duggan will lead the Horned Frogs against Georgia in the national championship game.
When it comes to football, Duggan has never been afraid to dream big.
"He wanted to be the next Brian Ratigan or some of those guys that were great players that came from Council Bluffs and went on and did great things," said Jim Duggan, Max's father.
In his final season at TCU, Duggan has done just that. But things could've been very different. After starting 29 games at quarterback, Duggan was told he had lost the starting job before the 2022 season.
"He could've just said, 'to heck with it. I'm gonna go to the portal or I'm gonna go someplace else,' but he didn't. He'd have his opportunity and he got his opportunity and, the rest is history," Jim Duggan said.
Picked to finish 7th in the Big 12, Duggan and TCU have shocked the college football world.
And Duggan's dazzling displays? They aren't surprising to the Council Bluffs community.
"You look at him from what he accomplished here at Lewis Central and a lot of what everyone is seeing is the same Max we saw, just on a grander stage," said Justin Kammrad, Council Bluffs Lewis Central head football coach. "He's everything you look for in a student athlete. He does everything right from his leadership, to his character, to what he does on the football field and outside of that. Just what he's done for our school and our community just allows us to really hang our hat on him."
A community that's adopted TCU as its second team is hoping to see the hometown kid give it all he has on college football's biggest stage.
"He's gonna be relentless. He's gonna lay his heart out there on the line. Extremely passionate. He's gonna be ready to go," Kammrad said.
As his former coach, Jim Duggan's advice for his son is to "stay humble."
"Enjoy the moment. Keep doing what you've been doing because apparently it works. Guess we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope he's got one more in him," Jim Duggan said.
It's one final chance for Duggan to add to an already decorated college football career.