The Times Football Player of the Year: Season falls into place for Marquette’s Tom Durdan

There’s a line in the movie “Field of Dreams” where Kevin Costner’s character, Ray Kinsella, reminds James Earl Jones, playing Terrance Mann, that Mann once said, “There comes a time when all the cosmic tumblers click into place and the universe opens itself up for a few seconds to show you what’s possible.”

Those few seconds were all Marquette’s Tom Durdan needed.

The tumblers that fell into place for the Crusaders junior on his way to becoming the Fall 2021 Times Football Player of the Year started with his decision to “try” football in his freshman year, ran through his switch from quarterback to the running back position at the start of this season and an unfortunate myriad of early-season injuries to teammates that led to a shuffling of the Marquette lineup.

Those things, along with his unquestioned athletic talent and all-around intelligence, have carried Durdan and the Cru to a 9-2 season, a 1A playoff win and tons of great memories, including this most recent honor.

“Obviously, the way the season ended wasn’t great,” Durdan said of MA’s second-round playoff loss to Fulton, “but when you think of all the adversity we went through, all the injuries we suffered, all the things we overcame, there were a lot of great memories we created together.

“I surprised myself a little with the kind of season I had personally. I ran the ball a little bit last year, and I knew I’d have the chance to do it and catch some passes this season, but I didn’t know how it would go until it happened, I guess.”

What happened was a season in which he rushed 123 times for 1,183 yards and a school-record 19 touchdowns, caught 19 passes for 437 yards and eight scores, had three 2-point conversion runs and returned a kickoff for a TD. For those without a calculator, that’s 1,620 total yards, 28 touchdowns and 174 points scored.

And he had a team-high four pass interceptions to go with 33 tackles, five pass breakups and a fumble recovery on defense, showing his production had to do as much with his smarts as it did his talent.

“Tommy’s a great athlete, but also very intelligent, not only academically but also athletically,” Marquette coach Tom Jobst said. “He thinks well on his feet, and he understands the things we’re trying to do. The great part of that is that he gets the other kids prepared, too. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it’s almost like having another coach out there on the field … and another amazing thing about that is that he didn’t play football until he got into high school. He’s done a great job.”

The latest in a long line of Durdans to play football at Ottawa and Marquette – although almost all of them were linemen – Tom Durdan took up youth football in second and third grade but “didn’t like it” and gave it up to play travel baseball in the fall. He did, however, remain a student of the game through watching his beloved Green Bay Packers.

“I’ve always loved the sport. I haven’t ever missed watching a Packers game on Sundays and that made me knowledgeable of it, so when I came back to it, it just clicked. It took me about a week to realize that, yeah, this is what I want to do. I just fell in love with it … A lot of it was Coach (Tom) Jobst and the winning culture at Marquette. That made me want to be a part of it.”

—  The Times Football Player of the Year — Marquette’s Tom Durdan

“I’ve always loved the sport. I haven’t ever missed watching a Packers game on Sundays, and that made me knowledgeable of it, so when I came back to it, it just clicked,” Durdan said. “It took me about a week to realize that, yeah, this is what I want to do. I just fell in love with it. … A lot of it was coach Jobst and the winning culture at Marquette. That made me want to be a part of it.”

In his first two seasons on the JV, he was a quarterback, but the emergence of his friend, Alex Graham, under center caused Jobst to move to one of the two tailback positions in the wing-T attack. He posted a modest five carries for 39 yards and a TD in the opener against Dakota, but his role would soon increase because of injuries to fullback Vinny Battestelli, and the very next week, his replacement, Pete McGrath. Fellow tailback Jurnee Reed then was moved to fullback, making Durdan the main option at wingback.

It paid off immediately as Durdan, using his ability to read defenses gleaned from his time at QB, ran for 139 yards and three touchdowns at Chicago Christian.

“The injuries we suffered through at the start of the season gave us the opportunity to move kids around and make moves we might otherwise not have thought to do,” Jobst said. “That was the case with Tommy and a few of the other guys. They were given an opportunity, and they certainly made the most of it.”

Durdan’s best game statistically had to be in Week 5 at Gould Stadium against Chicago Hope, when he rushed for 291 yards and two touchdowns, caught five passes for 114 yards and three TDs, accounting for 405 total yards and 30 points in the Cru’s 62-42 win.

However, the single play that stands out in Durdan’s mind was the 84-yard pass from Graham just before halftime against Princeville, breaking open a close game.

“I really feel it started with the Chicago Christian game,” Durdan said. “I noticed I felt quicker, more elusive and when I got in the open field, I felt better about myself than I had in the years past, and it went on from there … I had confidence in myself and what I could do.

“But obviously, it didn’t matter what I personally could do. It would have meant nothing if not for the other 10 guys on the field. The line throwing blocks for me, I have as much confidence in them as I do myself and … the success of Alex in the passing game was huge, too. When you have the ability to stretch the field vertically like that, the safeties have to stay back and can’t help against the run.

“Football is a game like no other because if just one guy doesn’t do his job, the play will probably not work. You need all 11 on the same page on every play.”

With only three seniors – albeit two of them key linemen in Beau and Brady Ewers – graduating from the program, the Crusaders should be well set up for Durdan’s senior year next fall.

By then, he hopes to have improved his speed and strength for an even better season under the well-respected Jobst and his staff.

“If it had been any other coach other than coach Jobst, I don’t think we’d still have a program,” Durdan said. “After having just 16 kids his first year, he’s created a winning culture that brings kids out. He gives the kids so much respect, and we give so much respect back to him. More than anything, you don’t want to disappoint him. … I’m proud to play for him and for Marquette.”