As the NFL marketing campaign strongly emphasizes in its commercials and on social media, "football is family." Generations of children have learned about the game from the adults in their lives, and that shared connection can create a special bond that can last a lifetime.
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In Sam Huard's case, that three-worded phrase rings true even more, considering his bloodline. The son of Damon Huard is following in his dad's footsteps and has committed to play for the University of Washington next fall.
Huard, the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the country, also received offers to play for Arizona, Boise State, California, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee, Texas Tech, and USC.
The Washington Huskies had a built-in geographic advantage at their disposal, however; Huard grew up in Bellevue, just across Lake Washington from Seattle. The relationship between the Huards and UW also goes back decades.
Damon played there before getting a chance to start with the Miami Dolphins, and Damon's brother Brock Huard also played quarterback for the Huskies. Another uncle, Luke Huard, played Division I football, but it was across the country for North Carolina.
As for Sam, the five-star recruit currently plays at Kennedy Catholic High School in nearby Burien. He committed to UW way back in 2018 when Chris Petersen was the head coach. Despite the regime change and Jimmy Lake now in charge of the program, Huard will still be a Huskies quarterback.
Sam Huard: Washington's Next Star QB
Committed. #homegrown pic.twitter.com/LckeHbkzLy
— Sam Huard (@samhuard11) November 23, 2018
RELATED: LSU's Next Star QB is a Super Bowl Champion's Son
The original plan for Huard was to enroll at Washington early, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed his senior season until the spring. The Lancers will be together for one final ride, and many members of the team have Division I college football intentions, including standout defensive back prospect Noah Rushing.
Only Eastside Catholic defensive tackle J.T. Tuimoloau and Stellacoom wide receiver Emeka Egbuka rank above Huard in the state, according to 247Sports.
Washington, like the rest of the Pac-12, postponed their season earlier this summer as a result of the fear of COVID-19 derailing games and being a risk to the health and safety of everyone involved. The NCAA elected to have individual conferences make the decision of whether or not to play, and many have been going full steam ahead this fall.
https://twitter.com/PFFtroII/status/1318405421556617217
Even though the conference voted to resume play starting in November, it may put Pac-12 schools at a bit of a disadvantage, and smaller recruiting classes may be forthcoming. It will be interesting to see the ripple effect of the conference electing to suspend their operations this fall.
Sam Huard Highlights
There is quite a bit of buzz surrounding Sam Huard's play on the field. His arm is explosive, and he can connect on deep balls like few others at his level. Kennedy Catholic head coach Sheldon Cross has created an "air raid" system for his QB, similar to the one made famous by former Washington State coach Mike Leach over the years.
During his 32-game high school football career, Huard has already thrown for a whopping 132 touchdowns and has been able to limit interceptions, which is no small feat for someone throwing the ball so often.
College football is a much more challenging game, of course, but Huard seems up to the test. In 2017, he was named the MaxPreps Freshman of the Year, and he led Kennedy Catholic to a state title in 2019. He generally remains in the pocket and is the perfect combination of a quick and accurate passer, traits that rarely go together at the high school level.
Damon Huard had a long career and was a part of two Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots teams. He also had the chance to start 21 games for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006-08 and threw 11 touchdowns and just one interception in his inaugural year there. Brock Huard had a less-storied career but was still able to make it into a few Seattle Seahawks games.
Having multiple football players from the same family make the NFL is astounding, but if scouts are correct, not only will Sam Huard join their company, he may also be the most talented out of all of them.
If things go well, there is a strong chance he will be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in a few years, too.
