Anyone who watched even a single Gonzaga game during the 2020-21 season is aware that former Zags point guard Jalen Suggs was a high school quarterback in Minnesota.
It was a fact dropped by every announcer at virtually any semi-plausible moment of action throughout the season, similar to previous reminders from broadcasters that Killian Tillie is from a family of volleyball players, and the famous bloodlines of David Stockton and Domantas Sabonis.
Suggs’ history is likely news to many college football-specific fans, although folks in Wisconsin are getting their own version of this story after Suggs traveled to Camp Randall Stadium to watch the Badgers kick off their college football season against the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday afternoon.
According to 247Sports reporter Evan Flood, Suggs played both basketball and football with Wisconsin linebacker Kaden Johnson, who Suggs tagged in an Instagram post on Friday:
Suggs has about six weeks before the start of his second NBA season begins with Orlando. His first season was marred with a lengthy absence from a thumb injury, but fans will hope he can find the killer instinct for the Magic in year two.
Andy hosts the Locked on Zags and Locked on College Basketball podcasts, and serves Locked On in a marketing/digital content creator role as well. He lives just outside Portland with his wife Jenna and dog, Tillie.