TCU QB Max Duggan's 'warrior' mentality has Horned Frogs in position to reach pinnacle

It's been a surreal journey for Max Duggan, one that started as TCU's backup and is finishing up with a treasure trove full of memories that could find him in Southern California on Jan. 9 playing for the College Football Playoff national championship.

Two years before a season that landed him the Davey O'Brien Award, Duggan was undergoing a nine-hour heart procedure for a condition he was born with — Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome — which caused a rapid heartbeat. Complications from that landed him back in surgery to deal with a blood clot. Then, in 2021, a broken foot had him on the comeback trail again.

Now, Duggan is being called superhuman by teammates for the way he took over the job after redshirt sophomore Morris Chandler went down late in the third quarter of the season opener against Colorado and guided the Horned Frogs to their most historic season, a 12-1 record, and a trip to the College Football Playoff on Saturday against Michigan in the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.

"It taught me a lot," Duggan said about taking over the offense in the opener. "How to get through adversity. How to pick yourself up. How to keep believing, continue to fight and work hard. A lot of people have been in my circle and supported me, so a lot of credit to those people.

"All of this adversity has helped shape the person I am today."

Read more: 'The experience was awesome:' Fiesta Bowl leaves indelible memories

Duggan's willfulness and resiliency was on display in the final quarter of TCU's only loss, a 31-28 overtime setback to Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship game. Down double-digits in the second half, Duggan put the team on his back and with his legs tied the score up at 28 to send the game into overtime. He finished with 110 rushing yards in the game, but he needed one more to get into the end zone in overtime. That stop, after officials reviewed the play, led to a field goal that won the game for Kansas State and had Duggan fighting back tears in an emotional postgame interview.

He's had time to reflect, rebuild, and reset himself for the biggest game of his life on Saturday against unbeaten Michigan, which boasts one of the top defenses in the nation.

TCU offensive coordinator Garrett Riley said "warrior" is the best word to describe Duggan through it all.

"He's got a very consistent demeanor and I think that rubs off on our guys," Riley said during Tuesday's media session. "Whatever game it is, it will be the same. I imagine for this game, he's going to have the same demeanor he's had for every single Saturday.

"Then, he's a person who has a bunch of experience. He's been in the moment quite a bit. Obviously, this is a new stage for everybody here. But he's someone who can handle the big moments."

Read more: TCU eager for Fiesta Bowl matchup with unbeaten Michigan

Duggan, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, from Council Bluff, Iowa, has a kind of Kurt Warner-type of appeal to him, the unassuming underdog overcoming adversity much of his life, showing new coach Sonny Dykes that he can handle the big moment.

The COVID-19 preseason heart screen in 2020 led to Duggan's discovery of the issue he was born with. He was able to come back in time to throw for 1,795 yards and 10 TDs on 146 of 240 completions in 2020. Despite playing with a broken bone in his foot last year, Duggan completed 145 of 227 yards for 2,048 yards and 16 TDs with six interceptions.

This year, Duggan was the backup coming into the season, before an injury led to one of the greatest success stories in college football. In a turnaround season for TCU, Duggan had the Midas touch, throwing for 3,321 yards and 30 TDs with four interceptions.

He ended up a Heisman finalist, drawing comparisons to former Florida great Tim Tebow.

"He's a guy who makes everybody around him better," Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said. "He's willing to do whatever it takes to move the ball and make plays. He puts his body on the line as a runner quite often."

Michigan defensive back Mike Sainristil, who made the switch from wide receiver this year, was told by a reporter Wednesday that Duggan has been called a superhero, Superman and Captain America by his TCU teammates. Asked what they need to stop him, Sainristil said, "I don't think we need superpowers."

"We just have to go out there and do the things we've been doing all year long. He's a great football player, but I don't want to put him in the superhuman category just yet."

Related: Michigan hopeful with Fiesta Bowl matchup vs. TCU

After going 5-7 last year to 12-1, and being the first Texas school to make it to the CFP, that's surreal enough. Now Duggan can put an exclamation point on it by shocking the country as a big underdog against the Wolverines.

The loss to K-State after 12 wins in a row, let TCU know how nothing can be taken for granted.

"It helped us settle in and understand we still got a lot of work to do," Duggan said.

Through all he's been through in his TCU career, Duggan never let the naysayers get him down.

"A lot of people say they want to try to prove people wrong," Duggan said. "I think I'm the opposite, try to prove people right. The people who have supported me. I feel like they've helped me get into this position. Those are the people why I work so hard, to make them proud."

Related: TCU linebacker Johnny Hodges can credit dad for Fiesta Bowl appearance

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert atrichard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter@azc_obert

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: TCU QB Max Duggan's 'warrior' mentality has Horned Frogs in Fiesta Bowl