Luke Huard Commits To Tar Heels -- Puyallup Qb Chooses To Avoid Comparisons With Brothers At UW

PUYALLUP - Luke Huard worried that the break in tradition would break his dad's heart.

The last of the talented Huard quarterbacks at Puyallup High School had all but made up his mind to become the first not to play at the University of Washington. North Carolina beckoned, and Luke longed to answer yes.

But what would that do to dad, accustomed to watching sons Damon and Brock heave footballs at Husky Stadium, only about an hour's drive from their Puyallup home?

Luke looked for answers, and found an unexpected one that helped convince him to make an oral commitment to the Tar Heels last weekend. It came nearly two weeks ago, when he was stopped at a stoplight in Puyallup.

"I hadn't told my dad yet what I wanted to do, and I was a little bit worried about it," said Luke, like his brothers a religious young man. "I was kind of hitting my head lightly on the steering wheel and asked, `What am I going to do, God?' I looked up and the car in front of me had a North Carolina license plate.

"That kind of put my mind at ease. I kind of took it as a sign from God. I don't think I've ever seen a North Carolina license plate in Puyallup."

Luke, considered one of the state's top recruits, finally felt sure about his decision last Friday. His girlfriend was the first to know, hearing at lunch time. Dad was next. The call to North Carolina followed, but wasn't returned until Sunday, when his decision became official.

And dad is fine with it.

"I'll just have to add a little blue to my wardrobe," said Mike Huard, who also coaches Luke at Puyallup, currently the top-ranked Class 4A team in the state with a 7-0 record.

Luke made an unofficial visit to North Carolina last summer, when he and his parents were in nearby Raleigh to see longtime family friends. Before the season, people close to Luke mentioned he might opt not to follow his brothers to the UW, where the constant comparisons would continue. Luke agreed yesterday that was a consideration.

"I really thought going to North Carolina would give me a fresh start and a chance to blaze my own trail," he said.

Luke, who has completed 93 of 174 passes for 1,402 yards with 24 touchdowns and just two interceptions this season, was being recruited by most of the Pac-10 schools. Mike Huard agreed if Luke didn't play for the Huskies, he probably should pick somewhere out of the conference.

"We've been kind of bleeding purple and gold around here for nine years at the U," Mike said. "Going out of the conference was best. You don't want anybody mad at you."

Luke was worried how Husky coaches would respond to the news. He broke the news Monday night to Bill Diedrick, UW quarterback coach.

"My heart was pounding a little bit when I told him," Luke said. "But he's a first-class guy. He said, `We really wanted you, but you've got to do what's best for you, Luke.' "

Luke said he decided it was best to commit early in part to ensure he got a spot at North Carolina, which has received 13 commitments, most of them offensive linemen. The Tar Heels currently are 7-0 and ranked fifth, two spots ahead of Washington, with a legitimate shot at an alliance bowl.

"In a situation like North Carolina's, whoever commits first, that's who they'll take," Mike Huard said.

Luke said he also saw no need to drag things out. Now he can concentrate solely on his No. 1 goal: leading the unbeaten Vikings to the state title.

"This brings my mind and heart at ease," he said.