Younger Thompson catches on
PULLMAN — Jack Thompson has watched countless practices and games from the sidelines at Washington State University, and by now he’s seen just about everything Cougars football has to offer.
But Friday, Thompson witnessed something new on the field – his son.
Tony Thompson is a freshman walk-on, currently in his first week wearing the same uniform his father wore more than 25 years ago.
While Tony took his spot as a young tight end struggling to make a name for himself, his father, the esteemed Washington State quarterback, couldn’t help but beam from the sidelines.
“I’m proud of him, the way he’s worked hard,” Jack Thompson said, observing the Cougars on the field. “It’s not as much a shock to him as it is to me. I called him about three weeks after dropping him off (at college) and asked, ‘How do you feel? Are you homesick?’ And he says, ‘Are you kidding me? I was born to come here. I love it here.’ “
Jack has taken his son to see Cougars football from the time Tony was a toddler, and when no schools offered him a scholarship to play football there was little doubt in the Thompson household where he would end up.
Thompson didn’t join the Cougars until this off-season, allowing him to tack on nearly 30 pounds after graduating high school at 210. Tony said he looks and feels much more like the collegiate tight ends against whom he will compete.
The coaches he competes for, on the other hand, can’t quite look at the younger Thompson as just another walk-on. Jack Thompson threw many of his collegiate passes to Mike Levenseller, now the Cougars’ offensive coordinator. As such, there’s a special bond in place for the young Thompson.
“A lot of the coaches played with him so they’re saying, ‘Oh, you’re a little bit quicker than your dad,’ ” Tony said. “It’s kind of funny, but it’s cool because I’ve known Uncle – er, Coach – Levy since I was a kid.”
At 6-foot-2, Tony is not as tall as his father, nicknamed the “Throwin’ Samoan” at WSU. But that’s not the primary reason he didn’t end up playing the same position.
“When I started out playing football, I did not know any of the lingo,” Tony said. “When they threw me out there, since they figured I’d be a quarterback like my dad was, they’d say, ‘All right, 32 Dive.’ And I had no idea what they were saying.
“(If I played quarterback) they’d be asking, ‘Why aren’t you wearing No. 14?’ I think it’s kind of cool just to do my own thing.”
There aren’t any great expectations placed on the younger Thompson’s career, but some of the older players on the team have already commented on how impressed they’ve been thus far.
Even at a different position, Tony knows there will always be whispers and comparisons to his father.
“I am a walk-on, so there’s that doubt right there,” he said. “It’s still an underdog role, it’s not, ‘OK, he’s his son, so he’s going to be a superstar.’
“It gets a little tiring, but I can understand it. He’s a legend. I watched him play, so I understand how good he was.”
Notes
Today’s practice session will include the team’s first scrimmage of the spring. Originally scheduled for 9 a.m., the practice time has been pushed back to 9:30 and is open to the public. … Sophomore lineman Colin Donovan was injured during Friday’s practice and was on the field for about 10 minutes before being carted off with an air cast on his right leg. Donovan was taken to the hospital for further evaluation. … The Cougars have added a new walk-on kicker this week, as freshman Will Quinby impressed the coaching staff by kicking well with none other than head coach Bill Doba as his holder.