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the Valley, trains high school kids and coaches club basketball.
His daughter, Lexi, plays basketball at Seton Catholic.
“I look at Ty like a little brother of mine,” McNabb said. “I want to see
him be successful. I want to see him be prepared and ready to go. And hopefully three years from now we’ll be talking about him being drafted in the first round of the draft.”
Working under center is one important thing Thompson is learning from his mentor.
McNabb is also making
sure Thompson is prepared to compete for the starting job as soon as he lands at the school he committed to, the University of Oregon.
“The thing I will put on Ty’s
plate is that I will continue
to challenge him,” McNabb
said. “Yeah, you’re the man at
Mesquite, but I need you to be
the man at Oregon right now.
When you take a step on to the
campus, and during your first
week of practice, I want people
to say, ‘You know what, that is our future.’
“There’s no other way. Listen, we are not going for the free items and wearing the gloves. We want to play.”
When he stepped on Mesquite’s campus for the first time, Thompson wasn’t the man.
Two of his first five varsity completions went to the opponent. It hap- pened during his first varsity game, in 2017, when he was a freshman, but that was a turning point.
He vowed to train more than ever after that game.
“The thing that separates Ty is that football is something he loves, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get better at it,” McNabb said.
Thompson first worked with then Mesquite coach Chad DeGranier,
a former Arena Football League quarterback whose dad played in the NFL, and DeGranier’s former state championship quarterback at Cactus Shadows, Phillip Aholt.
Thompson also connected with local radio sports host Dan Manucci, a former NFL and McClintock High quarterback, and another well- known Valley passing trainer, Mike Giovand Thompson also picked up
a thing or two from one of his youth football coaches, current Casteel coach Bobby Newcombe, a former University of Nebraska starting quar- terback.
Each trainer taught different principles that allowed the 6-foot-
4, 215-pound Thompson to really flourish in and out of the pocket. Everything he learned was on full display late last season while helping secure Mesquite’s first state title.
In the state semifinals, with Mesquite trailing 21-20 in the final three minutes, Thompson orchestrated the eventual winning drive, culmi- nating with a back shoulder 12-yard scoring reception by Jacob Walker. Mesquite’s defense sealed the win with a goal line stand.
In the 4A final against Desert Edge, Thompson threw an interception that almost cost his team the game.
But that’s also when Thompson’s determination kicked in. He ran across the field to make a touchdown saving tackle during the 53-yard interception return.
“If Ty doesn’t make the tackle we lose,” said another mentor of Thompson’s, Mesquite coach Scott Hare. “That tackle was ginormous, and the ball was on the opposite hash mark.”
What also impressed Hare about his prized quarterback was that he didn’t sulk after the interception.
Thompson went directly to his sideline, picked up the ball and start- ing tossing it with a receiver to prepare for his next drive.
Thankfully for Mesquite, its defense held once again, setting up the winning drive with less than three minutes remaining. The com- posed Thompson drove his team down the field to set up the 33-yard game-winning pass.
We’ll let the student of the game explain what he saw on the final touchdown that allowed Mesquite to win 28-23.
“Michael Sterling ran across the safety’s face,” Thompson said. “The safety stood in the middle and decided to go with Jacob. I chose Mi- chael, and I chose right.”
Making the correct reads continued in the offseason when Thomp- son was invited to the prestigious Elite 11 event, where the best of the best incoming senior quarterbacks compete.
From the start of the event in Tennessee, Thompson confidently performed everything he mastered up to that point to establish himself as an MVP Elite 11 contender.
His three-day showing also helped raise his national stock.
“I knew the drills like the back of my hand,” Thompson said. “I was dialed in.
“I felt like it solidified the confidence I have in myself.”
His high school mission isn’t over, though.
Mesquite isn’t a perennial power, but it’s Thompson neighborhood
school, and he wants to keep raising the profile of the program. “Mesquite’s been my home since I was a freshman,” he said. “There’s
never been a question or thinking of going elsewhere to get more looks or offers. Going to my home school, playing there and making it better and leaving a legacy, that’s been my plan all along.”
From fan to student, there’s history between former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb and Ty Thomp- son. (Thonpson family photo)
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Below: Mesquite celebrating its 2019 title in 4A. (Steve Paynter photo/MaxPreps