Lazzaro, Poljan battle for starting quarterback position
Senior quarterback Tommy Lazzaro and sophomore quarterback Tony Poljan pose for a portrait at CMU Football Media Day on April 5 at the Indoor Athletic Complex.
Two years ago, it was Cooper Rush. Last year, it was Shane Morris.
Now, two new quarterbacks in senior Tommy Lazzaro and sophomore Tony Poljan both have an opportunity to play under center for the Central Michigan football team in 2018.
“They are both working hard and preparing,” said CMU head coach John Bonamego. “They’re both miles ahead of where they were a year ago. There’s a lot of roles that are still being fought for and some of them won’t be defined until we get into training camp.”
Lazzaro grew up in Monument, Colorado, and attended Pine Creek High School. He led his team to back-to-back Class 4A Colorado State Championships in 2013 and 2014.
Lazzaro also set school records with 3,340 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes. At one point in high school, Lazzaro led its team on a 24-game winning streak.
After graduation, the 6-foot-3, 229-pound quarterback went to Dodge City Community College in Kansas.
With the Dodge City Conquistadors, Lazzaro threw for 2,237 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
“Playing a year of junior college football got me ready (for CMU),” Lazzaro said. “I’ve seen some defenses and some stuff, but it’s a tough competition. (Offensive coordinator Chris) Ostrowsky has helped me develop. I’m able to read defenses better and help the run game get going.”
Lazzaro made his final stop in Mount Pleasant as a transfer. He watched Rush in his final year in the Maroon and Gold and competed for the starting job in 2017 with Morris and Poljan.
“Tony’s a good quarterback and we like everything we are seeing,” Lazzaro said. “The whole offense is doing good."
Unlike Lazzaro, Poljan has taken a more conventional path to CMU. The 6-foot-7, 237-pound dual-threat quarterback completed 390-of-670 passing attempts for 6,090 yards and 58 touchdown passes over his four-year career at Lansing Catholic High School.
As a true freshman in 2017, he lost the quarterback battle to Morris, but appeared in all 12 games as a quarterback and wide receiver, with plenty of designed quarterback run plays. The backup quarterback placed fourth on the team in total offense at the end of the season.
“I learned a lot last year," Poljan said. "I’m taking everything I learned from that season to bring it together this season. I’m just trusting the process.”
In 2017, Poljan completed 10-of-17 passes for 61 yards, caught five passes for 97 yards and ran 23 times for 110 yards. He scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard run against Kent State on Nov. 14.
“I know to be ready when my time comes around,” Poljan said. “I try to always be prepared and never stop working.”
When looking at the attributes of both players, Bonamego said the duo have more similarities than differences, which could make it tough to decide between the two.
“They are both strong-armed guys and physical,” Bonamego said. “Tommy is by no means a small player. I’m pleased with the way Tony is processing things. He’s made some checks and gotten us out of a bad play and into good plays, whether it be run to pass or pass to run. He’s displayed a lot of savvy in that.”
Similar to last season with Morris and Poljan, Bonamego also holds to option to use Lazzaro at quarterback and Poljan as a designed runner or wide receiver.
Poljan went to the same high school as Rush — Lansing Catholic High School. After graduating, Poljan was ranked as the No. 17 recruit in Michigan.
Rush was not chosen in the 2017 NFL Draft, but worked into a backup role with the Dallas Cowboys. Lazzaro had a chance to learn from Rush.
“With Cooper, I really learned the film side of things,” Lazzaro said.
The veteran quarterback also praised learning behind former quarterback Morris, who is currently training to play professional football.
“(Morris) was new to the game, but he was a great overall player," Lazzaro said. "He’s one of my best friends and he played at Michigan, so he saw some of the top-tier programs.”
Even though Lazzaro and Poljan have taken different paths to Mount Pleasant, the two are there and in competition to take charge of the Chippewas in the 2018 season.
Fans may get a sneak peak at each quarterback in game-like situations at the annual CMU Spring Game at 1 p.m. April 21.
The 2018 regular season starts Sept. 1 at Kentucky, then the Chippewas return to Kelly/Shorts Stadium on Sept. 8 against Kansas.
