Pied Piper of Northridge : Rob Huffman Chose CSUN and Several Former Glendale Teammates Followed

Had he broken a leg?

Maybe it was his wrist.

Whatever, something obviously had gone wrong.

Rob Huffman was a junior college All-American. He had been recruited by the University of Miami.

So what in the name of John Elway was he doing at Cal State Northridge? Inquiring former Glendale teammates wanted to know.

The Huffman they knew was major college all the way. He had led Glendale to two bowl games and a national championship. He had passed for a couple of miles in yardage.

And he was thought to be reasonably sane, despite his flamboyant haircuts.

“It freaked us out,” said Dave Benefield, a Glendale teammate who had just completed his freshman season. “He was highly touted and everything. Then, when he signed with Northridge it was like, ‘What happened?’ We couldn’t figure it out.”

Eventually they did.

Huffman will begin his second season as CSUN’s starting quarterback Saturday night at home against Cal State Hayward. This time, he has brought along some company.

Three former Glendale teammates are likely to join Huffman in Northridge’s starting lineup. When summer workouts started two weeks ago, there were 10 former Vaqueros on the Matador roster.

This is not a coincidence.

Before Huffman became a Matador, Glendale players were among the many who would brave extreme heat, cold and boredom (and often a combination of the three) to go to any college that carried the Roman numeral I by its name.

“In my mind I was going Division I no matter what,” said Don Scott, a CSUN linebacker who signed with Rice out of Glendale. “Then, when I did, I found out it wasn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

Ditto for linebacker Andres Washington, who is sitting out this season in order to play for CSUN in 1989. He signed with Washington State out of Pasadena High, then transferred to Glendale.

“In Division I there’s a lot of hoopla and promises,” Washington said, “but I’ve learned that as long as you play, it really doesn’t matter where. There are plenty of Division I-caliber players going to Division II schools.”

Coach Jim Sartoris of Glendale says Huffman was among the fortunate few who thoroughly weighed all the options beforehand.

“Rob made a very mature decision,” Sartoris said. “He had his roots here, his family and friends were in the area. A lot of kids have their eyes in the sky. They want the glamour of Division I. Rob looked through all that.”

And his former teammates are following suit.

“When Rob chose Northridge, as far as our kids were concerned that put Northridge on the map,” Sartoris said. “It raised some eyebrows, but after the shock wore off I think the kids started to look at Northridge as a legitimate option.”

Greg Little, a 6-4, 265-pound offensive guard, said he never would have considered going to Northridge out of high school. When Huffman signed, however, his attention was drawn.

“People were surprised,” Little said, “but I figured if Rob made the decision it must be a good one. And when it came to deciding where I was going it made a difference. I saw a lot of good players going Division II.”

Said Washington: “You’re no longer a failure because you’re going to CSUN. People know now it has a good program.”

Glendale players are a valuable commodity, Northridge coaches say, because they are used to winning and are well-coached. The Vaqueros have won or shared five of the past six Western State Conference championships and the team is tutored by Sartoris and a staff that includes four full-time assistants.

“They have some good coaches. To have that many full-time people is unusual at a JC,” said Rick Gamboa, the Northridge assistant in charge of recruiting at Glendale. “They work a lot together and their system is pretty much the same year after year. There’s a consistency.”

Scott predicts that there might be even greater numbers of Glendale transfers in the future, particularly if the Matadors continue to win. In Bob Burt’s two seasons as coach CSUN is 15-7.

“The program is on the upswing and if you want to stay close to home it’s a great place,” Scott said. “I found out Texas wasn’t really my idea of fun after I checked it out a while. The competition might be a little better, but the people out here are just as good. There just aren’t as many of them.”

Said Sartoris: “Kids can be your best recruiters. If they enjoy their experience the word gets around. I think that’s what’s happening at Northridge.”

Huffman would like to be remembered as lead vocalist--as well as a good quarterback--by the time his eligibility at Northridge is completed.

“I’d like to think I’m responsible for a lot of these guys from Glendale being out here,” Huffman said. “I think maybe my going here gave everyone at Glendale the idea that it wasn’t such a bad school after all.”