Patience is paying off for Ryan Higgins at LA Tech

With three different offensive coordinators and two head coaches during Ryan Higgins' time at LA Tech and even he started games during his redshirt freshman season one could see where Higgins could have lost his confidence or patience but he it never happened.

Following the 2013 season where when Higgins started, Tech brought in transfer quarterbacks the next two seasons in Cody Sokol (Iowa) and Jeff Driskel (Florida) came in and they both started in front of Higgins. Former Tech head coach Sonny Dykes sold Higgins on a vision, he bought in and has never looked back.

"Tech was the first offer I had and after talking to Coach (Tony) Franklin and Coach (Sonny) Dykes -- and Coach Dykes is the one who sold it most of all," Higgins told BleedTechBlue.com. "Everything that he was telling my family and I we fell in love with and what we could take Louisiana Tech to be."

During his redshirt freshman year, Higgins had his fair share of struggles. His final stats in 2013 were 1715 yards, 59.1% completion percentage, 6 touchdowns 13 interceptions and he was sacked 25 times.

"It was rough," Higgins said of the 2013 season. "I don't want to say I ever doubted playing. but there were definitely some thoughts of should I have gone here or there. It was really tough on me and I know my dad and my family really took it harder than I did. I know it was tough for the fans because it was an ugly season for everybody. I wanted to stay at Tech, I wanted to make everything that Dykes and I had talked about happen -- with or without them (Dykes). I just wanted to stick it out. I never want to give up on anything."

For many, seeing Tech bring in upperclassman quarterbacks would have made them pack up and go somewhere else, not Higgins.

"When we first heard of Cody possibly coming, it was just me and Scottie (Young) and you understand we're really thin. I was never even (discouraged) with Jeff. I never worried and mentally I had more confidence than ever. The competition pushed me to better myself and in my mind I never had a doubt I was going to start."

In the fall of 2015, Higgins was playing the best of his career and many even thought he was outperforming Driskel he suffered an elbow injury and got sick.

"I'm kicking butt," Higgings said he thought. "I just have to keep doing what I'm doing and everything is going to work out and then my arm just fell apart."

This spring, Higgins feels like he's picked up where he left off when performing at a high level in the fall.

"I feel as good now as I did right before my arm started to hurt."

Coming off back-to-back bowl seasons, Tech's offense returns most of its offensive line and two of its top receivers from a year ago. Ever since his junior year in high school Higgins has believed in what Tech could become, and he is experiencing it.

Click here to hear our complete interview with Ryan Higgins.