Daily News-Record

This is the story of two brothers from Georgia who helped transform James Madison's slumbering football program into a national-title contender.

One spent the past five years at JMU, three of them as the Dukes' starting quarterback, taking a merciless pounding behind a struggling offensive line in its formative years.

The second came last season, redshirted, gained some weight, and then turned JMU's defense into one of the best in the nation.

And if the Dukes (12-2) beat Montana (12-2) on Friday night in Chattanooga, Tenn., in the NCAA Division I-AA title game, Matt and Tony LeZotte will realize their common dream.

"It'll be the greatest experience ever," Tony LeZotte, a redshirt freshman safety, said Tuesday. "This is the biggest game both of us have ever played in. Even if I'm not playing, or he's not playing, we really enjoy each other. As long as we get to celebrate together on the field after it's over, that's all that matters."

Tony will be playing. Not even a separated shoulder in the quarterfinal win over Furman kept him off the field last Friday, when the Dukes beat William & Mary to earn their first title-game appearance ever.

Tony LeZotte has played all year, earning third-team All-American honors from The Sports Network this week to go with his first-team All-Atlantic 10 selection and conference co-Rookie of the Year accolades.

The younger LeZotte - coach Mickey Matthews' most hotly contested recruit in his five-plus seasons at JMU -- set a school freshman record with 137 tackles, and his is the name opposing coaches mention first when talking about playing the Dukes.

"If he didn't come here, I don't think we'd be in this situation," receiver Nic Tolley said bluntly.

Matt, fourth on JMU's all-time passing-yardage list, has seen limited action, throwing just 28 passes in six games.

This preseason, the coaches chose Louisville transfer Justin Rascati to start over LeZotte.

While Rascati has helped boost the Dukes' to the national-title game - thanks, in part, to a stronger offensive line, and thanks to his ability to make plays with his legs - LeZotte said he could have accomplished just as much this season.

"Knowing that I could be out there doing the same things Justin's doing, there's no doubt in my mind that we'd be in this championship game also," LeZotte said. "If I look at it from that perspective, it's hard. But I came here to win. When I signed my letter of intent to come to school here, I came here to win the national championship. We're about to go play for it."

His expressive eyes peeking out from under his ski cap, it's hard for the older LeZotte to hide the pain of being passed over this year or the frustration of how it all went down.

"The situation I dealt with, I was kind of in the dark about it," LeZotte said of the quarterback battle. "I kind of found out my situation through the newspaper, actually. I think I did a good job of handling it."

Tony, who has followed in his brother's football footsteps since he started playing pee-wee ball at the age of 8, has struggled with the situation, too.

"It's disappointing because I really did come to play with him," the younger LeZotte said. "But it's been a great experience anyway, I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Tony had other options for college, but the lure of playing with his brother combined with an athletic, academic and social scene that appealed to him, pulled him to Harrisonburg. He enjoyed coming to see his big brother play at Bridgeforth Stadium and taking family ski trips in the Shenandoah Valley.

Matt may be the biggest reason Tony wears the purple and gold, but he didn't force his brother's hand.

"When I drove him home on his last night of his visit, I said, 'Tony, don't think of me. Don't think of anybody else, don't think of mom and dad trying to make it to both of our games, don't think of anything. Think of yourself,'" Matt recalled. "I really think he made this decision on his own and he felt this was the right fit for him."

Judging by the early results, he was right. Of course, Matt's career launched with almost as much promise. As a freshman starter, he set single-game records for total offense, pass attempts and completions while throwing for 376 yards, the second-highest total in JMU history, in a double-overtime loss to Villanova.

But after three straight non-winning seasons, Matthews chose Rascati to start all 14 games this year. While he'd like to argue against that decision, LeZotte acknowledges that the end result makes it hard to question the coach's choice.

"If you're winning, you really can't complain," he said. "That's it. We're winning football games. That's the saying, if its not broke, don't fix it."

Still, after giving five years to the JMU program, LeZotte, whom teammates overwhelming elected a captain for the playoffs, hopes people will remember his role in this title run.

What was that role?

"Someone who helped to build a winning program, was a key part to building a wining program, and was a good person," he said. "Being a good person means a lot more to me than being a good football player."

Tony isn't sure when his brother suffered more - on the field taking hit after hit behind an offensive line that was nowhere near the dominating force it is now, or on the sidelines, not getting to play.

The younger brother recognizes and appreciates what Matt and his classmates have endured over the past seasons of futility.

"I have not been through what these guys have," Tony said. "Finally for something like this to happen, its great for them. I can't even put into words how much us underclassmen feel for them. We walked in here and we're in the national-championship game. They've had to work their butts off to get here."

Tony didn't enjoy football as an 8-year-old, but kept playing, maybe to be like his big brother. Eventually, he fell in love with the game, and later, with his brother's school.

Friday, the LeZotte brothers will run onto the field one last time as teammates. And while the trip there wasn't perfect, it will still be a dream come true.
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