Tulane QB enjoys spotlight

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

Jonathan Paul Losman does not believe in wasting time.

Tulane wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor, left, talks with quarterback J.P. Losman at practice Friday at St. Louis School. Associated Press

He graduated from his Venice, Calif., high school in 3 1/2 years.

He accepted a football scholarship from UCLA, and began attending classes there, even before his senior prom. Then at the end of that spring semester, he decided to leave UCLA and transfer to Tulane.

And when it comes to expressing an opinion, he refuses to dance.

"Why beat around the bush?" said Losman, a junior quarterback who will lead the Green Wave in Wednesday's ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl. "Get to it and move on. The country will move on. Why do we need to lie to each other for? Let's keep it honest, keep it open and learn from that."

Losman has been cautioned about shooting from the lip, to which he responded, "Sometimes I still feel held down, you know. You've got to be careful what you say. Mainly, for the most part, I'm not afraid to say anything, you know. Whatever comes out of my mouth, that's how I'm feeling at the time. I'll let you know if I regret what I had to say later or not. But whatever I say, that's straight how I'm feeling at that time."

Losman has expressed confidence in his ability, and he is quick to praise his teammates, who rebounded from last year's 3-9 record to qualify for a postseason bowl.

ConAgra Foods Hawai'i Bowl • When: Wednesday, 3:05 p.m. • Teams: Hawai'i (10-3) vs. Tulane (7-5) • Where: Aloha Stadium. Parking lot opens at 11:30 a.m., stadium noon • Tickets: $40, $25, $15. Available at Aloha Stadium box office, University of Hawai'i Stan Sheriff Center ticket office, UH Campus Center or by phone, 484-1122 • TV/radio: ESPN (live)/KKEA 1420 AM (live)

At UCLA, he recalled, "I felt I was too close to home. I needed to get away from my family, get away from the friends. I had too many distractions. I decided to move away for college, and I ended up at Tulane (in New Orleans)."

He said he felt comfortable with the Scelfo brothers — Chris Scelfo is Tulane's head coach and Frank Scelfo calls the offensive plays — and their wide-open attack.

In accordance with NCAA transfer rules, Losman redshirted in 1999, then started two games during the next two seasons.

This season, he was named the starting quarterback, a role he has embraced since he played street football as a child.

"I wanted to be the guy with the ball in his hand, every play, every time," Losman said. "I didn't really want to be one of the guys in the shadows. I wanted to be the guy in the spotlight. As it so happens, I threw the football pretty well."

Perhaps too well.

"When I was young, I played running back because I used to throw too hard when I was playing with the little kids. But as I got older and the receivers got better, they caught up, and here I am at quarterback."

This season, Losman, a former Parade All-American, has caught up to his potential. He has completed 58 percent of his passes (210 of 362) for 2,228 yards and 19 touchdowns. During Tulane's four-game winning streak this year, he threw 13 touchdown passes and was intercepted twice.

UH coach June Jones has praised Losman's accuracy and leadership. That was evident after Army upset Tulane for its only victory of the season. The following week, Losman led the Green Wave to an upset of Southern Mississippi.

"I think the confidence is there," Losman has said, "and the 'want-to' is there. We know we can do it. We did it, we proved it, and we've got to continue to do it again, over and over and over."