Editor’s note: The Star is profiling members of the Wildcats’ 2021 recruiting class throughout the fall.
JT Hand was born to be an Arizona Wildcat.
His father, Bryan, played right guard at the UA during the “Desert Swarm” era of the early 1990s; His mother, Jennifer, also attended the UA. Hand’s uncle, Roger Hand, still lives in Tucson and houses his family members whenever they make the trek from Orange County, California, to Tucson for football games. Bryan Hand plans to retire here when his time as a police sergeant and high school football coach is over.
Hand, an offensive lineman who is a part of the UA’s 2021 recruiting class, says he’s been to roughly 15 games at Arizona Stadium. The Hands are regulars when the Wildcats visit Los Angeles.
“I grew up going to those games,” JT said. “I’ve been out there since I was little, and (Tucson’s) been a second home to me. … I wouldn’t say it was a pipe dream, but it was always a dream of mine (to play at Arizona). I didn’t think it’d happen, but now that it’s happening, it’s pretty crazy. Now that I’m here, it’s the best feeling ever.”
So JT Hand knows how to get to Tucson — and into the UA. The latter was a lesson his family learned the hard way.
Bryan Hand transferred to the UA from Orange Coast College in 1992, but was ruled academically ineligible after UA officials discovered that he was unwittingly lacking one credit from a laboratory class. Hand held a 2.89 junior college GPA and scored well enough on the SAT to qualify for NCAA competition, according to a Los Angeles Times article written at the time. But his junior college academic advisors told him he didn’t need the lab credit, and their decision cost him a season.
One year later, Bryan Hand — by then a Wildcat in good standing — was on the field when Arizona beat Stanford 27-24 at Arizona Stadium.
Stanford coach Bill Walsh made headlines when a book quoted him as saying Arizona had so many JC transfers that Tomey had to “hose them off.”
Tomey took it personally. So did Hand.
In a team meeting in an auditorium at McKale Center before Arizona played Stanford, a furious Tomey let his players know how he felt.
“It was the first time we had heard Coach Tomey cuss,” Hand said. “He said, ‘Let’s go beat these sons of (expletive) and kick some (expletive),’ and we went crazy. That was an awesome memory — how tight we were.”
The UA won by three points, then went on to finish the season 10-2 and ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press’ Top 25 poll.
Nearly 30 years later, the younger Hand will have the opportunity to carve out his own memories.
He’ll do so with an assist from his father. Bryan Hand taught JT the center position before he allowed him to play tackle football. Bryan Hand also introduced JT to wrestling, teaching him the hand techniques that are also useful for linemen. JT Hand showed early signs of being a talented and intelligent offensive lineman when he played with older players due to his size.
At Arizona, the 6-foot-3-inch, 285-pound Hand will play under a fellow center. UA offensive line coach Kyle DeVan played the position in the NFL from 2008-12.
“All these schools were telling me that I’m too short to play center, and I was getting really frustrated,” Hand said. “Then I met Coach DeVan and he played in the Super Bowl and he’s the same height as me. Plus, I love his coaching style. He’s young and exciting and that’s what I want to be around.
Bryan and JT Hand spent more time in the weight room in recent years. When it came to improving JT’s game, the two were inseparable.
“One guy at the gym we always talked to said, ‘You guys are more than father and son; you guys are like best friends,’” Bryan Hand said. “I would say that I’m very, very lucky to have a young man who is very respectful and knows the father-son relationship. But yeah, we are very much as close as you can be to best friends and also be father and son. I was the same way with my dad.”
Their bond extends beyond football. When JT was younger, he constantly played with Legos, and built model helicopters and cars. Bryan said JT “always had a desire to tinker with mechanics.”
When JT Hand was 13, he moved from toys to hot rods. Bryan Hand brought home a 1967 Pontiac LeMans, a car that JT and his Mission Viejo High School teammate Tommy Mirabella would work on in their free time.
JT Hand’s passion for fixing cars didn’t stop there. He continues to tinker with his 2002 Ford Excursion, which now has a 7.4-liter diesel engine.
JT’s pending move to Tucson means father and son won’t spend as much time together. If California moves the high school football season beyond its November start date, Hand could graduate early and enroll in January.
Whether he’s in Mission Viejo or Tucson, there’s will be a helping Hand nearby.
“Most dads, we joke and dream about these days and say we’ll support our son no matter what. But to have it come true is incredible,” Bryan Hand said. “One of the coaches told me, ‘Your son always wore your jersey. Now you’ll sit in the stands and wear his jersey.’ I was in tears after hearing that. It’s an incredible feeling and I know he’ll be so proud to be a Wildcat.”
