by Ed Morrone

Jordan Longino has quite the monumental decision to make this summer, but if you’re searching for an overwhelmed, panic-stricken teenager, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Longino is a two-sport star junior athlete at Germantown Academy, and he is very, very good at both games he plays. As the Patriots’ starting quarterback this past season, he led the team to a 7-2 overall record, throwing for almost 2,000 yards and 16 touchdowns stacked against only four interceptions. He added 277 rushing yards and six scores on the ground in what was his first full-healthy high school season (knee injuries cost him his entire freshman campaign and the second half of his sophomore year), opening enough eyes to have Division-I colleges start sniffing around.

Where the 6-foot-5 Doylestown native is truly known at GA is on the basketball court. Longino just finished his junior season, one in which he averaged 22.9 points per game in 22 games, good for third most in the city. As a sophomore, it was 22.6 points in 27 games, and as a freshman, 18.7 points in 24 games. A silky-smooth shooting guard who looks so natural out there that any shot he takes makes spectators think it’s going in, Longino has already scored 1,562 career points.

As he gets set to enter his AAU season with the Philly Pride, all anybody wants to know is what will Longino decide to play in college: football or basketball?

Right now, he has no idea, and Longino is perfectly fine with that.

“My personal timeline is July or August, before football starts,” Longino said. “Now I’m just taking it all in. Recruiting is very new to me; basketball came first, now football is picking up to where I’m hearing from both sides. It’s nothing new: I’m just going to keep working out and getting better as well as doing well academically and socially. Just focus on being a good man with high character and let the chips fall where they may.”

With a mature mindset like that, it’s difficult to imagine qny decision Longino makes will be the wrong one. He has already received basketball scholarship offers from heavy hitters like Villanova, Florida, Penn State and Ohio State, with more certainly to come. In football, Penn State and Northwestern have checked in.

It has long been Longino’s goal to play one of the sports at a power-5 college conference with the ultimate destination being the NBA or NFL. Setting goals has been a Longino family tenet since Jordan and his siblings were kids. At the urging of his father, Eric, who played basketball collegiately at Southern Methodist, Longino was always encouraged to write down goals for himself.

“Goal setting has been drilled into me and my siblings since birth,” Longino said. “It’s something my grandfather passed to my dad, who passed it to us. Setting big goals helps make preparation easier. Then, you just have to make the formula to reach the goal. I’m really big on family, because they’ve molded me into the person I am today.”

For what it’s worth, Longino’s older brother, Evan-Eric, chose basketball. He is a redshirt sophomore on the Kutztown team. Longino’s father was a hoops player, so it’s common to assume Jordan might answer the same call. However, football was his first love and he’s been playing both since he was around five years old. So right now it’s anyone’s guess.

Longino is not your typical superstar athlete. He cares deeply about his academics and success beyond athletics. His father, Eric Longino, is a successful pharmaceutical executive, and his sister is a pre-law major with a focus on corporate law. Longino himself said a career in law intrigues him, and he also loves to read, sometimes multiple books at a time (currently What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid). So, while sports are a big part of his identity, they’re not all that makes him tick, and his strong family foundation has allowed Longino to tune out all the noise on social media involving his recruiting process.

And regardless of what sport he ultimately chooses, Longino plans on playing both at GA for his senior year. He wants to lead the Patriots to Inter-Ac championships in both sports, and with his massive talents in tow, it’s a real possibility.

“Right now, my mindset is both,” he said. “As long as I stay healthy, it’s not going to be one or the other.”

Being in control of such a massive future decision is as empowering as it can be terrifying, and in the end, it will be Longino’s choice. He will accept guidance from family, friends, coaches, etc., but in the end, he will not be swayed by what others tell him he should do.

Following his heart has worked so far, and it will again.

“Of course it’s stressful sometimes,” he said. “But ultimately I’m comfortable and calm. It will be wherever my heart is the most. What am I most passionate about? I love to do both, but when the time is right, I’ll feel like I’ll just know. I won’t lose sleep over it.

“The recruiting process is a dream come true. I grew up watching these schools on TV. When you’re young you want it and dream about it, but at the time you never think it’s tangible. Then it’s like, wow, I realize how truly blessed I am. It’s a testament to the work I’ve put in. Something I’ve always said is if I’m not having fun playing football or basketball, I’m going to stop. But right now, I have my most fun and my personality is at its best when I’m playing. It’s where my passion is, and it’s never felt like work.”