Long Shines in Shadow of His Father : Football: Son of 1964 Olympic champion sets his own athletic course as an offensive lineman for Newport Harbor.

Growing up with his body and his last name, Ian Long has had to answer a seemingly endless string of questions.

My but you’re a big boy. How much you weigh anyhow?

“I’m 6-feet-6, 288 pounds right now.”

And you say your name is Long? Any relation to Dallas Long, the shot - putter?

“That’s right. He’s my dad.”

Your daddy was the Olympic champ in ’64. You must be pretty good at it too? You do throw the shot, don’t you?

“Nope.”

Ian Long is a senior offensive tackle for Newport Harbor High School, a young man eager to set his own course in the athletic world.

It’s enough that Long inherited his father’s mammoth body, his athletic skills and his competitive spirit. And it’s enough that he has to answer the questions concerning his father, who won the gold medal in Tokyo in 1964 and the bronze in Rome in 1960.

Ian Long is not interested in winning Olympic medals. He wants to be a football player and he wants to earn his own acclaim in his own sport.

So far he has fared well enough.

He’s a second-team all-Sea View League lineman for a team that has reached the second round of the Southern Section Division VI playoffs. The Sailors (9-2) play La Quinta (7-4) at 7:30 tonight at Bolsa Grande High.

Right now, the most important thing to Long is tonight’s game. Not a possible college career, not postseason honors and not comparisons to his father.

In fact, that’s the last thing Long wants. And that’s why he plays football and doesn’t go out for the track and field team.

“I don’t want to be like my dad,” Long said. “He doesn’t expect me to be like him. He wants me to go on in football and be successful there.”

There have been hurdles for Long to clear, though.

One is his size.

Having grown to 6-6, 288 by his 18th birthday, one wonders if Long’s stature is a blessing or a curse.

On one hand, size alone piques the interest of college recruiters. On the other, interest brings pressure and expectations that can easily surpass talent.

So when Long showed up on the Newport Harbor campus as a 220-pound freshman, Coach Jeff Brinkley decided he had better take it slow and easy. No sense rushing things.

Brinkley considered Long’s amiable personality, his athletic talents, his potential and his strong desire to improve and established a game plan for the long haul.

The goal was to make Long the best offensive lineman he could be.

“We set a course for his high school career,” Brinkley said. “It’s been a year-by-year thing. I think Ian’s progress has been steady. It’s to the point now that you see the progress game by game. That’s encouraging.”

Long said the past three games--victories over Glenn in the first round of the playoffs, archrival Corona del Mar and Saddleback--have been among the best he has played.

A patient program has helped, he said. He has learned that you don’t always have to overpower opponents, that brains and brawn can be a devastating combination.

“He’s set some realistic goals,” Brinkley said. “We’ve just motivated him and maximized his abilities.”

Long’s future is getting brighter and brighter.

“I think he’ll probably get a full ride to a major university,” Brinkley said. “He’ll work hard on the weights. It’s possible he’ll redshirt his first year. They’ll start the process of year-by-year improvement again. And by the time he’s a senior, he should be a good offensive tackle.”

And that would suit Long just fine.