Hopefully for the Northern Arizona football team, going home for Cary Grossart won't lead to anyone singing the Folsom blues.

The Lumberjacks' junior quarterback will be playing his first college game on his home turf when NAU takes on the Sacramento State Hornets just outside of Granite Bay, Calif., where Grossart grew up, and near Folsom High School, where Grossart graduated.

Instead of having the added pressure of playing in front of his hometown crowd weighing him down, Grossart said he's looking to be ready to have some fun in front of his friends and family Saturday.

"I've had my eyes on this game for a long time and I want to perform well, like I want to every game," he said.

"If anything, it's going to be really fun for me to have a lot of family there supporting me."

Grossart grew up playing basketball and soccer as a kid, but ended up getting drawn to football by the time he hit middle school. He said he wanted to be a quarterback but that it was difficult because he was little, but he ended up following in his father's footsteps anyway.

Kyle Grossart played football for Oregon State before going on to the NFL and playing quarterback for both the Oakland Raiders and New York Jets.

The elder Grossart has had a huge impact on his son's life, and the pair continue to be close through Cary's college career.

"It's a special relationship, one I definitely don't take for granted," Grossart said. "To have someone in your life who's been there before, knows the emotions and knows what goes into being a quarterback, as not a lot of people do.

"To be able to fall back on him has been great for me in my progress to this point," Grossart added, "I'm really lucky and I wouldn't be here without him."

Grossart picked NAU after looking at other Big Sky Conference schools like Idaho State and Montana State, and is now the Big Sky leader -- and fourth in the Football Championship Subdivision -- in passing efficiency. NAU offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren said Grossart was a good fit for the Lumberjacks because of the moxie he showed in high school, and because of the way he waited his turn to be the Jacks' starter.

"He's doing the things we've asked him to do," Lindgren said. "He's very efficient ... and throws a catchable ball."

Grossart thought he would "the guy" once former NAU quarterback Michael Herrick graduated, but NAU picked up Chase Stangel as a transfer from Arizona State before the 2009 season and Grossart found himself in the midst of a competition for the starting job entering this past offseason.

"I thought I was going to be the next guy," Grossart said, "but Chase came in and that really made me compete and focus. It made me play better."

Grossart has completed 124 of 182 passes for an average of 261.9 yards per game and 11 touchdowns. He has 1,833 yards this season with just four interceptions as a 6-foot-1, 188-pound junior.

He said his actions on the field are a better show of his leadership than anything he could say to his teammates.

"I'm not a rah-rah guy and have never been like that, and I like to let my actions show because I've always respected guys who get it done on the field," he said. "My actions can speak for themselves."

Though his actions are loud, Grossart also gives a lot of credit to the guys on the Lumberjacks' offense.

"The guys around me, guys making catches, the line doing a good job of stepping up and protecting me, that's huge, and hopefully that continues throughout the rest of the year," Grossart said.

While getting a win Saturday will be the main goal for Grossart and the Jacks, a good performance in front of some of his first fans would also mean a lot to Grossart.

"My dad and whole family will be at the game, and I just want to give them a good show," Grossart said. "My mom knows more football than a lot of moms, and it's fun to follow in the footsteps of my dad."

Bill Haris can be reached at bharris@azdailysun.com or 556-2251.