RUSTON, La. - Former Louisiana Tech head coach Sonny Dykes and offensive coordinator Tony Franklin were synonymous with recruiting players from California.

So much so that in 2012 the Bulldog roster was littered with almost a dozen guys from the Golden State, more than neighboring Mississippi and Arkansas combined.

One of those 11 was Andy McAlindon, an imposing 6-foot-6-inch quarterback from San Bruno, adjacent to the San Francisco International Airport and about 12 miles south of downtown.

"The coaches that recruited me then, they were a big reason why I was attracted to Louisiana Tech," McAlindon recalled. "After visiting, it seemed like a good fit for me. I had known guys that had gone to San Jose State and Nevada and other schools out west that had played Tech so that made me more familiar with it.

"[The coaches] recruited from California a lot, like Colby Cameron and Ray Holley. I talked to those guys before committing and they said, 'It would be a good fit and a good place to be.'"

So after spending one year at American River Junior College where he set multiple passing records, McAlindon turned in the hustle and bustle of the west coast and made his way to rural Ruston.

Needless to say the two places don't share too many similarities.

"When I first got here, it was a big culture shock because I am pretty much a city guy," McAlindon admitted. "I have always been a big city kind of guy. There are so many differences between the cultures with the west coast being completely different then the south. You just realize they are different places."

There are some people who exaggerate the truth when claiming they are from big cities, but that isn't the case for McAlindon.

He is a true San Franciscan.

Sure, he has done all of the touristy stuff like take a tour of Alcatraz, walk across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, riding in cable cars, but he has always been connected to a city where his mom and dad were born and raised.

"I was constantly in the city," McAlindon said. "My dad owned his own mechanic shop in the heart of San Francisco for 30 years and just recently started working for the postal service. My mom is a court reporter. Both of them were city kids. I have one older brother who is a cop and lives in San Francisco. We lived in a small city just outside, but growing up, we were pretty much always in the city."

One change McAlindon was happy to embrace when settling in to Ruston and LA Tech was no traffic. Another was the politeness of the people, conceding that people are pretty rude back home.

On the flipside there was getting used to the southern accents.

McAlindon was happy to back on a football field though, on scholarship at a Division I program at that. After redshirting in 2012, news struck that Dykes and Franklin, and a handful of others, were packing their bags and heading to the Bay area to coach at the University of California, Berkeley.

"At first, it was disappointing because when you go somewhere, you expect to play for certain people," McAlindon said. "At the same time, I had met some really great friends, some guys that I am really good buddies with. And even with the new coaching staff coming in, they seemed like really cool guys. And I was always happy. I was happy with playing football and being with friends."

More adversity hit McAlindon in the spring of 2013 when he started having shoulder pains. After having it check out by doctors, it was determined that he had torn his labrum.

Surgery ensued, and even after rehab, he admits he wasn't the same throwing the football.

That was when new head coach Skip Holtz and the coaching staff asked if he would consider trying wide receiver.

"At first, it was tough because going from playing quarterback to anything else is not as exciting or fulfilling," McAlindon said. "I had never played anything other than quarterback. Playing quarterback is pretty much the pinnacle of all sports. As time went on, I was having a good time. I was pretty receptive to it."

The next two years went by, spending much of the time on the scout team with some occasional playing time in games mixed in.

This past summer, McAlindon shook Dr. Les Guice's hand on stage as he received his diploma, graduating in business administration.

Another decision loomed. Return for your last season of eligibility or return home. The decision was a fairly easy one he said.

"A lot of my buddies are still on the team and I just felt like it was something I needed to finish out because once you are done playing with your athletic career, it is over," McAlindon said. "That is never something you are going to get back. I am going to go home, but whether I go home and maybe work on a masters or get a job, that is something I can do for the rest of my life. That is not going to go anywhere."

Four years after being one of 11 Californians on the roster, McAlindon is now the only one.

He does have one constant reminder of home and that is outside receivers coach Tim Rattay who he grew up watching play at Candlestick Park for the 49ers. The southern culture has rubbed off on McAlindon, much like it did Rattay when he transferred to LA Tech.

"It is a calmer, slower pace life, but I have enjoyed it a lot," McAlindon said. "I was more fast-paced and even when I go home for breaks, I am just like, 'What is going on?' because I am just a little more relaxed. Some people come up to me and say I have a little slower pace in my talk. I just do things a little bit slower. Ruston has definitely rubbed off on me."

Once the season is finished, with what McAlindon hopes is another bowl win, it will be back to where his heart is … San Francisco.

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