Dworaczyk to play in All-American Bowl
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West Team (roster)
Offensive tackle
New Iberia, La.
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Rivals.com Rankings
Rivals.com offensive tackles: No. 33
Rivals.com Louisiana top 40: No. 34
New Iberia (La.) Catholic offensive tackle Josh Dworaczyk was very excited after learning of his selection to the inaugural Offense-Defense All-American Bowl.
"It was great," the LSU commit said. "I walked outside my coach's office after meeting with (assistant coach) Doug Mallory from LSU and we'd actually just been talking about all-star games and how LSU felt about playing in them. They said that it's good to have as many LSU commits in these games as possible. I noticed I had a missed call on my cell phone. Then, my dad called me and told me. He wanted me to accept right away, but I wanted to go home and talk with him about it.
"I went home and talked about it and my dad was very excited and we decided to play."
Dworaczyk will participate on the West squad. The game will kick off at 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 4 at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. It will be televised live by ESPNU.
Rivals.com is the official selection partner for the game.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder emerged as a big-time offensive line prospect this year after spending most of his high school career on the other side of the ball.
"Last year, I played defensive line for our team," Dworaczyk said. "This year, I played both ways. At camps and stuff like that, my footwork and speed were something they all looked at. Also, I am 6-foot-6 and I will be able to put on a lot more weight with my frame."
Becoming an offensive lineman was a gradual process.
"I started the season off playing mostly defense," he said. "I actually finished up leading our team in tackles and got defensive MVP for our district. I played a lot more offensive line in our district and toward the playoffs. I think that my leadership skills out on the field are something that the coaches really enjoy. A few guys stepped up, and I was more of a vocal leader this year.
"My coach looked at me early on this summer to be a leader. My leadership skills helped me out a great deal."
Dworaczyk noted that the West squad, which will be coached by Lufkin (Texas) head coach Johnny Outlaw, will feature several familiar offensive formations.
"I really enjoy pass blocking and run blocking," he said. "But looking at the scheme that coach Lufkin runs - a lot of four-wide and things like that - I really like doing that."
It didn't take long for Dworaczyk to accept a scholarship offer from the in-state LSU Tigers.
"Basically, I was getting recruited by other schools," he said. "Some were recruiting me as an offensive lineman and defensive lineman, but LSU is a great opportunity. You see that with the season they are having this year. It's also close to home."
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