Introduction by Lee Brecheen
April 21, 2011 - The best Fullback in St. Tammany Parish, and I think even over anyone in the New Orleans area, is a kid they call Joseph Dylan Long at St. Paul’s High School in Covington, Louisiana. In the high school program you might see it spelled either Dylan or Joseph Long. This is a kid that looks like a Fullback, but when he gets the pigskin he turns into a Running Back and has big time deceptive speed for a guy who clocks 4.7 in the forty yard dash. For all the old school fans and football coaches out there this kid is a Football player. Joseph Long is 5-11, 220 pounds and looks like a small offensive guard coming downhill when he has the ball. He has strong legs and is very determined to go down once he meets the other team. The only other Div 1 Fullbacks who I think run like Tailbacks in Louisiana are Brandon Johnson from Parkview Baptist (6-0, 230 pounds) and Fullback Bubba Reeves (6-0, 225 pounds) from West Monroe. They would also be big time Fullbacks for the class of 2012 in state. We will write about those two great players very soon. Michael Henry of Episcopal plays Fullback and runs like a Running Back, but he’s being recruited as a SS or LB for college and he’s one of the state’s best too. Every kid I mentioned is a big time player for any Div 1 school in the United States.
Joseph Long looks every bit of 220 pounds, and I believe him when he tells me that he benches 320, cleans 270 and squats 415. You can tell when players come up to tackle him they either bounce off or have to gang tackle him to get him off his legs in open field or right at the point of attack when he gets the ball. The first player usually never gets him down and that’s why Long ran for 1,135 yards and 24 Touchdowns in the 2010 football season as a junior. He also caught 24 passes, most of those screen passes, in open field.
Joseph Long is a good student with a 24 ACT in the classroom and also plays Baseball where he has hit almost double digits for home runs, with a batting average over .450. There was a game last year I watched against Central High School of Baton Rouge, where Joseph caught a screen pass in the flat and it took 7 players to get him down after he went about 30 yards downfield. I loved watching his determination and will to get every yard he could every down.
I hope you enjoy the interview done by our talented writer Taylor Williams.
Interview by Taylor Williams
LAFM: When do you start playing football, and what has always attracted you to it?
JDL: I started playing when I was eight, and I’ve always liked the fact that’s it’s a game you can never be perfect at, and always have to got out and work at it.
LAFM: I’m sure your coach loves that attitude. What do you think are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?
JDL: Each day that I can go out and work hard, and know that I have to get better, is my strength. And I probably need to work on picking my feet up; I run pretty low to the ground. Footwork is key at the next level.
LAFM: Speaking of, what are your top choices for college?
JDL: In this order, LSU, SMU, Southern Mississippi, and Auburn.
LAFM: So I assume you grew up rooting for LSU?
JDL: Oh yeah, I go to every game.
LAFM: What schools have given you some looks at this point?
JDL: Nebraska, Kansas State, LSU, SMU, Southern Miss, Texas A&M, and some others.
LAFM: What camps have you been to?
JDL: Texas A&M, LSU, and I think I’m going to one at Southern Miss this year.
LAFM: Are you originally from Louisiana?
JDL: Yeah, I was born in East Jefferson, then moved to Baton Rouge, then Covington.
LAFM: So do you want to stay in state for your college ball?
JDL: I’d like to, but I’m going to weigh out my options.
LAFM: And how important is it for your family to be able to watch you play?
JDL: Very important, I’m a big family man.
LAFM: Have you thought about what you might major in?
JDL: Mechanical engineering or probably a medical field
LAFM: What about switching positions at the college level?
JDL: I’ve played linebacker before, but at St. Paul’s we stick to one side of the football cause we have so many kids. But I kind of want to move to running back more than fullback; I think I can do a better job there cause I’ve got the speed.
LAFM: So what’s your current forty time?
JDL: I run a 4.7 now, but I’m trying to get down to 4.5
LAFM: Have athletics, particularly football, always been big in your family, and do have any relatives that have played at the collegiate or professional level?
JDL: Football, definitely, my grandpa coached at Covington High, and I have a cousin who plays at McNeese State.
LAFM: What other sports do you specifically play, and have you been recruited for them?
JDL: Baseball, and I do a little bit of power lifting, but I’m not getting recruited.
LAFM: Looking ahead to next season, what are some individual and team goals you’ve set?
JDL: As a team, we lost a lot of seniors, but we need to realize that we have to come back better than ever and just get work done. We’ve got to come together as a team, which includes my goals. We lost some seniors, but the people that are coming in got a lot of playing time and experience, so I think we’ll be fine.
LAFM: Can you talk a little about playing for your current head coach?
JDL: Coach Sears is a big family guy, as well; he counts us all as family and looks out for us. He’s a good coach to play for; one of my favorites I’ve ever had.
LAFM: What about games in the past that stand out for you personally?
JDL: My sophomore year against Covington High. I always grew up and wanting to go there and play there, and the in my final years leading up to high school I decided to go to St. Paul’s. I was a sophomore playing against my senior cousin, who was a linebacker; we met one time and I got the better of it.
LAFM: Does that rivalry get you fired up every year?
JDL: Yep, Mandeville and Covington, every year.
LAFM: What’s the deepest playoff run you’ve had in your career?
JDL: We’ve had playoff runs four years straight, and we finally got back to the third round last year, which is the furthest we’ve made it since I’ve been here.
LAFM: And finally, the formality. What’s your current height and weight?
JDL: 6 feet, 220 pounds.
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