Conway football standout earns All-America recognition

If you asked Conway coaches, Raiqwon O’Neal is just as pivotal on the offensive line for the Tigers as he is on the defensive side of the line of scrimmage.

With that in mind, guess the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl was tailor-made for his skill set.

O’Neal was honored Friday, receiving his ceremonial jersey to participate in the 2017 high school football all-star event.

This year’s Offense-Defense All-American Bowl will take place Dec. 29 in New Orleans. It will be broadcast via ESPN 3.

“I just couldn’t believe it (when I was selected),” O’Neal said. “There was just a whole lot of excitement, I was just at a loss for words.”

A Rutgers commit, he has played a role in the Conway offense’s ability to average better than 350 yards of total offense per game. On defense, he is second on the team in sacks with three.

According to Conway football coach Carlton Terry, such awards and accolades are all a product of O’Neal’s hard work.

“You preach hard work all the time to them, but this is something tangible,” he said. “They see and can touch and feel the results of the stuff we preach to them everyday. By him being chosen, it validates us and the message we send of doing their jobs both on the field and in the classroom.”

Think such awards will cause O’Neal to lose focus of his team’s ultimate goal? The future Scarlet Knight says not a chance.

“Just stay humble, work, focus on school and the team and do what I do,” O’ Neal said.

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 5:14 PM with the headline "Conway football standout earns All-America recognition."