BY KEVIN CHIRI

Publisher

LUTCHER – A Bulldog to a Bulldog.

That’s the way Lutcher senior quarterback Dustin Mitchell views his future.

Signing a football scholarship to Louisiana Tech University on Wednesday morning, the standout “Bulldog” from Lutcher will now continue his days with a Bulldog logo on his shirt, playing for Louisiana Tech.

“I’m just really excited to get a chance to play at the next level,” Mitchell said, surrounded by family and Lutcher coach Tim Detillier during the signing ceremony at the school.

The Lutcher signal caller made his decision to attend Tech after also being recruited by the likes of Alcorn State, Southern, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, ULM and Nicholls state.

Mitchell, who passed for 4,200 yards and 42 touchdowns, while rushing for 17 touchdowns, all in the past two years, has had an amazing transformation during his high school career that led to the college pact.

Coming out of his sophomore season, he had been playing linebacker and tight end for Lutcher High.

But Detillier saw the athleticism in Mitchell and switched him to quarterback starting his junior year.

The result was a run to the Superdome where Lutcher won the 2004 state 3A championship behind Mitchell and his teammates.

“By that point we knew we had made the right decision switching Dustin to quarterback,” Detillier said. “I knew that he was a real good athlete and that’s why we tried him at quarterback. And he just picked it all up so quickly. But the time it was late in his junior year, I already could see a college career as a possibility.”

Mitchell has excellent size for a quarterback, standing at 6-4 and 225 pounds. But he is not expected to stay at that position in college.

“The coaches at Tech have told me I will probably switch to linebacker or tight end,” he explained. “And that’s just fine with me. I just want a chance to go up there and keep playing.”

His head coach believes he will be a quick contributor for Tech due to his overall athletic ability.

“Dustin is such a good athlete it’s hard to say what his best skill really is,” the coach said. “But that’s what they liked about him and why he is getting a chance to move on to college ball.”