D.J. Fluker, who never played on the offensive line before his prep senior season, has become one of the most reliable offensive linemen for the San Diego Chargers — USA Today Sports Images
As we lead into the first day that high school football seniors can sign a national letter of intent next Wednesday, we’re taking a look back at how former American Family Insurance ALL-USA football players fared after signing day. Today’s player is Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, A.J. Green, then a player at Summerville, S.C.
Player: D.J. Fluker
High school: Foley, Ala.
Position: Offensive tackle
ALL-USA selection: First team in 2009 as a senior, when he had 60 pancake blocks and 28 knockdowns
College: Fluker committed to Alabama in November of 2007 during his junior season, when he was still playing at Biloxi in Mississippi. Fluker picked the Crimson Tide over offers from nearly every major program in the nation, including LSU, whom he grew up rooting for as a child in New Orleans. When he committed, Fluker was still seen as a defensive tackle recruit, but by the time he had transferred and added responsibilities on the other side of the ball, Fluker was a surefire star on the offensive line for Nick Saban’s growing SEC juggernaut.
What happened next: Spent his first season in Tuscaloosa on the bench as a redshirt, then started nine games as a redshirt freshman, all 13 games as a sophomore in 2010 and all 14 games as a junior in 2011 as the Crimson Tide won back-to-back BCS national titles. He was selected as a second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection. He entered the NFL draft after his redshirt junior season and was selected No. 11 overall by the San Diego Chargers. In his two seasons in San Diego he has started in 15 games as a rookie and 16 in his sophomore campaign, emerging as one of the Chargers’ most reliable offensive linemen.