Give him (West) Liberty
BUTLER TWP— Butler linebacker T.J. Lesniewski, the Golden Tornado's leading tackler the past two years, is heading to West Virginia to play football at West Liberty State College
Lesniewski is the second Butler senior to move on to college football. Offensive lineman Ricky Gladd signed with Slippery Rock University in early February.
"T.J. was looking to play Division IIfootball and he wants to major in health and physical education," Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said. "West Liberty has a good program in that field."
West Liberty, a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, finished 7-4 last season, 6-2 in league play.
The Hilltoppers have produced four consecutive winning seasons under coach Roger Waialae, finishing 6-5, 7-4, 8-3 and 7-4.
"The program down there has improved every year under his watch,"Lesniewski said. "I was impressed by the coach when I talked to him. He's one of the reasons I'm going there."
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Lesniewski paced Butler with 84 tackles in 2008, including 25 solo stops and five sacks. He was a first-team, all-Northern Six selection.
"When I visited there, I met a linebacker who became all-American and he's about my size,"Lesniewski said. "That helped convince me that I could play there."
The Hilltoppers have a young linebacking corps, with one junior, five sophomores and three freshmen at the position.
"After I'm down there for a couple of weeks, I'll know where I stand,"Lesniewski said. "I'm hoping to letter as a freshman, maybe get on the field through special teams or in a backup role.
"Redshirting would be OK, too. It'd give me more of a chance to get some money."
Lesniewski is receiving no scholarship money initially, but he does have a spot on the roster.
"We're going to miss him,"McAnallen said. "He was our leader on defense. He called out the formations for two years and communicated the play to the rest of our defense."
Lesniewski, who also considered Indiana (Pa.), Bethany, Westminster and Waynesburg, hopes to become a high-school coach after college. He said he wants to become a graduate assistant coach at West Liberty when he's through playing there.
His father, Tom Lesniewski, is the principal at Deer Lakes.
"T.J. has been in to observe teachers and classes already,"McAnallen said. "He knows what he wants to do and he'll be good at it."
"I want to be a two- or three-year starter in college and build a good relationship with the coaches,"Lesniewski said. "I just love the game and want to stay involved with football for as long as I can."
