SBCC’s Dudley LaPorte will continue his football career at the University of Utah and will sign a letter-of-intent Wednesday, the NCAA’s national signing day. A news conference will be held at 11 a.m. in PE 214 on the second floor of the Sports Pavilion.
LaPorte, a 6-4, 250-pound tight end from Stratford, Conn., was a first-team All-Western State Conference choice last season for the Vaqueros. He played nine games and led the squad in receiving, with 30 catches for 500 yards and a healthy 16.7-yard average. LaPorte caught four touchdown passes, including three in one game, a 43-20 rout of L.A. Southwest on Sept. 29.
“He has great size and athletic ability,” SBCC head coach Craig Moropoulos said. “He’s simply the best practice player I’ve ever been around and that includes (veteran NFL quarterback) Jeff Garcia. He ran 4.59 (in the 40-yard dash) in a combine at Citrus College and bench-pressed 225 pounds 22 times.”
LaPorte chose Utah over Mississippi and Nevada. The Utes went 9-4 last year, capped by a 35-32 win over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl.
Dave Loveton is Santa Barbara City College‘s sports information specialist.