Richard Dugas’ football coach at Pius X High School was surprised Dugas will be playing fullback for LSU as a junior this season. The Lincoln, Neb., native was a starter at offensive and defensive lineman as a junior and senior in high school, and coach Tim Aylward said Dugas was an invaluable asset to the team on both sides of the ball, so he doesn’t doubt Dugas will take on the challenges of the fullback position.”He’s one of those guys who can play a lot of different positions because of his abilities,” Aylward said. “I don’t know how much they’ll use him as a ball carrier, probably more as a blocker. I’m a little surprised they moved him to fullback, but they obviously saw some ability there and a chance to use him, so that’s great.”Pius X had very successful teams when Dugas was a starter on the team, finishing undefeated and winning a state championship his junior year and reaching the state semifinals his senior year. But at LSU Dugas has seen little action. He did not play at all as a redshirt freshman, and as a sophomore, Dugas was on the field for just three snaps in LSU’s final series of its 38-3 victory against Georgia Tech in the Chick Fil-A Bowl.”I kind of expected [little playing time] coming in, especially being a smaller offensive lineman,” he said. “But words can’t describe the feeling I had when [LSU offensive line] Coach Studrawa looked at me and said, ‘Dugas, you’re going in.'”But coming into this season after enduring a knee injury during spring practice and needing surgery, coach Les Miles believes Dugas, at 6-foot-1 and 271 pounds, is someone the team can count on at fullback.”Richard Dugas is a guy who is really committed to this football team,” Miles said. “He changed his body and lost some weight. He can go in there and block for most tailbacks and give us some tough sledding. When it’s a key situation and we need physical play, we can call his number.”And Dugas is not the only man from his family to wear an LSU uniform.His father, Robert, was a first-team All-American offensive lineman at LSU in 1978, and he was an orthopedic surgeon for the University of Nebraska football team when the family lived in Nebraska. Robert Dugas said his family always followed LSU athletics Ń they drove to Omaha for the College World Series Ń but he left Richard’s college decision entirely up to him.”LSU was always part of our home life,” Robert Dugas said. “If we could get away from the Big Red, then we’d be chasing an LSU football game. [Richard] wanted to be in the Southeastern Conference and Tiger Stadium. Even though they didn’t offer him a scholarship, he turned some down to see if he could get on the field there.”Richard Dugas said his father was someone he leaned on for help recovering his anterior cruciate ligament. Robert Dugas said his advice was most effective when he treated him like one of his patients.”He knew the quicker he could recover, the less chance he would lose his opportunity,” Robert Dugas said. “Your kids don’t listen to you, so you have to act doctor-ish … From an outside source position, he took me more seriously than just talking to ‘Dad’ all the time.”LSU sophomore center T-Bob Hebert said he is thrilled with Dugas’ efforts to spring back into action following his injury.”You got to love Doogie,” Hebert said. “Instead of getting down and saying, ‘That’s it, whatever,’ he got in there and has been rehabbing like a mad man. Now he is back here on the field doing great, and he’s going to get some playing time.”As far as Dugas getting any chances to run the ball this season, that may be unlikely from the fullback position Ń Former starter Quinn Johnson carried the ball just 14 times last season for LSU. But senior running back Charles Scott said he would not be opposed to his lead blocker taking a few handoffs this season.”I would love to see Dugas score a touchdown,” Scott said. “If we break like a 60-yarder and he’s anywhere close to me without a defender, I might pitch it back to him É just to show my appreciation for his hard work.”
  
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