He’ll fight for Iowa ... twice
After being told by Hawkeyes to sleep on his decision and a late offer from Ohio St., Lincoln-Way East’s Josh Janowski commits to the black and gold
Lincoln-Way East’s Josh Janowski couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.
In 2022, Janowski attended a camp at Iowa and fell in love with the place. But last fall came and went without an offer, even though he picked up interest from mid-major schools.
So, on Saturday, Jan. 28, when Iowa called him up seemingly out of the blue with a scholarship offer, there was no hesitation.
“I committed on the spot,” he said.
But Hawkeyes offensive line coach George Barnett didn’t want to take yes for an answer right away. He thought Janowski should at least think about it over the weekend.
“The O-line coach said he wasn’t taking the commitment until at least Monday,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “Monday came and Josh committed again. It was crazy.”
This time, the commitment was accepted by Iowa, and Janowski let the world know via social media that he planned on becoming a Hawkeye.
First things first, however. The senior offensive lineman helped the Griffins get off to a 1-0 start Saturday with a 52-12 victory over Kenwood at Gately Stadium in Chicago.
When Janowski committed to Iowa, other programs took notice, though. The 6-foot-3, 275-pound center started getting more Big Ten offers.
“It’s funny, but right after that, Wisconsin called and Ohio State called,” Zvonar said. “They offered if he would consider changing his mind. To Josh’s credit, it might have been tempting, but he stayed steadfast.”
Janowski also can’t get wait to get to Iowa City fast enough. He plans on graduating high school early and heading in January to college.
What makes Iowa so special to him? He has a laundry list of reasons.
“Oh, man, there’s a lot,” he said. “I went there for a camp last July and everything was just awesome about it. There are a lot of people from East that went to Iowa like Adam Gettis, Turner Pallissard and Jackson Ritter.”
Oh, and a Hawkeye who didn’t go to Lincoln-Way East also made an impact.
Tyler Linderbaum, a 6-foot-2, 305-pound center, played for Iowa and was selected in the first round
of the 2022 NFL draft. He played in 17 games as a rookie for the Baltimore Ravens.
“I see Ty Linderbaum, who went first round, and he’s the same height as me,” Janowski said. “I like how Iowa develops their players and produces NFL stars.”
Janowski is a three-year starter
for Lincoln-Way East, which finished second in the state last season in Class 8A. The Griffins are in the conversation to win state this year.
Lincoln-Way East got shut out in the first quarter Saturday