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FARGO — Minnetonka (Minn.) High School offensive lineman Jack Liwienski has a professional football pedigree, but his father wanted him to try other sports growing up.
The 6-foot-3, 287-pound Liwienski, the son of former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Chris Liwienski, played baseball and hockey during his youth.
“Growing up he made me play multiple sports,” Jack said. “He wanted me to find what I loved and football just came naturally and I just fell in love with the game.”
Jack also fell in love with the NDSU football program, committing to the Bison on Wednesday, June 22, for the 2023 recruiting class. The Minnetonka rising senior wanted to make his decision before his final prep season started.
💚💛🦬COMMITED💚💛🦬 @Coach_Entz @FBCoachLarson @CoachGrantOlson @TonkaFB @RecruitTonkaFB @AllenTrieu pic.twitter.com/WJrYeDdO6I
— Jack Liwienski (@JackLiwienski75) June 22, 2022
“What made me want to go to NDSU was the culture there," Liwienski said. “I just loved the winning culture that they have, and I just love the brotherhood that they have within the team and I just want to be a part of that."
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The Bison have won nine of the past 11 Division I FCS national championships and have shown a penchant for developing offensive linemen into pro prospects. The most recent is Cordell Volson, who the Cincinnati Bengals drafted in the fourth round this past spring.
“Watching the draft, seeing Cordell (Volson), all those guys being drafted was something cool to watch,” Liwienski said. "I know they put guys in the league and I know they develop guys, especially guys from Minnesota. I think it’s just awesome what they do with linemen there.”
Liwienski had 13 offers from Division I programs, including the top teams in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and multiple FBS teams.
Love you pops! #HappyFatherDay pic.twitter.com/uAQjBn80bl
— Jack Liwienski (@JackLiwienski75) June 19, 2022
“It’s definitely a weight off my shoulders,” Liwienski said. “It’s good to be home and know I have a place where I'm welcome. I’m just excited to get to work. … It just felt like home and I thought, why wait?”
Liwienski is the sixth known NDSU commitment for the 2023 class . He is a two-way starter at Minnetonka and has been a varsity starter since his sophomore season. He also played baseball and hockey through his freshman year of high school before focusing on football. Liwienski also competes in track and field at Minnetonka.
Chris Liwienski played for the Vikings from 1998-2005 before spending singles seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (2006) and Miami Dolphins (2007) after that. Jack recently posted on his social media a photo of him and his dad at Vikings training camp in the mid-2000s for Father’s Day.
Jack said his father never steered him towards football.
“He told me to find what you're passionate about,” Jack said. “He didn’t even necessarily want me to play football, he wanted football to kind of find me.”
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Liwienski recently visited Fargo and attended a Bison summer camp before making his decision.
“I really like the coaches and the players. It was just good to be there,” Jack said. “Winning is in their DNA and I like that about them.”
