Long Beach Poly OL Tyson Ruffins receives 2023 All

Long Beach Poly senior offensive lineman Tyson Ruffins said the toughest part of playing high school football was the COVID season, which was postponed from the fall of 2020 to a condensed spring season in 2021.

"Trying to get back and recover from all of that and work through all the struggles that it put us through, academically, physically and mentally," Ruffins shared.

So when he was named to the All-American Bowl last month and received his jersey Thursday, Dec. 1, he knew all of his hard work paid off.

"It's been something that I’ve been looking forward to for a large part of my life, ever since I’ve been in football and heard about the honor itself," Ruffins said.

Long Beach Poly senior Tyson Ruffins poses after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly senior Tyson Ruffins poses with senior linebacker Ikenasio Mikaele after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly senior Tyson Ruffins poses with family members after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly senior Tyson Ruffins poses teammates after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly senior Tyson Ruffins poses with family members after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly senior offensive lineman Tyson Ruffins poses with his family after unveiling his 2023 All-American Bowl jersey on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2022 at Long Beach Poly High School. (Photo by John W. Davis, Press-Telegram/SCNG)

Long Beach Poly football player, Tyson Ruffins poses on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 in Long Beach, CA.(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly football player, Tyson Ruffins poses on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 in Long Beach, CA.(Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly football players from left to right, Tyson Ruffins, quarterback Darius Curry and running back Devin Samples pose before practice on Wednesday, August 24, 2022 in Long Beach, CA. (Photo by Michael Goulding, Contributing Photographer)

Serra running back Troy Tw Crozier looks at swarming presence of Poly tackle Tyson Ruffins. Long Beach Poly at Serra High football Friday August 27, 2021. (Photo by Robert Casillas, Contributing Photographer)

Long Beach Poly High Tyson Ruffins (#56), center, is congratulated on the sidelines after intercepting a pass vs. Los Alamitos High at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, Calif. Sept. 6, 2019. (Leo Jarzomb, Contributing Photographer)

Ruffins, a three-star recruit, said he is humbled by the national recognition and the invitation to play in the 2023 All-American Bowl, which is an annual East vs. West matchup on Jan. 7 in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The bowl will be nationally televised by NBC at 10 a.m. (PST) and will feature 100 of the nation's top high school football players.

"It feels great, especially from where I’ve come, it's been a really long journey, a tough journey, so it's an amazing thing to get the recognition that I feel like I’ve been working towards for a long time," Ruffins said.

"The recognition is definitely warranted," said Long Beach Poly coach Stephen Barbee. "When this program was rolling years back it was very commonplace… For Tyson it's his second national All-Star game that he's been invited to with the first being the Polynesian Bowl. It's a testament to the kids’ hard work, the coaches that have worked with them for four years to be able to put them and coach them to a level that they’re recognized nationally as being the best in America."

Long Beach Poly 2023 OL Tyson Ruffins is a 2023 All-American. @RuffinsTyson @CoachSBarbee @presstelegram @AABonNBC pic.twitter.com/NkNjXTXIVd

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 2, 2022

The 6-foot-3 305-pound team captain for Poly said the best part of playing high school football was his getting to know his teammates and coaching staff.

"Definitely the bonds that I’ve been able to forge with these players and the coaches," Ruffins explained. "It's been an amazing thing to have all these kids that I never knew become large parts of my life in a couple of months’ time. I feel like these relationships are definitely going to be lifelong and last through time."

Ruffins finished his career at Poly with a host of accolades. He helped the team win the CIF Southern Section Division 4 championship in 2021, the first CIF-SS title since 2012. He was named to the All-Moore League team as a sophomore, junior and senior and was selected to the Press-Telegram Dream Team.

"It means a lot," Ruffins said when asked about his postseason honors. "I’ve always wanted to be — I’m not there yet — but I wanted to be one of the greats. I’ve done a lot so far in my career, but I definitely don't want to stop right here."

Long Beach Poly senior OL Tyson Ruffins is a 2023 All-American. @RuffinsTyson talks about the highs and lows of high school football and why he's so excited to play in the @AABonNBC. @LBPoly_Football @CoachSBarbee @MFalanai @CoachSingh77 @presstelegram pic.twitter.com/vAkL8FffjT

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 2, 2022

Ruffins, an uncommitted recruit, has dozens of Division I scholarship offers, including several from Ivy League schools. He said being named an All-American is a humbling opportunity that he doesn't take lightly.

"It will be a great test for me to be able to go against these kids that are all going to these different Power 5/DI schools and test myself against them and see what I need to work on in the next level," Ruffins said.

"Tyson has done nothing but dominate anybody he's played against," Barbee said. "When you look at his complete body of work from sophomore, junior and senior year to how he performs in the classroom, and when you get to know him, what an incredible young man he is. He's going to be an incredible pickup for the university that he goes to."

Long Beach Poly football coach Stephen Barbee on senior OL Tyson Ruffins’ legacy after being named a 2023 All-American and what that means for @LBPoly_Football 2024 and 2025 recruting classes, which could also produce All-Americans. @CoachSBarbee @RuffinsTyson @presstelegram pic.twitter.com/DqzfaNcRMm

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) December 2, 2022

Ruffins believes he's a Power 5 lineman and he's ready to prove it at the All-American Bowl.

"I believe so and keeping confidence is a big part of the game," he said. "If you’re not confident then you’re not going to be able to succeed or go as far as you can."

Excited and honored to receive an invitation to play in the All American Bowl @AABonNBC. @CoachSBarbee @CoachReneMedina @Recruit_LBPoly @CoachSingh77 @MFalanai @562sports @Guardabascio @TalamaivaoChris @Scout_DL pic.twitter.com/i7WTHsYw7L

— Tyson Ruffins (@RuffinsTyson) November 14, 2022

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