So Dew, from Mount Waverley in Melbourne, Victoria, is trying his hand at US undergraduate college gridiron in San Antonio, Texas.

The 20 year old has spent most of the past year studying and training at the University of the Incarnate Word.

Dew’s coaches at the Cardinals gave him a ‘‘red shirt’’ season, which meant he could train and study but not play until he had adjusted to the higher level of competition.

College teams regularly red-shirt players who are injured or face a big adjustment to ensure the players play their full four years with their teams.

Dew plays as an offensive tackle, mostly on the right side of the offensive line.

For those who don’t understand gridiron, Dew is one of the big men who protect the quarterback so he can throw the ball without getting tackled.

Linemen also block for running players and Dew said he felt more comfy creating space for his running back as most Australian teams, including Dew’s Monash University Warriors, execute more running plays.

‘‘Australia is very run-dominated so I’ve consequently been doing a lot of pass blocking,’’ he said.

‘‘One of the good things about being a red shirt is that I spent all year on the practice squad replicating what our opposition was expected to do in the game.

‘‘So I got to play against the best defensive players in the team every day, which helped me to learn quicker.’’

Dew also won selection in a world team which faced a team of the best US high school seniors in the International Federation of American Football’s International Bowl last week in Austin, and the world team won 35-29.

The world side featured players from numerous countries, many of whom were either joining college teams or attempting to play at college level. Along with Dew, a player from Angola is also on the Incarnate Word football team.