Sports

Iona Prep’s Combs, son of rapper Diddy, named All-American

Justin Combs is carving out his own niche. The son of rap mogul Diddy has a serious future on the gridiron and Thursday the Iona Prep senior was officially named to the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in a ceremony at the New Rochelle school.

“It’s not like I was trying to make my own path,” Combs said. “Football was like my first love. [My mom and dad] always taught me to go hard in what you believe in. I worked hard and everything is coming true. Hard work does pay off.”

The lightning quick, athletic defensive back has offers from UCLA, Illinois and Virginia, among other Division I schools. Playing at that level was not a foregone conclusion, though, according to Iona Prep coach Vic Quirolo, who called Combs the most dedicated athlete he’s had with the Gaels.

“It’s just his drive,” the coach said. “I remember his freshman year he said he’s gonna play Division I football. He’s done everything in his power to do that.”

This summer, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Combs traveled the country, competing in camps, participating in clinics and working with top-notch talent. He spent time in New Jersey working on his defensive back skills with Jets superstar Darelle Revis.

“I sacrificed my whole summer just to get better and work with the best and improve myself,” said Combs, who also has a 94 average at the high-end academic school. “I wanted this more than anything.”

Diddy, who has declined multiple interview requests this season, was not present at the ceremony, but Combs said his father could not be more proud of him. Diddy was a defensive back, too, at Mount St. Michael in The Bronx before becoming one of the most recognizable musicians in the world.

“He’s ecstatic,” Combs said. “He was a football player. This is what he wanted to do. I’m kind of like living his dream.”

Sean Mara, the grandson of late Giants owner Wellington Mara, was the last All-American from Iona Prep. Erasmus Hall’s Wayne Morgan is the only other player from the New York City area to be selected to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl, which will be held Jan. 3 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz.

There was some controversy for the Gaels on Sunday during a loss to Xaverian. Combs, who came in to replace Mario Biaggi at quarterback, found success in an otherwise disappointing performance by Iona. At halftime, after Combs had been removed, a visibly irritated Diddy came onto the field and tried to engage offensive coordinator D.J. Williams in conversation before Quirolo gestured for him to leave the area.

Afterward, Quirolo said Combs complained about a shoulder injury in the first half. He ended up going back under center and playing well, throwing for a touchdown and running for another. Quirolo said at the time the whole thing was like a “soap opera.” The coach maintained that there is no quarterback controversy.

“Mario is gonna be our starting quarterback,” Quirolo said. “We said before the season, if we needed a spark [Combs] would be the guy to come in and do it for us. That’s exactly what he did. We’ll see how the season progresses. We don’t have a definite plan.”

As for Combs, his plan is going perfectly.

“It’s just a dream come true,” he said. “I dreamt about this when I was younger and now I’m living my dream. I don’t know what else to say. It’s just a blessing.”

mraimondi@nypost.com