My friend Luke, who was the kicker on my State Runner-Up football team in my senior year of high school has experienced a unique and unorthodox journey to start his college football career. For starters, Luke was a soccer player for much of his childhood and early on in high school. Prior to his senior year, he made the switch to football to become the starting kicker for the 2015 season upon the graduation of our starting kicker of the last few seasons. Luke showed a ton of consistency in his first year of football making most of his extra point attempts. Upon the conclusion of a successful season, Luke decided that he would attempt to take his game to the next level in college football. However, Luke struggled to gain exposure from scouts and college coaches in part due to his inexperience. Additionally, our very prolific offense which broke many school records held Luke to only attempting one field goal (which he made) in the entire season which lasted all 14 games possible. To begin his career, Luke opted to take up an opportunity to play at a Junior College, North Dakota State College of Science, in hopes that he would get more exposure from Division I coaches and scouts. While the process included many sleepless nights and frustrations, it all paid off for Luke. Recently, he just accepted an offer to play Division I football at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Prior to his departure for Baltimore, I had an opportunity to interview Luke about his experiences at a small North Dakota school and what he did to push himself to become a Division I caliber player during his tenure there.
Q. What was your experience like at a JUCO?
Rough. Really, really rough. Well what I mean is coming from a big town of wealthy people to a small town full of less advantaged people where people are coming from another part of the Country was a tough adjustment. I Had to re earn my spot on the depth chart back because of an illness causing me to miss most of the season. Playing at a JUCO wasn't as easy as it seemed.
Q. What did you do to motivate yourself to become a D1 product?
I surrounded myself with the right people. A lot of my friends from the team (at ND State College of Science) had the same goal to go play at a D1 program. I was trying to prove myself that I could be a D1. Morning workouts, practices, and class especially was a huge part in motivation. JUCO Products have that extra push that wants them to succeed. I had offers from D2 and NAIA but didn't settle until I found the right one. My parents and hometown friends pushed me to go farther and not to settle for less than what I wanted. We've had big and passionate crowds of over a thousand people at our hometown games compared to a crowd of around 50 people in North Dakota. I really did miss playing in front of a larger crowd and I was jealous because my teammates back home committed to major programs such as Northwestern and Miami of Ohio and others were continuing to get offers from Division I programs. While it wasn't quite the big program what I wanted, Morgan State has something special coming.
Q. What made you pick Morgan State?
Coaching staff was appealing and seemed to want me. I still need to prove and earn my spot but I think I'll have a solid chance to compete for a starting position in my sophomore year. Morgan State has a proud history and gives me a chance to move East to where I've never lived. We've (Morgan State) has had graduate transfers from Michigan, FCS schools, and even Dak Prescott's backup at Mississippi State. Getting a free education is also a huge thing to save my parents some money. Plus I get to appear on National television when we play Rutgers on Big Ten Network. I knew I had to see what the school was like personally being a HBCU but they were very welcoming to me as a minority student of the school. We've had a lot of love from our fans towards our team in Libertyville and it seems to be the same with fan love in Baltimore.
Q. How do you feel moving far away from your hometown?
While I was in North Dakota, I realized I took my hometown for granted. When I started living in this boring North Dakota town I realized how nice my childhood was with the hometown pride and great people who live in it. I feel more excited leaving now because my D1 adventure starts. I can get TV exposure, more fan love, plus more to do in Baltimore. It's only a short drive away from the beaches and other major cities such as Philadelphia and Washington DC. I don't have to go on a 3 hour drive to get to Chipotle like I had to in North Dakota. I'm definitely sad to leave behind my family and friends so it's really tough leaving that. I don't get to see them a whole lot, but all I can do is put it on for them.
Q. What was your biggest inspiration in pursuing your football dreams?
I had people telling me that I could succeed. My friend Tim and Coach Francis from North Dakota pushed me not to settle and get what you deserve. But on the opposite side I had people doubting me. I had people, even coaches that believed I couldn't go D1. But I worked everyday to prove that I could be a D1 recruit. My parents and friends were always very supportive of me no matter what but I had to prove myself right. That was the biggest inspiration I had. It's not at the same level as Alabama but I still have a pretty damn good school. Just imagine your football season being 12 months a year balancing recruiting offers, football, college, and schoolwork that comes with it. I'm proud of being a JUCO product and I'll stick to it. I'm realized how lucky I am because there were some students I met in North Dakota who don't get meal plans because they can't afford it. Instead of the dining halls, those kids will settle for the McDonald's Dollar Menu for their meals. Nobody does that in our hometown and I realized that I had a ton of help that some didn't. I come from a town where everyone goes to college and I became more appreciative of what I do have while I was in North Dakota. I believe Morgan State gives me the next chance to move onto the next level. But I will miss my dogs.
