Luke Hunter
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| No. 24 – Prospect | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | September 27, 2038 (aged 24) Naperville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Username: | Tubadeus |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Metea Valley High School |
| College: | University of Illinois |
| Career history | |
| Roster status: | Active |
Luke Hunter (born September 27, 2038) is an American football safety who is currently preparing to enter the professional ranks. He played college football for University of Illinois (UIUC) and has declared his intent to enter the professional ranks next season.
Contents
Early years
Luke Hunter was born on September 27, 2038, just shy of two years after his older brother Cam Hunter. Whereas Cam was always the analytical mind of the pair, Luke was far more physically gifted. Luke tried his hand at just about every sport he could get himself into, and excelled at pretty much all of them. Any soccer team he joined regularly found themselves in contention for national titles, he routinely led any basketball team he was on to state championships, and he racked up medals galore in various track and field events.
However, no matter how much success he had in other sports, football was always Luke's true love. From peewee to high school, Luke played both sides of the ball, primarily at running back and safety. While Luke was certainly productive as a running back, his real talent was on the defensive side of the ball. After setting state records for interceptions as a sophomore, opponents simply stopped throwing the ball anywhere near him. It didn't stop him from recording interceptions of course, but it was enough to prevent him from re-setting his own record as an upperclassman. This kind of effect on the game netted the younger Hunter brother elite prospect ratings and offers from just about every school in the nation.
College career
Ultimately, Luke decided to join his older brother Cam at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Cam's knack for team management was already having a noticeable effect on recruitment for the historically moribund program despite still being a student, but the addition of an elite prospect like Luke caused something of a renaissance for the Illini. The presence of Luke brought in interest from several other elite prospects, many of whom committed to Illinois after speaking to Cam about the program.
Luke spearheaded a defensive resurgeance for the Illini, routinely leading the nation in interceptions and even leading all safeties in sacks and tackles for loss. With the do-it-all safety patrolling the back end, the Illinois defense could play aggressively and became known as one of the toughest defensive units in the FBS. Unsurprisingly, this kind of success (combined with prodding from his older brother) led Luke to declare for pros after his junior year.
College career statistics
| College statistics | Defense | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | Games | Tackles | For Loss | FF/FR | Sacks | Int | PD | Safety | TD | |
| 2055 | Illinois | 13 | 97 | 6 | 3/1 | 4 | 4 | 18 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2043 | Illinois | 13 | 112 | 8 | 5/3 | 6 | 6 | 25 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2044 | Illinois | 13 | 126 | 9 | 6/5 | 7 | 9 | 31 | 1 | 4 | |
Professional career
S43
On the advice of his older brother, Yellowknife GM Cam Hunter, Luke Hunter waited for the ISFL trade deadline to declare for free agency. "I want to be the best," the younger Hunter brother said at his announcement press conference. "And to be the best in this league, this is what the best do. So here I am. Here I come." Thanks in no small part to his pedigree, Luke was quickly picked up by the Portland Pythons for their end of season run. Luke didn't see much playing time down the stretch, only playing in 4 games and only starting in 2 of them. However, in those 4 games Luke started to make his presence felt, notching 7 tackles, a sack, and 2 pass deflections. He continued to show promise as the Pythons rampaged through the postseason, recording another sack and 4 pass deflections en route to an Ultimini trophy. "This is just the beginning," he said with a smile after the title celebration.
S44
Despite his strong showing in 2058, Luke had to wait until the 3rd round to hear his name called on DSFL draft night. Hunter had mixed feelings about the low draft capital. "It stings for sure, but I get it," he said when asked about the draft. "I told everyone I want to be the best, and that means I won't be sticking around in the D league long. These guys are out here to win too, so I get why they don't want one season rentals." Luke ended up being drafted by the Kansas City Coyotes, the second team his older brother ran before making it to the big leagues. Luke quickly lived up to his brother's lofty reputation, helping to lead an opportunistic Coyote defense that led the league in forced turnovers and defensive touchdowns. His efforts culminated in his first personal accolade of his young career; a Pro Bowl berth.
Professional career statistics
| Career statistics | Defense | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Pos | Team | Games | Tck | TFL | FF/FR | Sck | Int | PD | Sfty | TD | Blk P/XP/FG |
| DSFL | ||||||||||||
| 2058 (S43) | FS | Pythons | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0/0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0/0/0 |
| 2059 (S44) | FS | Coyotes | 14 | 71 | 0 | 3/2 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0/0/0 |
Achievements and records
Team
-DSFL Ultimini Champion (S43)
Individual
-DSFL Pro Bowl (S44)
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