Luke Hunter

Luke Hunter

No. 24 – Prospect
Position:	Safety
Personal information
Born:	(2038-09-27)September 27, 2038 (aged 22) 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.

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.

S45

As expected, Luke was drafted to the Yellowknife Wraiths by his brother Cam and was immediately called up for the 2060 season. With veteran safety Gore Done Ram Say still on the roster, Luke filled in at strong safety rather than his preferred role as a free ranging free safety. Still, the rookie Luke made the most of the opportunity as a jack of all trades, recording at least one TFL, sack, FF, INT, and PD. "It's just a start," Luke was quoted as saying after the season. "Gotta get comfortable. Get used to the speed of things here. It's only gonna get better from here." Despite Luke's solid start to his career, the Wraiths did not share in his success as they plummeted to a 4-12 finish, the worst record in the league. "We're all young here," Luke told reporters when asked about the poor team showing. "Just like me, it's all just gonna get better from here. I guarantee it."

S46

Luke's words rang surprisingly true as the Wraiths opened up the 2061 season with three straight wins, including blowout victories against the Colorado Yeti and the Sarasota Sailfish. The success would continue for most of the first half of the season, with the Wraiths sitting at 5-2 after seven games. Yellowknife stumbled down the stretch, but still just barely snuck into the playoffs on the back of an 8-8 record and a little help from the Baltimore Hawks. The team then strung together a pair of miraculous overtime upsets in the playoffs to reach the Ultimus game just one season after finishing dead last in the league. While the Wraiths would ultimately lose to the Arizona Outlaws in the Ultimus game, Luke was thrilled with the quick turnaround. The second year safety continued to grow into his own role on the defense during Yellowknife's miraculous resurgence, shifting back to free safety while improving on his rookie numbers for tackles, sacks, interceptions, and passes deflected. The safety even scored his first ISFL touchdown. Luke made a point of procuring the football he scored with, which he signed, encased in glass, and donated to the Yellowknife Ice Hotel to display in the main foyer.

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
ISFL
2060 (S45)	SS	Wraiths	16	46	1	1/0	4	3	4	0	0	0/0/0
2061 (S46)	FS	Wraiths	16	54	0	1/0	5	4	11	0	1	0/0/0

Achievements and records

Team

-DSFL Ultimini Champion (S43)

Individual

-DSFL Pro Bowl (S44)

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