University of Mary graduate Luke Little grew up playing football since the day that he was eligible. When he was in 3rd grade, his dad signed him, and he never looked back. That was over a decade ago and now Little is hoping to make his mark on the big leagues.
Recently on Morning Air, John Morales welcomed Luke Little onto the show to talk about his aspirations post-grad, where he wants to take his skills, and the impact his faith life has had on his football career.
The NFL draft concluded on Saturday, April 29th. While Little went unpicked, he was just signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and has been invited to their rookie camp taking place later this week. Little is the first University of Mary player to be invited to training camp since 2014 and he hopes to be the first player to sign to a final roster.
The Bears are giving him a look for a good reason. Last season, he posted record-breaking numbers including 82 receptions for 1,282 yards and 20 touchdowns. He, along with quarterback Logan Nelson and fellow wide receiver Danny Kittner, posted some of the best numbers ever seen in University of Mary history.
Luke recalled being asked as a kid what he wanted to be when he grew up, the only thing that came to mind was being a professional football player. Whether he thought it was realistic or not at the time, it’s a very real possibility now.
John asked Luke what his experience was like attending and playing for a small Catholic college that wasn’t always known for its prowess on the football field.
“It’s been truly amazing. I get so many questions on, ‘Oh, don’t you wish you went to a bigger school here or there?’ And the answer is always, ‘Absolutely not,’ because I got the chance to be a part of an incredible rebuild. They’re still in the process of that, but the head coach there now is a tremendous guy. He has kind of helped shape me into the person I am today.” Little valued his opportunity to shape the culture on the team and guide his teammates, especially the younger ones, to be better players. He said that making an impact on the guys who looked up to him means a whole lot more than saying he went to a big school.
Speaking on the faith aspect of his life at the University of Mary, Luke credited the school with reinvigorating his religious involvement. He said growing up, he wasn’t a big participant in his Catholic faith, but the way the University of Mary created a Christ-focused atmosphere, even on the field and in the locker room, was life-changing. Moments of prayer with the team reminded him of how much he had to be thankful for and all the reasons he loves the game and is blessed to be able to play it.
Luke said that having this time to play football in college provided him with some very valuable life lessons about trust, fortitude, and hard work. He talked about how many days he would wake up to below zero temperatures and think about having to drive out to the school to go practice for hours. He should have dreaded it but remembering that he has ninety other guys to lean on made it easier. Furthermore, Luke saw no better way to build good habits than being faced with a difficult decision every day: either get up and grind or face the consequences when it’s gametime. It forced him to think down the road and choose the option that would benefit his team long term.
These are things that every person can apply to their lives in different ways. We should know that we have people like our spouse, our siblings, and our parents who we can lean on when we need to. They’re there to hold us accountable for those habits we’ve been building, but they’re also there for our own good and when we’re tired and can’t go any further, they’ll be there to see us across the finish line.
As the Bears begin their Rookie Training Camp this Friday, May 6th, we are excited and hopeful for Luke Little’s potential future in Chicago.
Tune in to Morning Air weekdays at 5am CT
