Luke Nelson '13 Recruiting Profile

All the dreams I have ever had since I was about two years old have been about being a professional athlete. I didn't even  care what kind of athlete; football, baseball or any sport for that matter. For a long time I focused on baseball.  Then as a sophomore I started kicking for the football team.  I realized I was pretty good at it.  Even so, as I have grown older I understand that  the chances of just  playing at the college level are very minimal. However, I still believe I have what it takes to be among the top punters in the Division 1 Football League. The thing that separates me from everyone else is my work ethic and my powerful leg. I have realized over the past few years that I am never satisfied with being good I want to be great. This summer at my first punting camp at the University of Illinois I was the winner for both hang time and distance at the final competition. My distance was 54 yards and my hang time was a 4.79. While I was thrilled that I won the competitions I found myself more excited to improve. Then later this Summer I started working with Coach  Filip Filipovic.   I attended two more showcases with the kicking coach and won each one.   I performed the best with a 49 yard punt with a 5.18 hang time. Over half my punts were over a 4.6 hang time with an average of over 46 yards. My goal is to continue to hone my skills and get even better.  My dream is to not only punt at a Division 1 University, but to improve my skills enough to play in the NFL.