JUNIOR GOES TO CAMP
The B.C. Lions open training camp today in Kamloops, where this talented tackle aims to bring size, speed and skill to the rookie auditions
Rookies are supposed to be seen and not heard. It’s difficult to apply that adage to Junior Luke because of what the B.C. Lions saw in the defensive tackle before making the 25-year-old Montreal native the seventh overall selection in the 2017 CFL draft.
Luke was a pass-rushing, quarterback-sacking force at the University of Montreal. He was also named the top lineman at the NCAA National Bowl all-star game in Daytona Beach, Fla. and was invited to the New York Giants rookie mini-camp.
His 1-on-1 drills domination at the CFL Combine sold the Lions on a solid 6-foot-2, 290-pound guy who was once soft and lazy, got a motivational kick in the football pants and now believes the sky is the limit for his emerging game.
That’s something to see and talk about.
“If you give me a chance, I can do something,” Luke said Wednesday before the Lions departed for rookie camp, which opens Thursday in Kamloops. “I just need to adapt to the speed at the pro level and learn from the veterans. I don’t need to force anything. I just need to be there and play the way I’m supposed to and show why I’m here and we’ll see.”
The Lions plan on starting four import defensive linemen this season, so being on the active roster and getting into the rotation of six or seven should be a reasonable target for a big guy like Luke with remarkable quickness.
Add the fact that injuries and the length of the season will take a toll on both sides of the ball and there’s plenty of incentive to showcase skills.
“It’s my takeoff, my first step,” said Luke. “I get out of my stance pretty quickly. I still need to be consistent with my pass rush and I play the run pretty well. I think they (Lions) were impressed by my speed because at 290, I still have a lot of quickness.”
The Lions had 52 quarterback sacks last season and 11 came from defensive end Alex Bazzie, who signed earlier this month with the NFL’s Carolina Panthers. Linebacker Solomon Elimimian had eight sacks and lineman Craig Roh had seven.
Luke had 13 solo tackles in eight U Sports games last season to go with six sacks. He even had an interception off a screen pass and a fumble recovery to speak of his reads and reactions.
“I like his size, but he has that pass-rushing skill and he’s an athlete,” said Lions general manager and coach Wally Buono. “He has a tremendous get-off (from the snap) and when you look at interior linemen, that’s critical. He can also play the end and he can play standing up.
“And when you have that explosion off the ball, it gives you power and quickness and big (offensive) guys don’t like inside linemen who are quick.”
Luke wasn’t always quick and he wasn’t always strong when he started his college career four years ago. He was, well, lazy.
“I was,” admitted Luke, who initially got away with not training hard or looking after his nutrition because he had so much raw talent. “Since I started playing, my coaches told me I had the potential to play pro and to be a great player.
“I didn’t understand that, but I wanted to be one of the best D-linemen in the country, so I had to change something. I played at 325 pounds my first year. It was difficult and I realized that if I want to play CIS (now known as U Sports), I had to train a lot harder.
“You have to do the work. You can’t just think your athletic ability is going to allow you to play. I decided to fix that and last year I was healthy the whole season and I also lost weight and was quick.”
It’s a long way from being a wideeyed kid at 14 who flirted with baseball and initially just played football for fun and camaraderie. Luke started out as an offensive lineman, but found his niche with a passion for contact and tackling. And by the time he got the Giants’ invite to the mini-camp, he was already on the right pro path and has signed a Lions contract.
“The big thing at that camp was the details, especially the fundamentals with your hands and feet,” stressed Luke.
“I practised well and played well and didn’t feel out of place. It gives confidence knowing I can play professional football and I’m ready for that and the challenge.”