A Buckeye by birth, Luke Lachey to play for Iowa Hawkeyes against Ohio State
Luke Lachey couldn’t have been born with more Buckeye in his blood.
His father, Jim, was an All-American offensive lineman for Ohio State and is in his 26th year as an analyst for the Ohio State radio broadcasts. His mom, Ann, and his three sisters all are Ohio State grads. His sister Emily is married to former Buckeye Pat Elflein.
Even his brother, James, at least played in the Buckeye state, having gone to Bowling Green.
Luke's uncle Ron played for OSU. Another uncle, Rob, is the Buckeyes’ longtime equipment manager.
“Growing up, it was awesome being in that atmosphere,” Luke said. “I can think of so many times I was out there throwing a ball with my friends or my uncle’s friends (at Ohio Stadium). But I never really thought I would play in there.”
On Saturday, he will. Luke will return to the Horseshoe, but he’ll be wearing the black and gold of the Iowa Hawkeyes as a redshirt sophomore tight end.
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“It’s a business trip, but it is a little bit more exciting to go home and play in Columbus,” he said. “I think it means a lot to my parents and to my whole family.”
Lachey was more of a basketball player than a football player at Grandview High School and had hoops offers from some Mid-American Conference schools. It wasn’t until late that he decided to play football in college.
At 6 feet 6 and about 210 pounds, Lachey was a project as a football player. He attended Ohio State camps. The Buckeyes were interested in him but wanted him to grayshirt, meaning he’d be delayed a semester in being put on scholarship.
There were no hard feelings. However, almost immediately, Lachey set up a recruiting visit to Iowa.
“It all worked out in the end for me,” he said. “I think it might have been the best thing for me. I love where I am, and I don’t think there’s a place better for me.”
Iowa’s offense is hardly cutting-edge. The Hawkeyes rank near the bottom nationally. But Iowa can make a case for being Tight End U. T.J. Hockenson and Noah Fant were first-round NFL picks in 2019. All-Pro George Kittle was drafted two years earlier.
Hockenson and Fant each scored two touchdowns against Ohio State in the Hawkeyes’ stunning 55-24 upset in 2017. That game was fresh in Lachey’s memory when Iowa recruited him.
This year, tight end Sam LaPorta leads the Hawkeyes with 30 catches, 16 more than any other player. Lachey is tied for second on the team in receiving yards with 157 on nine catches, including a touchdown in the final seconds of Iowa’s loss to Michigan.
“I think both those guys are really playing at a high level now, Sam and Luke,” Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said.
For Jim Lachey, Saturday will be a special day. He was able to watch Luke play four games last year, but his broadcasting duties haven’t allowed him to see Luke play this season.
“I’ll be proud,” Jim said. “Seeing your son on the football field at Ohio State is a great honor.”
And if he gets to make the call of a touchdown by his son?
“That would be awesome,” Jim said. “First of all, they need to score some points. They’ve struggled a bit this year. I know it would be a dream come true for him, an opportunity to play against a lot of guys he knows from different camps and over the years competing against each other.”
Paul Keels, Lachey’s broadcast partner, knows what Saturday means to Jim.
“He’s excited, more than anything just to see his son because he misses not being able (to watch his games)," Keels said. "But he’s also excited every Saturday we do a game. This is just added different excitement.
“But my feeling is that he’s not trying to make too big a deal out of it, given what his on-air responsibilities are."
As far as the rest of the Lacheys, blood is thicker than scarlet. Luke said his family has had Ohio State tickets for as long as he can remember, but they are all Hawkeyes this week. Jim’s parents, 90-year-old Ken and 87-year-old JoAnn, are coming to the game from their home in St. Henry.
“They haven’t been to a game in probably three or four years,” Jim said. “My dad’s sitting in the stands. He’s excited for it. He wears his Iowa hat back in St. Henry every day."
Other relatives and friends will be there, too, with divided loyalties for the first time.
“There are some die-hard Ohio State fans that might have a little gold and black in their wardrobe,” Jim said.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Luke Lachey, son of OSU football radio star Jim Lachey, plays for Iowa
