Future Gopher Q&A: Luke McAvoy

GopherSports.com will be posting interviews with all the newest Gophers from the 2011 signing class throughout the remainder of the spring. The next profile in the series is a conversation with offensive lineman Luke McAvoy of Bloomington, Ill.

McAvoy was rated as the No. 27 overall prospect in the state of Illinois by Rivals.com. He was listed as the No. 114 offensive tackle in the nation by ESPN/Scouts Inc. He earned three-star rankings from Rivals.com, Scout.com and ESPN/Scouts Inc. He will join his twin brother Kyle as a member of the Golden Gopher Football program this summer.

GopherSports.com: Now that summer is almost here, has it sunk in that you're officially a Golden Gopher?
Luke McAvoy: "Yeah I think it was on Signing Day that it sunk in that I was officially a part of the Gopher family. Kyle and I had been committed since last July, so it was that final step that made it really sink in."

GopherSports.com: What other schools had you been considering as well as Minnesota?
Luke McAvoy: "I had been considering a lot of the Big Ten. Kyle and I had been to almost every campus for Junior Day or for camps."

GopherSports.com: Had you and your brother Kyle been hoping to end up at the same school?
Luke McAvoy: "Starting off, we were thinking whatever happens, happens. As we got further along in the process, we really decided that we wanted to go to the same school."

GopherSports.com: How excited are you that you ended up together?
Luke McAvoy: "We were both really excited because it was a place we really, really enjoy. It was the place we both felt most comfortable."

GopherSports.com: What made you want to come to Minnesota?
Luke McAvoy: "I really like the school. Academically it is a very strong school, which was one of the things I was looking for. The campus is stunning and of course there is football."

GopherSports.com: When did you decide that you wanted to play Division I football?
Luke McAvoy: "I would say when Kyle and I started playing Little League Football together. Our brother Tim was playing at the time. He had just started playing at Michigan at the time. We just wanted to follow in his footsteps as well as my dad's footsteps, because he played at Illinois. From the beginning we wanted to play at the collegiate level."

GopherSports.com: What are some of your goals for your first season as a Golden Gopher?
Luke McAvoy: "The first season, since I am probably going to red-shirted, I want to get big enough to play for the next year, learn the offensive schemes and just prepare myself to be able to help the team in the following years."

GopherSports.com: What are some of your long-term goals for your college career?
Luke McAvoy: "Obviously I want the team to succeed. I want to win a Big Ten Championship and make a trip to the Rose Bowl, hopefully a National Championship."

GopherSports.com: What are you most looking forward to?
Luke McAvoy: "Just to start football. That is one of the big things I am looking forward to, as well as starting my college education."

GopherSports.com: What is your favorite football memory?
Luke McAvoy: "Probably my senior year. Either Senior Night or playing in our playoff game."

GopherSports.com: Is there anyone that you've idolized throughout your football career? If so, who and why?
Luke McAvoy: "My older brother Tim, who played at Michigan. He is an idol that I know. Also someone to look up to that has my playing style would be Jake Long." 

GopherSports.com: Do you play any other sports along with football?
Luke McAvoy: "I wrestled my freshman year and I was on the track and field team for two years in high school."

GopherSports.com: What have you been up to since Signing Day?
Luke McAvoy: "I've been working out basically every day, whether it's running or lifting. Once we got our program, we've been doing that." 

GopherSports.com: What is some of your favorite music to listen to?
Luke McAvoy: "Mostly country. I listen to country a lot. Randy Travis. I don't want to show off how honkytonk I can get, so he's all I will say for now."

GopherSports.com: What are your favorite movies?
Luke McAvoy: "Two of my favorite movies of all time are probably The Alamo with Billy Bob Thorton and Boondock Saints."

GopherSports.com: Do you have any 'must-see' television shows?
Luke McAvoy: "Probably How I Met Your Mother. Kyle and I just got into that show, so we have been going through all of the seasons."

GopherSports.com: Do you have anything else you'd like to say to Gopher fans who are reading this?
Luke McAvoy: "They should look forward to a player who is willing to work for everything and really wants to help the team rebuild itself into something it used to be."
- Interview by Athletic Communications Student Assistant Kate Wadman

-UM-

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