Former Texas Tech LB Luke Stice discusses adversity and motivation

Former Texas Tech linebacker Luke Stice uses failure and setbacks to inspire physicality and growth. With that ideology, the sky’s the limit for the NFL hopeful.

When former Houston fullback-turned-linebacker, Luke Stice, announced his transfer to Texas Tech last January, fans were immediately excited by what the former Cougars’ walk-on had to offer.

Filling the gaps in a porous defense that continued to hold Texas Tech’s growth back was the main priority, and in his final year of eligibility, Stice knew he had to step up big to instill leadership–if nothing else. Under the guidance of his new strength and conditioning staff, Stice was heralded by coaches for that leadership, and regardless of Texas Tech’s defensive statistics in 2016, he contributed significantly to the overall culture change.

Last season, several players emerged as the benchmarks in accountability and improvement in their respective position groups, and Stice was continually a headliner.

Throughout the year, several coaches praised Luke Stice for a number of things, ranging from his work ethic, to his character, so I asked Texas Tech Director of Speed and Agility coach Scott Salwasser to elaborate on on his qualities. That turned into an article on its own, but there was one thing in particular Coach Salwasser said about Stice that stuck out, “My proudest moment wasn’t seeing his improved numbers, it was watching him coach his teammates.”

In a coach-player relationship, that’s as good as it gets.

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Stice has had private workouts with the Rams, Cardinals, Saints, Bears, Browns, Chargers, and the Bills. With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, we’re once again seeing Stice’s raw talent and work ethic emerge; which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone has followed Stice’s journey.

Wreck ‘Em Red caught up with the former Red Raider, who offered some insight into Texas Tech Football, and his Draft experience.

"1. Is there any moment in your playing career you wish you could do over?"

Stice: I honestly can’t say there’s been any moments in my collegiate career that I wish I could do over. I always gave everything I had, in both my preparation for, and in the competition itself. I’ve been through my fair share of adversity over the past 5 years without a doubt, however, I believe I wouldn’t be the person I am on and off the playing field if it wasn’t for the adversity and setbacks I’ve experienced. Some of the greatest success I’ve had in my career has come from responding to a temporary failure or setback.

"2. In conference play, most Big 12 defenses struggled, but managed to go 4-2 last season in bowls against more prototypical NFL style offenses. Do you think the Air Raid better prepares defenses for the next level?"

Stice: I believe the Air Raid offenses does prepare defenses better against pro style teams. Speaking from experience, having to face Texas Tech’s high powered offense in spring practice, and then throughout the fall really accelerated my learning curve to compete on the defensive side of the ball. The Air Raid comes with an up-tempo style of play that limits your time for pre-snap adjustments, and forces you to read and react extremely fast; which, in my opinion, trains defenses to compete for the worst case scenario.

"3. With half of Big 12 leaning towards the spread, how difficult would you say it is to defend, having played against it?"

As I mentioned in the previous question, I believe once you’ve gained experience competing against the Air Raid up-tempo offenses, it really slows down the game for a defensive player. The Air Raid offense often has success due to catching defenses out of position, as well as causing them to have difficulty with communication. Having the opportunity to gain experience competing against our offense was tremendously helpful for my development as a linebacker. As the season progressed, I felt as if the game really began to slow down, granting me the opportunity to execute what I was trained to do from practice.

"4. What did you enjoy most about playing under David Gibbs?"

Stice: In my opinion, Coach Gibbs is one of the best defensive play callers in college football. Coach is very successful when it comes to putting players in position to make plays. Additionally, Coach Gibbs works to install a game plan that the defense feels comfortable executing as a whole, and in doing so, allows you to play fast as a defender – giving you the opportunity to make more plays.

"5. While training for the Draft, what tips have you learned along the way that you’d like to pass on to other players?"

Stice: The process of training for the draft has been a very unique time of my life, with much uncertainty of how the future will play out. However, I try my best to just trust the process and focus on what I can control. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when looking at the big picture of your future, but I’ve learned through my training to focus on dominating each specific task you have. Also, set a routine, break it down to a daily and weekly schedule, and focus on having the self-discipline to stay committed to your routine, and becoming the best athlete possible. At this point in my training, my main focus is to be the best physically and mentally prepared athlete possible, which will put myself in the best situation to be successful in whatever opportunity I’m given in the future.

"6. Coach Rusty Whitt praised you several times last season, from your character, to your work ethic. How do you feel his and Coach Scott Salwasser’s programs better prepared you for the next step?"

Stice: Coach Whitt takes pride in demanding a high level of both mental and physical toughness in every aspect of training. Coach Whitt also emphasizes the importance of competing in every aspect of training in order to maximize growth and eliminate complacency. Off-season is where leadership emerges from within a team, as the strength staff looks to see how we will respond to adversity individually, and as a whole. All these of these intangible qualities that Coach Whitt’s program looks to instill and develop are qualities I take pride in as an athlete. He looked to me to spread the culture his staff is establishing, which really brought us close as a player-coach relationship. Coach Sal is a coach that I’ve also built a strong relationship with, especially in preparation for pro day. In my opinion, he’s one of the best speed and acceleration coaches in the country. I’ve tried to soak in as much information as possible from Coach Sal over our time training together, as I felt his program has, without a doubt, developed me more as an athlete in both speed and explosiveness.

"7. What was the biggest difference from Houston, to Texas Tech in terms of preparation?"

Stice: There were many similarities in the overall preparation for both Texas Tech and Houston. However, while playing primarily fullback at Houston, the preparation focused more on executing my assignment, whereas at Texas Tech, the defensive side of the ball emphasizes more on pre snap alignment, tendencies of the opposing offense, as well as the down and distance, which might result in a particular type of play from the offense.

"8. Everyone has a life after football. In an ideal world, what would you be interested in pursuing when you hang up the cleats one day?"

Stice: This had been a question I’ve received quite a bit over the past several months. However, at this point in my life I see this question as somewhat irrelevant. One of my favorite quotes is, “There’s no need for a Plan B because it distracts you from Plan A” and I firmly believe that I put everything I have into this game and when the time comes where I’m no longer competing in the game of football, I’ll look forward into shifting my passion and abilities into whatever opportunity the next chapter holds. Right now I’m just focused on being the best football player I can be on and off the field.

"9. What was the weirdest interview question you received during Pro Day, or at any workout sessions/visits?"

Stice: I got asked a few months back who my celebrity crush was, after I brief pause to be sure I heard the question correctly, I told him country western singer Jana Kramer – but it was a question that caught me off guard for sure.

"10. What motivates you?"

Stice: I believe one of the reasons I’ve been able to consistently overcome adversity over my career is the strength in my “Why.” I believe that if a person has a strong enough “why,” the “how” is always possible and you just find the determination and grit to achieve your goals. My two biggest motivating factors, and really the only things I put before the game of football, are my faith and my family. My faith and family are the foundation of my life, and constantly motivate me to improve as a person in every aspect. Another source of motivation I have is to use my platform as an athlete to inspire others to go after the goals they have in life. I’ve taken the road less traveled in my collegiate career by walking on at both universities to get to where I’m at today. If I can inspire people with my story, then that’s something that motivates me to be the very best version of myself. These “why” factors and my love for the game give me my “how” to compete and work with the same intensity each day.

The 2017 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 27, through Saturday, April 29.