“It’s the first time I’ve ever recruited a guy that had that deep a background of [skiing].”-Brian Wozniak, Oregon State tight end coach.
When National Football League draft prospects have multisport backgrounds, it typically doesn’t involve skiing. The New York Post reports that Luke Musgrave has one of the most unique multisport backgrounds in the 2023 NFL Draft Class.
The tight end, who is from Oregon, grew up playing football in the summer and fall, and ski raced in the winter. Luke Musgrave said at the combine that he’s been skiing since he was a kid because it was his mother’s main sport. His mother, Amy Musgrave, was part of the U.S. developmental ski team in the 1980s.
One of the ways it helped him was that it grew his leg strength. Brian Wozniak described some of the other ways how Luke’s skiing translates to the gridiron:
“I’ve seen him skiing on Youtube and I said, ‘Luke’s hips move like that all the time. He’s so fluid and can step laterally 2 feet and he can step vertically 2 feet. It’s harder to keep him at bay or jam him up [as a tight end], he’s so explosive and can gain ground really quick.”
Back in 2014, The Columbian reported that he won the Pacific Northwest Under-14 Buddy Werner Championship at Crystal Mountain Resort. That weekend, he won the super-G, the slalom, and the giant slalom events. It’s unclear why he stopped ski racing, and whether he still shreds.
Luke spent four years at Oregon State. In his only full season, he accumulated 22 catches for 304 yards. In his final season, he had standout performances in the two games he played in. He decided to forgo his last year of eligibility to pursue his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL.
Regarding his pro football prospects, Luke’s expected to be drafted in the second or third round. With his 6-foot-6 and 250-pound frame, he’s clearly built for success in the league. There are some concerns about Musgrave’s durability, as his last season at Oregon State ended due to a knee injury. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see where he ends up.
Based on his skiing background, I’m going to do an unofficial ranking of where he should be drafted based on his ability to shred.
- Jets or Giants: He’d be right next to Big SNOW American Dream, which is our country’s only year-round ski resort.
- Seattle Seahawks: Luke would be relatively close to home and Crystal Mountain, where he won those races in 2014.
- Minnesota Vikings: Hyland Hills is just outside of Minneapolis, but Kirk Cousins is mid, and the Vikings are definitely cursed.
- New England Patriots: Name a better combination than Bill O’Brien and Wachusett Mountain. I’ll wait.
- Denver Broncos: Let’s ride.
A highlight video from Luke’s 2022 season via the Pac-12 Networks is below.
Update 4/29: Luke was drafted in the second round by the Green Bay Packers.
Image/Video Credits: NFL, The Columbian, Luke Musgrave, Pac-12 Networks
