Greg Tunnicliff
Sports Scene
Luke Maclean wasn’t sure what it would take to make an impression on Grand Blanc’s football coaching staff.
So, as a freshman, he decided to let his work ethic do his talking for him.
From the first time he stepped into the school’s weightroom, he was throwing around more weight than most of the Bobcats’ seniors.
As a freshman, he could bench press 225 pounds 10 times.
“It takes no talent to work hard,” said Maclean, who weighed 205 pounds as a freshman. “No matter what it is, you can always control your work ethic.”
It didn’t take long for Grand Blanc’s coaches to realize that they had a special talent on their hands.
After playing on the Bobcats’ freshman team in 2009, the inside linebacker was bumped up to the varsity team as a sophomore.
He hasn’t let his work ethic slip at all the last two years. Now a 6’4″, 235-pound senior, Mclean can bench press 225 pounds 23 times.
“[Work ethic] brought our eye to him,” Grand Blanc head coach Joe Delaney said. “It wasn’t a one-day thing. Every day we went in there, he was one of the hardest workers.”
Because of his work ethic, Mclean is now one of the most coveted college prospects in the country. He is rated as a three-star prospect and ranked the No. 27 linebacker in the nation by rivals.com. He is the No. 14 overall prospect in the state.
He was an honorable mention All-Combine performer at the U.S. Army Junior Combine in January.
Not surprisingly, he has garnered numerous scholarship offers. He said he has narrowed his choice to either University of Pittsburgh or University of Cincinnati, both members of the Big East Conference.
Mclean indicated he wants make a final decision before the 2012 season begins.
He said the biggest factor influencing his final decision will be where he feels more comfortable.
“It’s going to be your new home for four or five years,” Maclean said. “You have to see yourself living there for quite some time.”
During his first two years on the Bobcats’ varsity squad, Maclean was one of the main cogs in the team’s 3-4 defensive set.
While he plays inside, the Bobcats are not afraid to move him outside, putting him at either outside linebacker or defensive end.
Last year, he finished with 107 tackles, 31 unassisted tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries, and one interception.
He earned first-team All-Kensington Lakes Activities Association Conference honors for the second straight year.
“We try to move him around,” Delaney said. “He gets to people and makes plays. You can lean on a guy like that and say, ‘Go to it.’”
With Maclean leading the way, the Bobcats have posted a 16-7 overall record the last two years.
Grand Blanc went 9-3 last season, captured a share of the KLAA West Division championship, and won a Division 1 district title.
“Most of the time I try to read the guy across from me,” Maclean said. “I want to be relentless until the play is over.”
Maclean said his goal this season is to continue to work hard and hopefully lead the Bobcats back to the postseason.
Grand Blanc will open is 2012 season August 24 against Carman-Ainsworth at Grand Blanc.
“It takes a little studying, a little game film,” Maclean said. “If you put in the work at practice, it’s really not that hard. You prepare now so you can win later.”