During Daviess County’s blowout win over Marshall County earlier this season, a freshman wide receiver caught a touchdown pass but before that, he hadn’t registered a catch this season.
When the year ended, DC’s Luke Floyd finished with 21 catches for 253 yards and 2 scores but his freshman football season isn’t over yet as Floyd will suit up in today’s FBU Freshman All-American Bowl in Naples, Florida, with some of the top freshmen in the country.
Floyd is the third Panther to play in the game after Jon Nalley and Isaac Blue also represented DC in previous years.
“This is a huge honor for Luke and our program. Luke is the third player in four years to be invited,” Panther coach Matt Brannon said. “Competition brings out the best in a player and to be able to compete with some of the best players in the country can only make you a better player. This is also a great way to get on the national scene for recruiting. Recruiting in western Kentucky is a challenge, so any national exposure is great for the athlete and our community.”
Floyd said he wasn’t expecting to get the nod for the game.
“I was pretty shocked at first but I was excited to see how I compared to everyone else in the country and how my skills compared to everybody else,” he said.
Floyd said it’s been an interesting year, to say the least as he worked his way into the lineup for the Panthers this season.
He said it gave him a foundation for the next few years.
“It’s exciting to see what could happen after this,” he said.
The Panthers had several weapons on offense this season with junior Joe Humphreys passing for nearly 1,600 yards. DC had six receivers with at least 13 catches this season as eight had receiving touchdowns.
Floyd said it made the offense more dangerous with so many options for Humphreys.
“It was fun seeing how I compared to my team,” he said. “Knowing I had other threats on my team was exciting because I know it was trouble for the defense.”
Floyd practiced with his team Saturday and Sunday as he has the game this evening in Florida.
He said it’s been fun to see and play with players from all over the country.
“It’s hot out here but they’re fun because just getting to know everybody and seeing a lot of different talents but it’s also difficult to learn a whole new playbook in a matter of three days,” he said.
When ask what his mindset is going into the game, Floyd said he’s ready to put his talents on display.
“Have the game of my life because it’s one of the ones that really matters,” he said.
