Meet Luke Magliozzi

By Alex Putterman of the Hartford Courant

STORRS, Conn. - If there was a single silver lining for UConn in the 62-7 loss to Boise State last weekend, it was the performance of punter Luke Magliozzi.

Playing in his second college game, Magliozzi punted nine times for 432 yards, raising his season average to 46.5 yards per boot, 13th best in the country.

"Luke's a great story and a great testament to hard work," coach Randy Edsall said Tuesday. "I sit up in my office and have a view into the indoor facility, and there's nobody that put in the time and effort that he did. So it's not surprising to me to see him have the success that he's had so far."

In addition to being one of the most impressive players on a struggling UConn team, Magliozzi might be the single most interesting. Growing up in Westmeadows, Australia, Magliozzi played Aussie rules football, a game similar to rugby. When shoulder injuries ended his career in that arena, he left sports behind, spending four years as a plumber.

Then he heard about a friend from high school who had gotten a scholarship to attend school and play football in America. Fed up with plumbing, Magliozzi reached out to his mate, who directed him toward Prokick Australia, a program that channels Aussies with big legs toward American colleges.

Luke Magliozzi and Donovan Williams sit down and talk about Luke's unique journey to #UConn!#RiseAsOne // #UConnNation pic.twitter.com/T2SzKYRO71
— UConn Football (@UConnFootball) November 15, 2018

"At the time I was kind of of two minds," Magliozzi said Tuesday. "I had a full-time job and I had bills to pay, but I went and saw [Prokick director] Nathan Chapman and said, 'What do you think?' And he said, 'Yeah, you've got a shot at playing Division I football.' I thought he was full of it, to tell you the truth."

Magliozzi went home and spoke to his father, who encouraged him to pursue the opportunity. Within months, he was on his way to Storrs to become a punter.

Of course, Magliozzi faced challenges in adjusting to a new sport. He didn't know the technique, didn't know the rules and didn't even know how to put on a helmet or pads. He learned the game in part by playing the video game "Madden" with teammates.

"We taught him the simple stuff like downs and fumbles and scoring and stuff," sophomore long snapper Brian Keating said. "We just told him, go out on the field and kick the ball and put us in a good position and you'll be fine."

Last season, Magliozzi lost out on the starting job in part because he struggled to catch snaps. After undergoing shoulder surgery in the spring, he beat Brett Graham for the job this year and solidified his role during the first two games. Magliozzi said he felt nervous in the season opener against UCF but found his groove in Boise, where the high altitude gave his kicks a boost.

Edsall said he has been impressed not only with Magliozzi's punting but also with the 24-year-old's message to his many younger teammates.

"He's a little bit older, a little more mature — a lot more mature — than a lot of those guys," Edsall said. "He'll tell it like it is. Some of these guys, they might not like what he has to say to them because of what he's done and what he's done to get here."

Magliozzi said he attempts to use his own experience as an example for others. Whereas he slacked off in school and wound up in a job he didn't enjoy, his teammates have a chance to earn a college degree. He tries to tell them not to squander it.

Magliozzi's presence on the team has also resulted in a certain cultural exchange. As the punter has learned football, he has offered his teammates, as well as special teams coordinator Eddie Allen, some lessons in Aussie rules ("He tries to teach me the rugby rules, and I don't understand what's going on," Allen said). When he first arrived in the U.S., he even dished out vegemite, the Australian food spread.

"I thought it tasted horribly," Keating said.

More than a year into his American odyssey, Magliozzi has mostly settled into both his role on the field and his life in the U.S. The biggest change since his days in Australia? Homework.

"I never used to do homework, to tell you the truth," Magliozzi said. "Now I want to do homework, which is crazy. I call my mom and she says, 'What are you doing?' and I tell her I'm doing homework, and she's like, 'What?'"

Magliozzi is part of an Australian wave that has swept the FBS punting ranks in recent years. According to Prokick's website, the program has cranked out 75 scholarship players, 17 All-Americans and five winners of the Ray Guy Award. Several Prokick players have gone on to the NFL, including record-breaking Seahawks rookie Michael Dickson.

Magliozzi said he frequently texts with his mates from Prokick and hopes to one day play professionally. If he keeps punting the way he did against Boise State, that might become a reality.

Already, Magliozzi has come awfully far.

"It's just crazy looking back a year ago where I was," he said. "So much in my life in general has changed. I was working, and now I'm studying and going out there playing football. It's a big change."

University of Connecticut Athletics

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Brett Graham

Brian Keating

Luke Magliozzi

Donovan Williams

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