Steven Lutes is a senior linebacker for the Thunder football team. He is serving as a team captain this season, contributing to the team in many ways on and off of the field. Below is a brief interview with the senior.
Q: Why did you choose to attend and play football at Wheaton?
A: When I was going through the recruiting process I realized that Wheaton was different than every other place I was looking at. The school was not only a great academic school, but also a Christian place. Also, the football program was very good. Not only did they win games and have success on the field, off the field the guys on the team were different from any other place I was looking. They were all seriously pursuing Jesus and loving one another like nowhere else I had seen.
Q: What are some of the things you do as a team captain. What has the experience been like so far?
A: It has been a great experience to be a captain; a lot of what I have been doing is just being available for guys to talk to. I have had several guys come to me with stuff going on in their lives and it has been awesome to be able to work through these things with guys.
Q: What do you appreciate most about playing for coach Swider?
A: I really appreciate Coach Swider’s enthusiasm. He loves what he does and that excitement is contagious to the team. His passion for the game makes him a great motivator. After listening to one of his speeches there isn’t much you wouldn’t be willing to do for him.
Q: Talk a little bit about coach Sandberg, the linebackers coach and defensive coordinator. What do you appreciate about him?
A: It has been great to play for Coach Sandberg, his intensity is awesome on the field and he is a great teacher and coach. However the bigger and more amazing that I love about him is the care he has for us as more than just football players. I know that I can go in and talk to Coach Sandberg any time whether it’s about football, something going on in my life or just to say hi. I know that is something very special about Wheaton; there aren’t many other places where players can say that they are friends with their coaches.
Q: What is your favorite Wheaton football memory in your time here?
A: My favorite memory is definitely our run to the National Semifinals last year. It was so much fun to have four extra weeks of football especially after we didn’t think we would make the playoffs. Every week was so exciting and every game was a great game, it really was unforgettable.
Q: How many football ministry trips have you been on, what places have you went to?
A: I have been on two trips with the football team. My freshman year I went to Senegal and my sophomore year I went to Guinea.
Q: What was you favorite experience of the football ministry trips you have been on?
A: My favorite experience was in Guinea, we stayed about 3 blocks from the missionaries we were working with, and as we would walk back and forth we would often stop and talk to some Muslim college students who lived along the way. It was really cool to develop relationships with them and to hear their perspectives on America, the world and Christianity.
