As the youngest of eight children, rookie Arizona Cardinals player Jesse Lukita was sitting in the front row for all the sacrifices his mom had to make while growing up.
In her quest to give her children a better life, Lukita’s mother immigrated to Ontario, Canada, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1980, leaving behind a life she knew.
Despite the difficult times, Lukita’s mother remained positive, explaining to her children what it means to be selfless and how to overcome adversity.
Taking it upon himself to make his mother’s sacrifices, Lukita went to work at a young age, looking to forge a path that would not only help his mother but also give him a real chance to pursue his dreams of breaking the NFL.
“Honestly, it all stems from my mom. Lukita said Beckley and Marotta of Arizona Sports Tuesday. “It got to a point when I was younger, I told her I was tired of seeing her struggle and would take the responsibility on me to 1) make sure I pursue my ambitions to play football at the highest level and 2) she doesn’t have to struggle anymore.
“By doing that, I started sending emails every day, at least 150 emails every day, to middle schools in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland and kind of introducing myself and telling them my aspirations, playing football at the highest level and eventually that I needed financial help. “.
Of the 150 emails, only a few coaches reached out but offered little, if any, help.
It only takes one coach to go that extra mile, and Jeff Root of Merseyhurst Prep was the career lifeline Lukita needed.
Three years later, Lukita was on his way to Pennsylvania as a four-star recruit after receiving plenty of looks from other shows.
On Saturday, Luketa saw his early reward in the form of this seventh-round pick NFL Draft. He was one of eight Nittany Lions drafted by the NFL after receiving an honorable mention from the All-Big Ten Conference for his 61 interference and one interception effort in 2021.
However, the work is far from over for Wikita, who now sets his sights on being a daily contributor to the Cardinals, whether that’s lining up as an outside back in defense or covering kicks in special teams.
“My mentality of going to boot camp is where I need to be, and that’s exactly what I’m going to be in,” Luketa said. “I’m ready to contribute. It’s the same thing when I got to Penn State, we’ve had some guys playing Sundays now.
“I was able to find my role on special teams and it eventually allowed me to earn their respect and trust from my teammates and coaching staff. It is one thing I am looking forward to doing at Arizona State as well. Special teams are going to be a huge factor for me and I can’t wait to get out and contribute. “.