2015 Grad Luke Ryals Signs to SEU Football

By Evie Fordham

Class of 2015 graduate and quarterback of the varsity football team Luke Ryals had been  planning to attend North Carolina State University in the fall and leaving his days of playing football at a competitive level behind him — until a phone conversation with a coach from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Yesterday, Luke signed with Southeastern as a member of their football team.

“It was all God, the reason I switched. I had a guy at church tell me about Southeastern,” he recounted, “One day… I felt led to call the coach. He called me back within thirty minutes and told me that if they had a spot they would let me know, and they would try to get me down there.”

“A few days later,” in Luke’s words, no spot had become available but the coach called him to say that Southeastern wanted him to play anyways.

“I just felt led to go there,” detailed Luke, “I felt that that’s the place where God wants me.”

Football has been a large part of Luke’s life since he was a “little kid.”

“I’ve played this sport since third grade,” he said, “I’m very passionate about it.”

Luke stated that Wake Christian has prepared him to attend Southeastern and play football in many ways, including athletically and academically, adding, “My coaches, they’ve all helped me and influenced me, not just in my athletic career but spiritually as well.”

Luke attended Wake Christian for five years before graduating this past May. A longtime member of Student Council, he served as Executive Board President his senior year. An AP student, he will attend Southeastern on the Chancellor’s scholarship and explained that he will “be studying business administration with an emphasis on IT.”

Most importantly, he said, “I plan to continue to serve God” during his time at Southeastern, carrying with him to Florida all the lessons he’s learned through the years at Wake Christian.