Luke Penrose represents the total package. At least in the eyes of the United States Naval Academy.
The Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. recruited Penrose to play football and the Galena High senior has earned an appointment to attend Navy. Penrose will sign with Navy today.
"We're pretty excited about it," said Galena footbal coach Greg Sakelaris said. "We're proud of him. It's just an awesome deal."
Sakelaris said Navy liked everything about Penrose, including his academic performance, his character and his athletic ability. "They just liked the whole package," Sakelaris said.
Navy is ranked as the nation's second toughest university to earn admission by the Princeton Review.
"It's a great opportunity both academically and athletically," Penrose said.
Navy wanted Penrose as a football player and that was key to him earning a place at the school, Sakelaris said. "That helped with him getting the appointment," Sakelaris said.
The 5-11, 175-pound Penrose runs the 40 in 4.5 seconds, which impressed Navy. "They wanted the speed," Sakelaris said.
While Navy has yet to decide what position that Penrose will play, he's a versatile performer who can be used as a running back, receiver, defensive back or on special teams.
"They'll figure that out once he's there," said Sakelaris about what position Penrose will play. "They want him to come out and play."
Besides, football is secondary at Navy where Penrose will embark on a journey that would lead to him being commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy upon his graduation.
"He's going to have quite a committment," Sakelaris said. "It's going to be a long haul for him."
Penrose's commitment begins on July 1 when he'll report for the notorious "plebe summer," which will indoctrinate him into Navy life. Penrose said the commitment he's making will be worth it.
For a time, it looked like Penrose might not receive the appointment to Navy, which went through a change in coaching staffs. Navy originally recruited Penrose, but Sakelaris said he was "lost in the shuffle" after the change in coaching staffs.
"It was frustrating for us," Sakelaris said. "He's the type of kid that's going to make somebody happy with his work ethic."
"I think they kind of didn't know who I was," said Penrose about the new coaching staff.
But Penrose took the initiative to keep his pursuit of Navy, and the school offered him the appointment.
Sakelaris said that Penrose isn't just representing himself at Navy, but his family, Galena and "the whole state of Nevada."
Penrose is a life-long University of Nevada fan, but the school only offered him the chance to walk on. But Penrose said he'll still always be a Nevada fan. "I'll still follow then when I'm at Navy," he said.
But Penrose will also be part of something in which nothing else can compare in college football: the Army-Navy game.
"That's probably the biggest rivalry in the country," Penrose said. "It will be an honor to participate in that."
Sakelaris is already gearing up for the Army-Navy rivalry. "Go Navy, beat Army," he said.
At Galena, Penrose was an all-state and all-academic state performer.
"He was obviously our team most valuable player," Sakelaris said.
