Note: The following appears in the Duke football gameday program.
Jeadyn Lukus grew up in Mauldin, S.C., about a 45-minute drive from Clemson. From the first time he put on pads to play Mauldin recreational football, he knew there was only one place he wanted to play in college.
“Growing up in the Upstate, Clemson was the school.”
A soft-spoken player, Lukus was thrust into the spotlight early when he received his first scholarship offer in 2019 and became the talk of the recruiting world after a gravity-defying interception in the Under Armour All-American Game that looked very similar to his interception in the 2022 ACC Championship Game.
Lukus admitted it was tough early on, as he had never had that many eyes on him or that kind of pressure before, but as he got deeper into the process, things fell into place and he began to embrace his recruitment.
Choosing Clemson was an easy decision. The cornerback grew up watching Coty Sensabaugh, Bashaud Breeland and Andrew Booth Jr. and knew he wanted to continue the program’s history of talented defensive backs.
“The Clemson offer was definitely ‘the’ offer. It was the one I wanted most when I was in high school.”
He is thankful for the experience and opportunity he has had donning the Paw.
“It’s a dream culture.”
Not everything has been easy since he arrived on campus as an early enrollee in the spring of 2022, as he knew from the beginning there would be a learning curve. But #10 is grateful for all the adversity he has had to overcome and the lessons it has taught him.
For the first time in his life, he was not going to be the most talented player on the field. Putting on the Clemson orange was going to be much more demanding than anything he had experienced up until that point, but he was always ready for it. He understood that everyone on the team was fast and strong, and he knew that in order to separate himself, he would have to welcome the competition with open arms.
“Going into college, the competition becomes more prevalent, but it makes everyone get better. Iron sharpens iron.”
That competition has been good for Lukus, who has made significant strides on the field.
Early in his Clemson career, Lukus was plagued by injuries. Shoulder and hip issues sidelined him for large portions of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, but he was finally able to put together a full season in 2024.
Despite the setbacks, Lukus has always kept his head about him. Playing at such a high level is tough on the body, but Lukus has rolled with the punches during his entire career.
“You’re always going to have setbacks, but you just can’t break. You can’t give up no matter what type of adversity you face.”
His attitude and ability to keep moving forward has been a big part of why the senior has shown so much improvement during his time at Clemson. His experience playing football in Tigertown and the adversity he has faced has given Lukus the mindset to do the following.
“Do the best you can with the situation on your end.”
While it has been difficult, his faith in the team and faith in himself have never wavered. There have been plenty of bumps in the road, but Lukus has come into his own in a Clemson uniform, and the senior said he “wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.”
Football has been a huge part of Lukus’ life going back to early childhood, and playing the sport he loves at his dream school has been the experience of a lifetime. He reflected on his journey and talked about some of the lessons he has picked up along the way, including respect, which was learned early on.
“I learned to say ‘yes sir” in recreational ball. My dad and my coach always told me.”
Another aspect he picked up before coming to Clemson was a love for the game. Middle and high school taught him how to keep having fun playing the game. In college, what resonated the most was keeping faith in the team and in himself, which comes from Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s messages to the team every day.
“The overarching message is to keep your eyes on the Lord through the good and the bad and do the best you can with everything you do.”
His ability to keep his faith has been integral to his playing career. Swinney’s emphasis on faith has provided Lukus with something to hold on to when times get tough and doing the best he can with everything he does. Playing for the Tiger football squad has given Lukus lessons to carry with him throughout the rest of his life.
“I am prepared going into life, and that’s one of the main things I wanted to gain from coming here.”
