FOXBORO, Mass. - Former Gardner-Webb football wide receiver TJ Luther was signed to the New England Patriots practice squad, announced on Friday, Sept. 1.
Luther had played three preseason games with the New York Jets before being cut by the team on Tuesday. Luther familiarized himself with the Patriots prior to the NFL Draft, as the former Runnin' Bulldog visited Gillette Stadium in the spring. He joined the Jets as an undrafted free agent following the draft.
Luther (Arcadia, Fla. / Port Charlotte HS) earned FCS All-America honors from Phil Steele College Football following a terrific senior season with the Runnin' Bulldogs. The 6-0, 185-pound standout led Gardner-Webb with a career-high 63 catches for 1,166 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022, sparking the Runnin' Bulldogs to seven wins, an undefeated Big South Conference season and a first-round win at Eastern Kentucky in the FCS Playoffs.
Luther was the Big South Conference's yardage leader and had seven games with at least 100 yards receiving. He had two of his best games against FBS foes, catching five balls for a season-high 188 yards at Coastal Carolina and hauling in eight catches for 131 yards and a touchdown at Liberty.
In addition to All-America honors, Luther was a first-team All-Big South Conference selection following the season.
In his two seasons at Gardner-Webb, Luther caught 86 passes for 1,550 yards and 12 touchdowns in 20 games. That mark put Luther 25th overall in program history for career receptions. His 18.0 yards per catch is a school record for players with a minimum of 80 receptions while wearing the red and black, passing Ken Reid's mark of 17.7 yards per catch in his career from 1970-73. His 1,166 yards in his senior season are the second-most for a single GWU receiver in team history.
Luther was Gardner-Webb's 89th FCS/Division I-AA All-America selection and the 122nd All-America selection in the program's senior college history (since 1970).
Luther is the sixth Gardner-Webb receiver to sign with an NFL team, joining Cook, Dobson Collins (49ers, 2009), Eric Harris (Falcons, 1998), Terry Guess (Saints, 1996) and Tony Suber (Bills, 1982). Guess was a fifth round pick of the Saints.
Gardner-Webb has seen 19 of its student-athletes signed or drafted by the NFL sine 1973. Linebacker Lee Thompson signed with the Houston Oilers in 1973, spearheading that group.
