In week three of last season, Luke Thompson had the game he loves ripped away from him. When the Laurier quarterback went down with a torn ACL in the first half of the Hawks’ game against the Waterloo Warriors it meant his 2009 season was over after just two games.
“It was tough,” said Thompson. “When your passion gets taken away from you, it’s not easy. But there’s peaks and valleys in football and you’ve just got to take it one day at a time and hopefully there will be more positives than negatives.”
Now the fourth-year is back in the fold at Hawks’ training camp, and looking forward to another season as the starting pivot for the purple and gold.
“It’s feels really good [to be back in camp],” said Thompson. “It’s something that you take for granted when you’re fully healthy. Just to be back out here with the guys and be in the positive atmosphere, it’s pretty refreshing.”
Prior to last year’s injury, Thompson was coming off of a 2008 season which saw him pass for 1,686 yards and 16 touchdowns – while adding another 364 yards and four touchdowns on the ground – on his way to winning the team’s MVP award.
However, in 2009 he was only able to amass 424 total yards and three touchdowns in his limited playing time.
According to Laurier head coach and manager of football operations Gary Jeffries, with Thompson back under center the Hawks receive more than just an elite quarterback.
“He’s a kid that’s worked really hard, he’s come back and he’s a leader,” said Jeffries. “He’s someone that the other kids really respect and he’s really talented and again it give us that depth factor at such a key position.”
Thompson will make his return to game action in his hometown of London, Ontario when the Hawks open their season versus their bitter rivals the Western Mustangs on Sept. 1.
