The new most-interesting man on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats had been a student at Wilfrid Laurier University for a year and a half when he sent an email to the football coach asking for a tryout.
It didn’t include any tape of his games because he didn’t have any. Luke Brubacher had never played before. Nor did it include any mention of his size or athletic background. Just that he was interested in taking a shot.
A month later when he hadn’t heard anything back, he sent coach Michael Faulds another note. This time pointing out he was six-foot-six and 245 pounds, and had an 8-0 record as a heavyweight boxer.
“The response was real quick,” he laughs.
That was just four years ago. On Tuesday night, the 23-year-old was selected by Hamilton in the second round of the CFL draft. The team he’d hoped would select him. Writing the next chapter in one of the more remarkable football stories you’ll ever hear.
Growing up in Listowel, his high school didn’t have a football team, so even though he’d always wanted to play, there just wasn’t an opportunity. He fired off that first email to Faulds because he knew he’d regret it forever if he didn’t.
He got his chance. Faulds was understandably intrigued by this package of size, strength, speed and smarts. So he invited him out. While COVID had all official competition shut down, teams were permitted to hold workouts with small groups. In this unique situation, the walk-on started learning the basics.
This, of course, was only after Faulds actually figured out what position he should play, that is. With the big man’s size, athleticism and speed, he figured the defensive line was going to be home.
Whatever. Expectations were understandably modest.
“Realistically,” the coach says, “you’re hoping he becomes a serviceable scout team player that year.”
Except when things were allowed to ramp up and games got going, he not only made the team but he started the season opener.
Yeah, Brubacher admits, things were going a million miles an hour at first. This game isn’t easy when everything’s new and you’re trying to learn stuff everyone around you has been working on for years. But it didn’t take him long.
In his fourth-ever game, he came to Hamilton and wreaked havoc on McMaster with four sacks. That’s when Faulds figured his gridiron project was something special.
“He’s doing stuff guys wearing a helmet for 12 years can’t do,” Faulds says.
At the CFL combine — a specialized workout for draft-eligible players — he posted the fastest 40-yard-dash time among defensive linemen (4.69 seconds) and had the fifth-best broad jump of any position (10 feet, six inches). This all but ensured he’d be drafted. Even though he’d still only played 27 games in his life.
The only question was when. And by who?
The answer to both questions came early. In the second round. No. 16 overall. By Hamilton.
Ticats’ general manager Ed Hervey says it’s not every day a team can add a guy with the ingredients Brubacher brings. While he’s going to need some time and reps to become a great pro — and patience from the organization — what he offers is unique.
“There’s a lot of raw athleticism and potential there,” he says.
So he grabbed him. With the expectation he’ll be able to help on special teams right away and eventually grow into a regular on the defensive line.
Meanwhile, when the pick was announced, let’s just say much of Listowel probably heard the noise.
Brubacher says he lost it a bit. Mom started crying. Everyone else in the house went a touch crazy. Yes, because he was drafted. But at least as much because of where he went.
“Hamilton was without a doubt my No. 1 place where I wanted to go,” he says.
Really? He’s not just saying that because that’s what you’re supposed to say about the team that chose you?
No, he insists. He had a good feeling about the organization leading up to the draft, he was impressed with the facilities and it’s close to home. He didn’t want to say anything ahead of time in case he landed somewhere else and had to walk back some comments. But …
“That’s where I was praying I would end up.”
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