Over the span of Luke Lehnen’s storied career as quarterback of the NCAA Division-III powerhouse North Central College Cardinals, it is not hyperbole to say that team and national records are unsafe every time he takes the field. The senior, who is the defending 2023 Gagliardi Trophy winner, given to the most outstanding Division 3 player, will finish his playing career some time this fall. However, if Lehnen has anything to say about it, his and the Cardinals’ season will not be done any time soon.
Lehnen’s List of Records Growing Weekly
Since the fall of his freshman year in 2021, Lehnen has started 50 of a possible 51 games for North Central, a member of the CCIW conference located in Naperville, Illinois. When he connected on a 27-yard scoring strike to Thomas Skokna in the second quarter of last week’s game versus North Park University, Lehnen became the first quarterback in the history of the NCAA at any level to throw at least one touchdown pass in an incredible 50 consecutive games. By way of comparison, the FBS record is 46, held by Rakeem Cato of Marshall, who played between 2011 and 2014.
That feat is only one of the many school records currently held by Lehnen. Here is a small sample of his accomplishments:
North Central College career records:
- 210.4 career passing efficiency
- 11.6 yards per pass
- 16.9 yards per completion
- 68.7% completion percentage
In addition, Lehnen needs just 11 more touchdown passes to break the 2019 Gagliardi Award winner Broc Rutter’s mark of 145.
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Coach and Player Attached With Their NCC Legacies
The head man in charge of North Central College’s program, Brad Spencer, is no stranger to prosperity within the Cardinals’ record book. As a receiver between 2000-2003, Spencer ranks eighth in career touchdown receptions (19) and third in receptions per game (4.74).
His head coaching record borders on the ridiculous; after taking over as head coach at NCC in 2022, Spencer’s teams have gone an incredible 35-1 over the past two and a half years, the only blemish being a one-point loss to SUNY-Cortland in last year’s Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.
Lehnen has started every one of those 36 games, and Spencer cites one main trait to account for his quarterback’s success. When asked what has been the most important factor that has contributed to Lehnen’s success, Spencer replied simply, “Competitiveness. The feeling of simply, ‘I’m going to beat you’ carries Luke through.”
Furthermore, sometimes having more points than the other team at the end of the game is not enough. Spencer referenced that competitive fire when recounting something Lehnen said to his teammates earlier this year.
“He told our team that last year (losing the national championship) is in the past, and that in order to move forward as a program, we have to not only win but win to our standards. The path and process of how we win matters.”
Another term Spencer has observed to describe Lehnen’s superlative career is leadership, and it is not independent of the football program. Lehnen’s athletic prowess extends to North Central College’s baseball program, where he has been the lead-off hitter and starting center fielder since his freshman year. His name is littered all over the baseball record book at North Central College; in fact, he needs 31 hits, 30 at-bats, 22 runs scored, 2 triples, and 16 games played to become the all-time leader in all of those categories.
“Here is a kid who is being scouted by both the NFL and MLB for two years now. In fact, multiple scouts were at one of his baseball games last year, and all he did was hit for the cycle and hit a bomb on the game’s first pitch,” explained Spencer.
Lehnen remains a relentless worker and continues to lead by example. Said Spencer, “He has already graduated, is halfway through his Master’s program, got married last summer, and still finds the time and energy to perfect his craft and skill. Just a great human.”
Spencer produced one more incredulous statistic regarding Lehnen’s 2023 Gagliardi-winning campaign: Even though Lehnen threw for 3407 yards and 48 touchdowns to go along with rushing for 850 yards and 13 more scores, Spencer noted that Lehnen averaged only 37 offensive snaps per game because of the lopsided margin of victories enjoyed by the Cardinals. “Imagine what his numbers would look like if he played all four quarters?” mused Spencer.
Despite Accolades, Lehnen Remains Grounded
With the gaudy numbers and accomplishments already accomplished and those yet to be realized, one may be surprised to hear how grounded and modest Lehnen is. In his three-plus years as starting quarterback, North Central College is an astounding 48-2, losing only the 2021 and 2023 national championship games. Yet, when Lehnen was asked to opine on why the Cardinals have been so successful and motivated, there was no mention of Luke Lehnen in his response.
“I think the Cardinals have been so successful because of the culture we have here,” Lehnen remarked. “Yes, I believe we have a lot of talented athletes on our team, which definitely helps a little bit, but the culture that has been built is the best there is. Each member of our team loves each other like we’re brothers and we will do anything for one another, on or off the field. We’re also a player-led team, which is another reason why we stay motivated.”
Other NCC teams in which he has participated previously were highly successful, but Lehnen feels that because of the aforementioned culture created in Naperville, players are looking out for the team before individual achievement. Said Lehnen: “This team is different from previous teams because there are a lot of new faces. Yes, we have a good amount of guys returning with a lot of experience, but we also have a lot of new faces on offense, defense, and special teams. We have a lot of guys who have been waiting two, maybe even three years for their time to shine as a starter, and they’re taking this opportunity to do so and running away with it.”
North Central College looks to remain undefeated this Saturday, October 26th, when they travel to Rock Island, Illinois, to challenge Augustana College. Fans of the Cardinals are looking forward to a deep playoff run, but don’t blink: You just may miss another record crushed by Luke Lehnen.
