When Luke Lachey went down last Saturday, all of the Iowa Hawkeyes, their fans, and supporters held their breath. A huge part of the heart and soul of the Hawkeyes, Lachey was off to a red-hot start to the 2023 season.
Unfortunately, that season is going to be cut short as Kirk Ferentz confirmed that Lachey is likely done for the entire season after surgery on his ankle. This is a loss for the Hawkeyes but has spurred on a few teammates to let Lachey know they are playing for him and are already rooting for his comeback.
Wide receiver Diante Vines stepped up and let Lachey know that the comeback is just now beginning and is one that will be special.
“You’re about to have the greatest comeback. It’ll be a legendary comeback that Iowa people will be talking about forever,” Vines texted Lachey.
Iowa WR Diante Vines says he texted TE Luke Lachey after his injury and said: You’re about to have the greatest comeback. It’ll be a legendary comeback that Iowa people will be talking about forever.”
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) September 19, 2023
Steven Stilianos, a tight end, shares a bond with Lachey as they share the same position and spend more time together than any other teammates. Stilianos was heartbroken for Lachey but is now ready to play for him.
“It’s tough. He’s literally my best friend here. So it breaks my heart a little bit,” Stilianos said when asked what losing Lachey for the season felt like.
“No one’s Luke Lachey. He’s a hell of a player. But we’re going to do our damn best to play for him,” Stilianos added when asked how Iowa replaces him.
Iowa TE Steven Stilianos on losing Luke Lachey, likely for season: “It's tough. He's literally my best friend here. So it breaks my heart a little bit.”
On replacing him: “No one’s Luke Lachey. He’s a hell of a player. But we’re going to do our damn best to play for him.”
— Chad Leistikow🆑 (@ChadLeistikow) September 19, 2023
Iowa now turns to the trio of Erick All, Steven Stilianos, and Addison Ostrenga to carry the weight for the tight end group. Luke Lachey is going to be there supporting the Hawkeyes and just as much a part of this team as he can.
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