Grandview Heights native Luke Lachey has been dedicated to football for as long as he can remember. He grew up in a household that always encouraged his athletic abilities, and his hard work and family’s support earned Lachey an athletic scholarship to the University of Iowa. Lachey will join the Hawkeye State’s football team this fall as a tight end.
His father, Jim, played in the NFL for 11 years with the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins. During his career, he earned many titles, from Super Bowl champion to second-team all-pro.
Though Lachey has some big shoes to fill — he finds the talent in his family inspiring rather than intimidating.
"I'm the youngest of five kids," Lachey says. "Just all of them playing sports made me want to play sports. A lot of my friends played, too, so I wanted to play."
Grandview Heights is a tight-knit community, and the athletic program at GHHS, which has a student body of about 330, reflects that very notion. This proves to be both a gift and a curse for the football team.
"We are kind of a small school so there are times when we have to improvise,” Lachey says. “We improvise and make it all work, so that has kind of prepared me."
Lachey’s strength and lifting coach, Kirk Sabalka has trained individuals from all walks of life, from 8 to 80 years old. He bases his plan for athletes at GHHS on a long-term development model and his own personal model for a happy life.
"The motto is: train big, eat big, rest big, play big, learn big,” Sabalka says. “I believe if an individual follows these tenets in any aspect of life, they will be happy. If you notice, a majority of these focus on rest and recovery. We train hard, but training is only one part of the equation."
Lachey is modest when speaking about his own accomplishments and contribution to the team, but Sabalka certainly makes his strengths known.
"Luke is a great believer in our tenets and is constantly asking me what he should be beating to be better, what he can do to help his recovery. And of course, it shows in his play, the extra work he's put in,” Sabalka says. “It's one thing to come from a lineage of college athletes, but he doesn't rest in his bloodline. He puts in the work that's needed to project him higher and higher."
When it comes to their most memorable moment working together, Sabalka and Lachey each describe different moments. Lachey recalls when his brother threw him an 80-yard touchdown pass — a favorite memory of his time playing as a Bobcat.
Lachey also recalls a big win last year when the Bobcats upset Paint Valley.
“We were the underdogs in that one and our quarterback got hurt and I ended up going in to play,” Lachey says. “It demonstrated that the universe really does have a way of favoring the underdog.
Sabalka’s favorite memory only continues to demonstrate Lachey’s pursuit of perfection.
"We train Monday at 6 a.m. during the season and of course, all the kids come dragging in that early, but not Luke. He's always up and ready to go, even in the twilight hours, and that's what I'll remember most about him,” Sabalka says. “Lachey is living proof that hard work pays off, and he plans to continue that hard work as a Hawkeye. Between the Buckeyes, the Hawkeyes and Grandview Heights Bobcats, the Lacheys are really making their mark in Midwest football and making Grandview Heights proud.”
For young rising football players who want to follow in his footsteps, Lachey offers simple yet powerful advice.
"I think just believing in yourself that you really can do anything, and you've got to put in the work to be able to succeed and have good grades,” Lachey says. “Just make sure that you're following everything that you need to do perfectly."
Lachey family
Caitlyn Blair is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
