Former Holy Cross offensive lineman Luke Newman was selected in the sixth round with the 195th overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft.
He becomes the second Crusader in as many years to be selected in the NFL Draft, after C.J. Hanson was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2024 to become the first Crusader drafted since 1989.
Newman earned All-Patriot League first team honors in his three years as the Crusaders' starting left tackle from 2021 to 2023. He earned All-America honors in both his junior and senior seasons, including first team laurels from FCS Football Central and second team honors from AFCA, Associated Press, Stats Perform and Phil Steele during his senior year. In 2022, Newman was part of an offensive line that allowed the Crusaders to rank eighth nationally in scoring offense with 37.4 points per game, and sixth nationally in rushing offense with 245.1 rushing yards per game. In 2023, Holy Cross' offense ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense (third, 264.2 yards per game), total offense (fourth, 466.6 yards per game) and scoring offense (sixth, 36.9 points per game).
He started 37 consecutive games at left tackle for the Crusaders; in that span, Holy Cross lost just one Patriot League contest (17-1). Newman went on to spend a graduate year at Michigan State, where he started all 12 games at left guard and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection.
"The opportunity Holy Cross presented me was unique in so many ways," Newman said. "Not only was it an opportunity to play football, but also to gain a world-class education and to meet some of the greatest people I've ever known. From teammates, coaches, professors and alumni alike, I had the opportunity to grow exponentially as a person more so than a football player, and did a lot of winning off the field as much as I did on.
"Holy Cross will always be home to me, and I'm excited to continue the streak of excellence that is the Holy Cross to the NFL pipeline!"
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