Luke Harpring Carries Father’s Lessons to The Swamp

The resemblance between Florida tight end Luke Harpring and his father, former NBA player Matt Harpring, is uncanny.

At 6-foot-3, just a few inches shorter than his 6-7 dad, Luke carries a similar athletic frame that once took his father from Georgia Tech to the first round of the NBA Draft. He grew up around basketball, spending afternoons shooting in the driveway, playing one-on-one together.

Despite becoming an all-region basketball player during his junior and senior years at Atlanta’s Marist School, football eventually became the clear path for Luke to pursue. He said the movements he had practiced so often on the basketball court translated to the football field.

“Everything kind of came just really naturally, catching the ball,  the movements and everything,” Luke said. “It just felt more natural and I turned out to be pretty good.”

Now entering his junior year and his first season at Florida, Harpring is starting to find his role with the Gators after transferring from Georgia Tech this offseason. He followed offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner  to Florida, with the coaching staff being a large part of what made Gainesville the right fit for his career. 

Tight end coach Evan McKissack has helped Harpring develop his blocking and become more comfortable in the run game, adding another part to the skill set he has been building since arriving at Florida. 

“Coach Kiss has definitely taught me a lot of little pointers that have helped me as far as in the run game or in passing,” Luke said.

Faulkner noted Luke’s improvement as well, saying  “he’s gotten better at the things he needs to get better at.”

While Luke continues to develop his talents at Florida, the foundation for how he approaches that development was established years before stepping into The Swamp.

His father graduated from Georgia Tech in 1998, leaving behind a large impact on the basketball team as the school’s second all-time leader in points and third in rebounds. Shortly after graduating, he was selected in the first round of the draft by the Orlando Magic.

He spent 10 seasons in the NBA, but the lessons he passed down to Luke went beyond just the game. Matt wanted his children to understand what sports could offer beyond success: the discipline, purpose and desire to continue getting better.

Luke credits his father for implementing those values and showing him how to work hard.

“A lot of that [work ethic] comes from him,” Luke said. “He’s really taught me how to work. And you know, in my day to day, whether it is doing any extra stuff, any extra preparation, I feel like that’s really kind of brought me to where I am today. And I’m thankful for that.”

Matt didn’t expect Luke to follow in his exact footsteps, but he wanted his son to know it was possible to reach that level of success. When Matt was in eighth grade, he remembers people telling him not to even think about playing in the NBA. There were people who doubted whether he was good enough to reach that level.

As a father, he wanted Luke to understand there would always be naysayers, but that didn’t mean his goals were impossible.

“I think it puts a dream out there like, hey — this can happen,” Matt said. “This is your world and if you want it, let’s go get it and I’ll help you all the way.”

That support remained the same when Luke chose football. One of his biggest pieces of advice was to focus on the small things.

“Did you get faster today? Did you get stronger today? Did you get better today?” Matt said. “If you do that, the reps, the playing time and all those things will come.”

That mindset has accompanied Harpring into his first season in Gainesville. Against Florida Atlantic, he played 23 snaps as a reserve tight end and caught his only target for 19 yards. The following week against Campbell, he recorded three receptions for 33 yards, including a 22-yard gain.

His first two games at Florida have provided a glimpse of what he can contribute, but his development is still ongoing. And for Matt, the progress matters more than any guarantee of where that work eventually leads.

“After all this work, after all of what you put into it, it still might not work out,” Matt said. “There’s no guarantees, but you’re always going to be proud of the work that you put in … you’re always going to give yourself a chance.”

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