Luther Blue
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Valdosta, Georgia, U.S.
| No. 89, 80 | |||||||||
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| Position | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | October 21, 1954 Valdosta, Georgia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Valdosta | ||||||||
| College | Iowa State | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1977: 4th round, 96th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Luther Blue (born October 21, 1954) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1977–80. He played college football for the Iowa State Cyclones from 1974–76 and was inducted into the Iowa State Cyclones Hall of Fame in 2007.[1]
As a Cyclone, Blue amassed 1,273 receiving yards over his three years, with nine career touchdowns and 63 total receptions. As a sophomore in 1974, Blue led the team in receiving yards with 450 on 26 catches, with four receiving touchdowns, and a fifth TD coming on an 83-yard kickoff return for a score. Blue dealt with injury issues throughout 1975, ending the season with just ten receptions for 179 yards. In 1976, however, for a Cyclones team that would be ranked for the first time under coach Earle Bruce, Blue led the Cyclones in receptions (33), receiving yards (644), and receiving touchdowns (5). Blue logged his second career kickoff return TD in the Cyclones 37–28 victory over the #9 Nebraska Cornhuskers, their second top-ten victory of the season after having won on the road at the #7 Missouri Tigers, 21–17.[1][2]
After his senior season, Blue was named a First Team All-American as well as a First Team member of the All-Big Eight Conference team. Blue's 32.8 yards-per-return on kickoffs in the 1974 season remains the record for Iowa State football for a single season, and his career yards-per-return of 26.47 sits second, less than half-a-yard behind Kene Nwangwu (26.85). Blue's 18.4 yards-per-reception over the duration of his career is also second for Cyclones with at least ten receptions, behind only Hakeem Butler (19.5 yards-per-reception).[3]
