This story is sponsored by: Sternweis & Sons
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
DALLAS, Texas – Spencer High School graduate Hunter Luepke has made the 53-man roster for the Dallas Cowboys, surviving NFL cut-down day on Tuesday.
Luepke, a 2017 all-state tailback for Spencer/Columbus and a two-time WIAA state wrestling champion, was signed to by Dallas after he went undefeated in the NFL Draft in May.
Luepke, playing fullback and tailback for the Cowboys, ran for 67 yards on 21 carries during the preseason. In Dallas’ final preseason game last Saturday, a 31-16 win over Las Vegas, Luepke had a team-high 15 carries for 58 yards and caught five passes for 60 yards and a 15-yard touchdown.
Luepke was the Cloverbelt Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore and a senior in 2015 and 2017. In his final season for the Rockets, he rushed for 1,870 yards and 40 touchdowns, averaging 11.1 yards per carry. He also added another three touchdowns receiving.
Luepke finished his four-year career at North Dakota State with 1,665 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns and nine receiving touchdowns, helping the Bison to the FCS championship in 2019 and 2021.
He finished the 2022 season with 631 rushing yards, 14 catches for 196 yards and 13 combined touchdowns in 10 games before his season was cut short due to a shoulder injury.
Luepke adds to the many Wisconsin ties on the Cowboys. Former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy is in his third season as head coach, and two former Wisconsin Badgers are also on the roster – center Tyler Biadasz (Amherst) and tight end Jake Ferguson (Madison Memorial).
Dallas opens the regular season on Sunday Night Football at the New York Giants on Sept. 10.