It was a much-awaited moment for the grad student receiver who already is teaching American history at Carroll High School, and, after some debate, had decided to return for one final football season to rewrite the script.
After an impressive 2022 campaign, he had been hobbled by hamstring injuries most of 2023 and the Flyers had struggled through an uncharacteristic 4-7 season.
“He wanted to come back and be with the boys one more time and see if he could help them win a championship,” said his dad, Kris, a family practice physician in Grand Rapids, Mich., who’ll soon relocate to South Carolina.
Saturday though the Brenner family planned to be at the game and bring Buddee one last time.
He wasn’t just the family’s 15-½ year-old beagle, he was, as Luke said, “my brother. He was my best friend.
“I grew up with him. I’m 22 and I had him since I was in the first grade. Buddee saw me grow up from a little boy of 6 or 7 to the man I am today. He was always there to help me grow.
“He was there when I played my first game of tackle football in seventh grade, and he was here during my Dayton career.”
Buddee twice came to Flyers’ games at Valparaiso. He went to Butler once and he’d been to Welcome Stadium, the last time at the spring game four months ago when he greeted the players walking from their UD Arena locker room to the stadium.
“We’d tailgate and he became the mascot of the whole group,” said Luke’s mom, Carin. “So many people would come and love on him. And yeah, he’d end up with a hotdog …or two.”
Luke smiled as he was remembered the stories: “I have so many beautiful memories.
“It’s kind of just been a story of a boy and his dog.”
But that story came to an end last Wednesday.
Buddee had been in declining health for a while. Kris said they suspected cancer and early last week he was in noticeable pain.
“We had planned to bring him to this game so Luke could see him one last time, but then I knew that just couldn’t happen,” Carin said.
She called Luke on Wednesday morning to say his pal was being “put to sleep.”
“Buddee gave us all he had,” Kris said. “It’s tough, but for all the happiness he brought, we’ll take this short time of pain.”
Carin admitted though, “Everyone was devastated.”
There would be no final goodbye for Luke. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
But then, in an instant, it was.
With just over 11 minutes left in the third quarter Saturday, Flyers quarterback Drew VanVleet flipped a lateral to receiver Gavin Lochow, who’d been a quarterback in high school, and quickly showed he still had the touch.
When Saint Francis defensive back Andrew Vines turned his focus to Lochow, Luke slipped behind him and was all alone to catch the perfectly thrown ball and turn it into a 27-yard touchdown that put UD up 15-3 in what would end up an 18-10 Flyers’ victory.
The Flyers 6-foot-3, 280-pound guard Ryans Iiams rushed to the end zone and hoisted Luke — who’s listed as 5-10 and 158 — above his head.
It was Luke’s first touchdown catch in two years and as he trotted back to the sidelines, he lifted one finger to the heavens.
“That one was for Buddee,” he said. “He was a part of this day, too. He’s been a part of everything in my life for so long.”
‘A wonderful dog’
The Brenner family lost another beagle when Luke and his brother Cray, who’s two years older, were little boys.
For four months they begged their parents to get another dog.
“I had been looking online at different litters and kept coming back to one where they were saying, ‘We still have this one puppy left. The rest have been taken.’
“Finally, I said, ‘Let’s go meet this dog and see why he’s left. See if he’s friendly or aggressive, or what.’
“And when we got there, Buddee just fell in love with the boys. He jumped into their laps and licked their faces.
“They couldn’t let us have him that day because he needed another shot, but as soon as we left, the lady called and said, “I’m not trying to force this dog on you, but he’s been whining at the door since you left.’
“I said, ‘OK, get his shot and I’ll be back in the morning.’
“He turned out to be a wonderful dog.”
And he lived up to his name.
He was there for Luke’s high school football games and his stellar track career that included the state’s 200-meter championship and a runner-up finish in the 100 meters.
At UD, Luke played in 10 games in 2021 and caught 11 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns. A year later he led the team in receptions (28) and receiving yards (276) and won All-Pioneer Football League recognition, as well as PFL All Academic honors.
He tore his hamstring early in 2023 and missed several games, before finishing the year with 13 catches for 89 years.
“When I got here, I kept hearing about how fast he was; how we just had to get him the ball in space,” said Flyers second-year coach Trevor Andrews. “But he went through a series of hamstring injuries where he’d be back a day or two, then do it again.
“It was rough for him. He had some dark days, but he showed tremendous resolve.”
Through it all, Buddee remained Luke’s tail-wagging touchstone to better times.
Luke has photos of the two of them together at his graduation; at his apartment; posed in front of the UD chapel and, of course, at Flyer games.
This fall Luke is teaching three classes to sophomores at Carroll. He student taught at Wayne last year and one day he wants to be a coach.
“Oh my gosh, he’s so on fire about teaching now,” Carin said. “He’s definitely found his thing. He’s not just teaching them history, he’s coaching them on life. He feels he can guide some of them to make good choices.”
Although his plate is now full with teaching and football, Luke said he loves it:
“There’s nothing more joyful than making an impact on peoples’ lives. One of the more perfect things you can do is to help others.”
A ‘special’ play
Luke finished the game with three catches for 39 yards. That included a reception where he fought for extra yardage to make a crucial first down after Saint Francis had narrowed the score to 15-10 and suddenly had the momentum.
Andrews called it “a huge play…maybe the biggest in the game.”
It enabled UD to eventually add a field goal.
After the game, the Flyers gathered on the field and sang their alma mater. As soon as the last note sounded, Luke sprinted to the Welcome Stadium stands as his mom came down to the railing and they had an emotional embrace.
“It’s been hard for all of us, but that touchdown play lifted us,” she said. “I told Gavin’s dad afterward, ‘I’m still going to be watching that replay one day when I’m in the nursing home.’ That play was something special. It’s what we all needed.”
Especially Luke, who started the game grieving and ended grinning:
“Buddee motivated me today. I was playing for him.”
Like they say, every dog has his day.
And Kris believed this one was Buddee’s:
“We were thinking maybe Buddee was up there calling that play. It was The Beagle Touchdown Play!”
The scenario made Luke laugh.
Buddee drawing up a play for him might be a stretch, but not the thought of his old pal keeping an eye on him:
“I think he had a beautiful view today, especially of my touchdown catch.
“I felt like Buddee was here today.”
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