Cole Luhmann ’25 pursued excellence on and off the football field at Hope College — and found it. This month’s guest on the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast, the Rochester, Michigan, native transformed from a wide-eyed freshman into an All-American linebacker as a senior and a graduate of the college’s business program.

Luhmann reflected on his pursuit of academic success, competitive excellence and transformational experiences during the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast conversation with Sports Information Director Alan Babbitt.

The son of Hope College graduates and a Stoney Creek High School alumnus, Luhmann discussed the mentorship he received from coaches and professors at Hope, how he chose business as a major, and what it took to become a nationally honored student-athlete.

He also shared how the place where his parents attended college helped him grow his Christian faith, particularly through weekly chapels hosted by Campus Ministries.

Senior Success

As a senior, Luhmann spearheaded a fierce Flying Dutchmen defense that contributed to a historic football season. Hope recorded two program firsts during the 2024 season:

The Flying Dutchmen also won an outright MIAA title, going 7-0 while allowing just 10.0 points per game and scoring 42.1 points per game.

Luhmann earned All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (first team) and the Associated Press (second team). He was also a D3football.com all-region honoree, the MIAA’s Most Valuable Defensive Player and an All-MIAA First Team selection.

In April, he was named Hope’s Male Athlete of the Year at the annual HOPEYs awards ceremony.

Written transcript of the Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast interview