One Last Run - Chapter 2

With one season remaining and just one credit hour on his class schedule this semester, the time has arrived for Kansas wideout Luke Grimm to pour everything he’s got into his final season of KU football.

As he does, we’ll follow him every step of the way in our latest weekly diary that will chronicle Grimm’s 2024 season.

Some of what you’ll read here, in Grimm’s own words, will focus on the stuff happening between the lines — big wins, memorable catches and the grind of the season. But a lot of it will focus on Grimm the person, a 23-year-old senior (he just turned 23 on Aug. 8) who has given everything he has to the program and seen it pay off in a big way.

The Grimm File

Age: 23 | Height: 6-0 | Weight: 190 | Position: Wide Receiver

Hometown: Raymore, Mo. | High School: Raymore-Peculiar High

Notable: Last season, Grimm became the 16th Jayhawk to reach the 100-catch mark for his career... The senior wideout enters the 2024 season with 126 career receptions, putting him within striking distance of climbing into 4th place (155) on KU's all-time receiving chart and with an outside shot at cracking the top 3 (214 and 219)... He also is less than 300 yards away from reaching the top 5 on KU's receiving yards list... Dubbed "The Grimm Reaper" early in his career, Grimm appeared in 6 games as a true freshman and has finished each of the past three seasons in the top four in receptions, including leading the team in 2022 and finishing second last season... A 3-star recruit by Rivals.com, 247 Sports & ESPN, Grimm was ranked as the No. 7 wide receiver in the state of Missouri by Max Preps in the 2020 class.

With his team holding massive goals for the 2024 season and the excitement surrounding Kansas football at an all-time high, Grimm is grinning from ear to ear about the potential for his final run with the Jayhawks.

KU will open the season at 7 p.m. next Thursday against Lindenwood at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.

In Part 1 of “One Last Run,” we caught up with Grimm about the first half of preseason camp and all of the emotions that were a part of it.

In Chapter 2, we'll talk KU media day and the final stretch leading up to next week's season opener.

Seeing how Tuesday was KU’s annual media day in Lawrence, we figured we’d start there. See, Grimm is more fond of these kinds of requirements than a lot of athletes.

“I love talking to the media. Talking to reporters, that’s extremely fun because you get to be personable and an actual human.”

Although he’s always accommodating and kind, his enjoyment doesn’t extend to all aspects of the media.

“It’s weird; I hate taking pictures and I’m not a fan of people taking pictures of me. The only person I’ll do it for is my girlfriend; I’ll willingly do whatever she needs me to do pictures-wise.”

Even though cheesing for the camera is not his favorite thing to do, it’s not like Grimm was that little kid who ruined family photos with a weird look or snarky scowl.

“I would always smile. I was always willing to do it. But as soon as we got through one, I’m good. My dad’s the same way.”

That philosophy is still present today, even with some of KU’s more fun photo opps.

The Jayhawks have their own media day, when they take head shots for the media guide and also a few extra photos to use with starting lineups on the video board or promotional material throughout the season.

A lot of guys get way into it and take all kinds of photos, both by themselves and with their teammates for the program to use and for their own social media accounts.

Not Grimm.

“The ones that you see on the lineups, we’ve got a pre-set look that they want us to have so it’s unified. Then they’ll be like all right, it’s up to you to do whatever you want to do and take pictures with whoever you want to, and I’ll just be like, ‘Ummm, I’m gonna go home. I’m actually good.’”

Grimm still remembers his first interaction with the media and it still stands out as one of his favorites.

“I did an interview my sophomore year of high school. I remember we were playing somebody who was committed to Clemson and I just happened to have a good game. They were there for him and then they were like, ‘Who are you and where did you come from?’ I didn’t feel nervous or anything. It was just someone holding a phone, so we were just talking.”

Grimm’s ability to handle himself in these situations came from his family.

“One of my dad’s biggest things growing up was he wanted me to be able to articulate my thoughts at a high level, whether it’s through reading coverages, defenses, an offensive scheme or just sitting down and talking to someone one-on-one.”

“He wanted to make sure that I’m able to express my emotions in a way that represents me, my team, my family or whatever program I’m a part of in a good light. So, that’s a big thing. But I also don’t want to go into a meeting with a GM or a scout and seem like I don’t know what I’m talking about with a sport I’ve played my entire life.”

Whether you’re talking about a draftee or someone fighting for a free agent spot, those interpersonal skills can make the difference and Grimm’s aware of that.

“You never know.”

It’s not all fun in front of the recorders and reporters, though, and Grimm has made a conscious effort to work on his interview skills over the years. Particularly in the tough times, of which there were plenty early in his KU career.

“After a tough loss, you’re so mad and you have people asking you questions and, I’ve never had it happen luckily, but you see it all the time. You could get that one question that just takes you over the edge and you say something you don’t even mean or snap for two seconds and then you’re just plastered everywhere. You never want to be in that situation.”

Grimm never has. But he’s had to stay focused on avoiding going viral even during the good times of the past couple of years.

“That first bowl game we went to and lost (Liberty Bowl in 2022), we went in there afterwards and there were a ton of people in the media room and they’re asking you questions like, ‘How do you feel?’ and I’m like, ‘I’m pissed.’ But I can’t just be pissed.”

“The games we’ve lost and I’ve had a good game are very hard for me at first because I’m not happy at all and the questions were about how I played. So, I’ve learned how to not over-show that I’m so mad we lost while still taking the questions as a compliment.”

“I was actually just talking to one of our strength interns and he was asking me what kind of media training we do to prepare and I was like, ‘Shoot, I’ve done so many of these I’m just prepared at this point.’ I’ve probably done 40 of these a year throughout the season and offseason and now it’s like, ‘Whoa, I’m on the tail end of it.’”

That’s very true. The spring interviews are finished. Camp talk is now behind him. And he’s even done his last media day.

One week from today, he’ll kick off his final college season and be in position to meet with the media after the Jayhawks’ season opener against Lindenwood.

That, too, is something Grimm can feel coming.

“You can tell it’s ramping towards it because the last 15 days of fall camp were you watch film of practice, we install for the next practice and it repeats. And then we came in (Monday) and it wasn’t Kansas football practice film, it was Lindenwood football game film — this is what Lindenwood does on punt, this is what Lindenwood does on punt return. So, it creeps into it and now it’ll be we’re only going up against Lindenwood defensive looks or the defense is only going up against Lindenwood’s offense. And now the walk-throughs aren’t we’re just walking through the install of a play, we’re walking through scripts that we’re gonna run in the game.”

“It’s kind of a very heavy crescendo and then we’re there — at the hotel and then at the stadium.”

Is it hard or easy to wait for these final few days before kickoff to pass?

“It’s both. You’re so ready to play football, ready to play real football. You just want it to be that the next time I wake up, I’m going to play football. The easy part is, I love doing it. So, I’m cool with doing this another day. I’d rather be doing this than a lot of other things.”

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