Log in
My Account
Subscribe 99¢ for 3 months
Newsletter

Today's Digital Newspaper

The Gazette

Weather Block Here

Login
My Account
Subscribe
Newsletter

Archive Information

Carrier Portal

Search

Buy Our Photos

Linebacker Luke Fisher excited about outlook for Air Force defense, team

By Brent Briggeman August 10, 2025 | updated 7 hours ago

1 of 2
_GAZ2493.JPG

Air Force linebacker Luke Fisher goes through a drill with assistant coach Ken Lamendola at Falcon Stadium on Friday.

Brent Briggeman, The Gazette

Asked about his excitement for Air Force’s upcoming season, Luke Fisher didn’t hold back.

“I’m stoked,” said the junior, a frontrunner in a crowded group to take over one of the two inside linebacker spots. “I’m excited for our season. I’m excited for our defense. I’m excited for our offense.”

The list went on. He’s excited for the makeup of a defense that will include veterans up front, a group of semi-experienced linebackers in the middle and a group of youngsters in the secondary.

He’s excited about the turnovers that will be created. The ball-control style of the offense.

He’s even excited that the combination could mean less playing time for him as a defender.

He’s just excited.

It makes sense.

Last year, Fisher was thrust into action early in the season after an injury to Grant Uyl at Baylor. The next week, Week 4 in the season, he drew his first start at Wyoming and made seven tackles. But then came surgery. His hand collided with a helmet while making a tackle against the Cowboys and pins had to be inserted to reset his thumb.

He returned late in the season – making three tackles, including a tackle for loss, against Oregon State – but had to play with his hand in a club.

“It was super frustrating. It was, like, I get the opportunity…,” said Fisher, who allowed the bulk of that frustration to remain unsaid. “But our athletic training staff is super good, so they helped me through it and helped me stay positive. It was easy to cheer on the other guys.”

Now, fully healthy, Fisher is excited for another shot. And the taste he received in the final stretch of the season, if limited, included seeing his team close out with four consecutive victories.

Sign Up For Free:

let pathVariable;
let pathVariable2;

function handleUrlPathSegment() {

const fullPath = window.location.pathname.toLowerCase();
if (fullPath.includes(‘/business/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘business’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Business Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘/outdoors/’) || fullPath.includes(‘/outdoor/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘outdoors’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Outdoors Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘/opinion/’)) {
pathVariable = ‘opinion’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Opinion Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘politics’)) {
pathVariable = ‘politics’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Politics Newsletter’;
} else if (fullPath.includes(‘outtherecolorado’)) {
pathVariable = ‘outtherecolorado’;
pathVariable2 = ‘Out There Colorado Newsletter’;
} else {
pathVariable = ‘am-update’;
pathVariable2 = ‘AM Update Newsletter’;
}

console.log(`Current path: ${fullPath}`);
console.log(`Path variable set to: ${pathVariable}`);
console.log(`Path variable 2 set to: ${pathVariable2}`);

applyNewsletterName(pathVariable2);

return { pathVariable, pathVariable2 };
}

function applyNewsletterName(newsletterName) {

if (document.readyState === ‘loading’) {
document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function() {
updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName);
});
} else {

updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName);
}
}

function updateNewsletterElement(newsletterName) {
const newsletterElement = document.getElementById(‘newsletterName’);

if (newsletterElement) {
newsletterElement.textContent = newsletterName;
console.log(`Updated #newsletterName element with: ${newsletterName}`);
} else {
console.warn(‘Element with ID #newsletterName not found in the DOM’);
}
}

function setupFormSubmitListener() {
function getFormattedDate() {
const now = new Date();

const timestamp = now.getTime();

console.log(‘chris: Using Unix timestamp’);
console.log(‘chris: Current time:’, now);
console.log(‘chris: Unix timestamp (ms):’, timestamp);

return timestamp;
}

const formattedDate = getFormattedDate();
var profile = window.blueConicClient.profile.getProfile();
profile.setValues(‘newsletter_category’, pathVariable);
profile.setValue(‘newsletter_signup_date’, formattedDate);
window.blueConicClient.profile.updateProfile(this, function() {
});
}

handleUrlPathSegment();
setupFormSubmitListener();

Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter.

View all of our newsletters.

function subscribeSuccess() {
var nsltrform = document.querySelector(“#nsltr”);
var nsltrSuccess = document.querySelector(“#successnsltr”);

nsltrform.classList.add(“hideblock”);
nsltrSuccess.classList.remove(“hideblock”);
}

function validateEmail(email) {
return String(email)
.toLowerCase()
.match(
/^(([^()[]\.,;:s@”]+(.[^()[]\.,;:s@”]+)*)|(“.+”))@(([[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}.[0-9]{1,3}])|(([a-zA-Z-0-9]+.)+[a-zA-Z]{2,}))$/
);
}

function validateEmailAddress() {
const result = document.querySelector(“#result”);
const email = document.querySelector(“#email”).value;

result.innerText = “”;

if(validateEmail(email)) {
newsletterSubscribe(email);
} else {
result.innerText = ‘The email entered: ‘ + email + ‘ is not valid :(‘;
result.style.color = “red”;
}
return false;
}

function newsletterSubscribe(email) {
fetch(“https://services.gazette.com/mg2-newsletters.php?action=subscribe&site=denvergazette.com&emailPreferenceId=59&email=” + email, {
method: “POST”
}).then(res => {
console.log(“SUCCESSFUL POST”);
subscribeSuccess();
});

}

#nsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: #2076b3;

background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;

}

#nsltr-header {
color: #fff4f4;
}
#nsltr-body {
text-align: center;
color: #ffffff;
}
#nsltr-button {
margin-top: 5px;
}
#successnsltr {
min-width: 100%;
margin: 10px 0;
padding: 10px 20px;
background-color: green;
text-align: center;
color: white;
}

#successnsltr a {
color: white;
}

.hideblock {
display:none;
}

h6 a {
color: black;
text-decoration: none;
padding: 5px;
background-color: #bbccdd;
font-weight: 600;
}

@media only screen and (min-width: 768px) {
#nsltr {
background-image: url(https://static.gazette.com/emails/circ/Audience%20Images/pp5%20signup%203.png);
background-size: cover;
}
}

Featured Local Savings

Naturally, excitement follows, even if competition is intense.

Fellow junior Blake Fletcher is also back after making 37 tackles, including five behind the line of scrimmage last year. Junior Dallas Daley, senior Zach Juckel and sophomore Jonah Bowman are also part of the battle for playing time as the team replaced Uyl and Osaro Ahie at the position.

“We’re fighting for spots,” Fisher said. “I think it just elevates our game.”

Fisher brings the kind of pedigree that could elevate the program. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound graduate of Heritage Academy in Columbus, Miss., was a multisport athlete who played forward in basketball, outfield in baseball and participated in the 4×400 relay, 200 meter, 100 meter and long jump in track and was a National Honor Society member who graduated with a 4.0 grade point average.

He also knew what he was signing up for when choosing Air Force.

His father, James, served as an officer in the Air Force, retiring in 2017. Luke lived in four states while growing up, primarily in Texas and Mississippi, and understands the military lifestyle.

It wasn’t necessarily something he sought for himself, but when Air Force came through with an offer, he knew what the decision could bring.

“I wanted to play football, and I knew what kind of life my dad was able to give me, and I knew I could provide for my family if I came here,” Fisher said. “And it’s one of the top-tier Group of Five programs in the country. So it was super appealing to me.”

Coach Troy Calhoun likes what Fisher has, in turn, brought to Air Force.

“Good strength, great intensity,” Calhoun said. “Really, really strong leadership capabilities.”

In short, exciting.

86375189-b140-533b-b19f-0a64c7de3985

View Original Article | Split View
Tags
Brent Briggeman

Reporter

PREV

PREVIOUS

Broncos sign CB Gregory Junior, waive DL Matt Henningsen with injury designation

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save The Broncos signed cornerback Gregory Junior and waived defensive lineman Matt Henningsen with an injury designation, the team announced Sunday. Junior, 26, is a former sixth-round draft pick taken by the Jaguars. He appeared in 10 games for Jacksonville between the 2022 and 2023 NFL […]