HOMETOWN - When Stan Dakosty talks football, people listen.
When Marian's veteran coach calls Lukas Damian one of the best players to ever wear a Colts uniform, it speaks volumes.
"We've had a lot of great football players come through here,'' Dakosty said. "Lukas Damian is one of the best we've ever had.''
The beneficiary of Damian's talents will be Duquesne University. Thursday, Damian officially signed his letter of intent to play at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) and Northeast Conference school, where he plans to major in nursing and eventually earn his master's degree.
"It was a tough decision,'' he said, "but once I made my (official) visit, I just fell in love with the place."
A small campus in a city atmosphere also was a selling point, but the bottom line was the academics and Damian's choice of wanting to become a nurse and ultimately a nurse anesthetist.
"I know I'm not going to the NFL,'' the Nesquehoning resident said. "I wanted to choose a place that was going to fit me, not just football, but the academic side."
There were a few other places that Damian thought about, including Assumption, Sacred Heart and Bloomsburg. All three had his preferred major, but the fit was better at Duquesne.
"Those other schools had my major,'' he said. "But when I made my visit in January, I got a good feel for the place. You know when you have that right feel. That's the place where you want to be ... Duquesne had that feel for me."
Damian also did his homework before officially making his decision.
"After I toured the campus and spoke to the students and the football players, it kind of lifted a big weight off my shoulders," he said.
As far as getting immediate playing time, Damian has taken a realistic approach.
He doesn't anticipate being redshirted, but said he will get an opportunity to play on special teams for coach Jerry Schmitt's Dukes. Ultimately, the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder hopes to play linebacker.
"They have a lot (of veterans) coming back with some great (senior) leadership," Damian said. "I know that I'm not going to start, but I will get a chance to contribute and hopefully make my way onto the field by proving that I'm worthy of playing time."
Damian led the Colts to a 7-5 record and the Eastern Conference Class I championship in 2013, despite the Colts starting the season 0-3. He was a true leader in the sense of the word, according to his head coach.
"He has a passion for the game and the ability to play at the next level," Dakosty said.
Damian earned a number of postseason honors during his banner season at Marian, in which he racked up a whopping 163 tackles in only 10 games, including four games with at least 20 stops. He missed two games with an injury.
Among his honors:
- Associated Press Class A All-State first-team linebacker.
- Pennsylvania Football News Class A All-State third-team linebacker.
- Anthracite Football League Defensive Player of the Year.
- Schuylkill County Football Coaches Association Defensive Player of the Year, as well as SCFCA first-team tight end.
- Republican-Herald All-Area Defensive Player of the Year.
- Hazleton Standard-Speaker Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, Damian will take his blend of passion for academics and football to a school which competes against Youngstown State, Dayton, Robert Morris and other high-profile teams.
"We're excited for Lukas," Dakosty said. "He will represent Coal Region football very well. He is a very impressive young man with great academic credentials."