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Luke La Herran is the Spartans' most versatile linebacker. The 2001 season was filled with anxiety for La Herran. He only played in the Colorado and Arizona State games before a knee injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. At the time of his injury, he had 18 tackles and was the signal caller for the team's punting unit.


La Herran had his most productive season in 2000 with 33 tackles and tied for second on the team in tackles behind the line of scrimmage with 8.0 as the team's top reserve linebacker. He had at least one tackle for loss in five different games. La Herran's best statistical game as a Spartan occurred in the Southern Utah win when he led the team in tackles with 10 including three for loss and recovered a fumble. Luke also showed off his ball carrying skills in 2000 rushing for 17 yards and a first down out of punt formation in the SMU win. As a sophomore, he was credited with 29 tackles, many of them coming on special teams play. As a freshman, he was credited with three tackles. The versatile La Herran also had a midseason tryout at punter during the 1998 seasonLuke was a quarterback, linebacker, and punter at Ripon (Calif.) HighSchool (Coach Neil Stinson). His last two seasons, he passed for 3,510 yards and 29 touchdowns and rushed for 1,081 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was a two-time first-team all-league quarterback and a first-team all-state punter at the prep level. He concluded his prep career playing in the 1998 Lions Club All-Star Game in Merced, Calif. The two-sport athlete also lettered in track and field. La Herran is interested in pursuing a high school coaching and teaching career. One of his uncles is the late Carl Ekern, a three-time first-team all-conference linebacker for the Spartans who played for the Los Angeles Rams between 1976 and 1988. Ekern's number 58 is one of only three football jersey numbers retired at San Jose State. Luke was born in Mountain View, Calif., on January 18, 1980.