Who is Luke Joeckel?
Luke Joeckel, one of a set of identical twins, is an offensive tackle out of Texas A&M University.
WHO IS LUKE JOECKEL?
A look at the Jacksonville Jaguars' No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft.
Thick as thieves, (twin brothers) Luke and Matt roomed together, and as they grew older they found ways to entertain themselves outdoors.
"We would play one-on-one basketball, see who could throw the farthest, who could throw the ball harder," Matt said.
People in the Shady Valley neighborhood of Arlington where the Joeckels lived knew if there was a stick, rock or anything resembling a bat and ball, there was a good chance the boys could make a game out of it.
"Competing with my twin brother every single day growing up — probably fighting multiple times a day, every day — helped me get to where I am today," Luke said.
Their bond was unique, and the best evidence of that came when they were in kindergarten. In separate homerooms at the time, Matt and Luke, along with the rest of their classmates, were asked to guess the number of jelly beans in a jar. Despite not having any communication with each other, the Joeckel boys wrote down the same estimate.
Their teachers were incredulous.
"But they definitely had that twin thing," said Reecanne, their mother.
FROM THE FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM:
Based on bloodlines, it is not surprising that Luke distinguished himself as a college athlete. And as an offensive lineman.
His father, Dave, was a four-year letterman as an offensive lineman at Texas Tech (1979-82). Older brother David played offensive line at DePauw, a Division III school in Greencastle, Ind. And his grandfather, Reece Washington, played tight end for Texas Tech.
Luke said the Joeckels are "an offensive line family," although Matt broke the mold by playing quarterback. They're also an athletic family, with Sarah earning All-Mountain West Conference honors during her volleyball career at TCU (2008-11). Reecanne Joeckel, the children's mother and Dave's wife, played basketball at Arlington High School, where Dave was a standout offensive tackle before earning a scholarship at Tech.
MIKE MAYOCK SAYS:
"Joeckel is a little more solid right now than Fisher, but Fisher has more upside. Once or twice a game, every game I watched, somebody crossed Joeckel's face and beat him. But Johnny Football (A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel) cleans all that up because he's so talented. (Joeckel) oversets a little bit, but that's picking nits to be perfectly honest with you. Joeckel is more ready to play right now because of technique and the quality of competition he faced at A&M.
"Fisher has a little more athletic ability and length. His arms are a little longer. When I put his first tape on and was able to see him all week at the Senior Bowl, the first thing I thought of was (49ers left tackle and former Central Michigan star) Joe Staley, and I thought he's better than Joe Staley, which says a lot.
"He's answered every question people had about him. He has proven he has more upper-body strength than people thought he had. He's a prototypical left tackle. Might not be as good a run (blocking) guy right now as Joeckel. But the difference isn't that big."
Once a lock to be the first tackle taken, he now has serious competition. He's not overwhelming as an athlete, but the tape shows a player with the ability to just swallow up even really good pass-rushers, particularly those who try to beat him off the edge. (He's more susceptible to those who go inside.) Has a ton of experience, starting on the left since his freshman season. He can really drive people in the run game, even if he gets questions on whether he's a big finisher there.