For the Franklin family, football is more than a sport. It’s more like a way of life.

Cory and Jami Franklin of Seymour have spent most fall evenings and weekends through the years running their two sons, Alex and Luke, to practices, weight training sessions and games all while cheering from the stands.

This summer, Luke, an incoming seventh-grader at Seymour Middle School, got the opportunity to attend Football University in Dublin, Ohio, to hone in on his craft as a center. Two hundred athletes from each position attended the camp from the Midwest region.

Luke was joined by many of his peers for the camp early this summer. He said the camp really gave him some great experience to apply in the upcoming season.

“We really worked on our stance, blocking technique and one-on-ones with defensive linemen,” he said.

The techniques, including making sure your feet are behind your back and driving your opponent in the opposite direction, seem like simple fundamentals, but keeping those front and center are very useful for offensive linemen, Luke said.

“It was very technique-oriented,” Jami said.

Luke, a soft-spoken, humble offensive lineman, didn’t seem as excited as a 12-year-old might be when asked about what he thought about learning from top-level talent. The Ohio camp featured a pretty big name to help oversee the development of the offensive linemen.

Jim McNally, who had a 30-year NFL career coaching with the Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, was the offensive lineman coach.

With the Bengals, McNally helped the team reach two Super Bowls. He also had a 15-year college career coaching with the University of Buffalo, Marshall University, Wake Forest University and Boston College. McNally now works as a consultant for the Bengals.

“It was pretty cool,” Luke said of learning from McNally.

Luke said the camp was very useful in helping with his development as a young football player. He said he liked learning more about the fundamentals and different techniques. He also enjoyed playing with kids that are of top-level talent.

“It was cool to be around kids that were as good as they were,” he said.

Jami said the camp was good for Luke because he saw some competition from kids who were bigger and stronger than him, which will provide a foundation to build a better game.

“Luke is fairly large for his age, but this experience is allowing him to realize that there are players out there who are bigger and stronger, and the challenge is a great experience for him,” she said.

Luke seemed to impress the coaches at the camp, as he was selected as a Top Gun. That means he will participate in another Football University camp in Rock Hill, South Carolina later this summer. The community has been pegged by many as “Football City USA” for its talent and dedication to the sport.

The Top Gun camp is similar in that it goes over many of the same drills and techniques, but the intensity and talent are kicked up a notch by enhancing the drills and competition.

The camp also features national exposure with 247Sports, an online sports publication, covering the event and creating profiles and scouting reports on athletes attending the camp. The camp also will release rankings for each position at the conclusion of the camp.

What’s most impressive is the camp only invites 25 of the best athletes from each position from Football University camps across the country, and Luke was selected for it.

He said he is excited for the opportunity to attend the camp later this month.

“It’s pretty cool to be selected for it,” he said.

And being the humble person he is, he was taken aback by the thought of being selected.

“I was surprised by it,” Luke said.

If the Top Gun camp is anything like the one in Ohio, Luke said it will be a positive atmosphere for athletes to learn more about football. He said he liked the way each athlete approached the camp.

“I liked the vibe the camp had,” he said. “I liked how dedicated everyone is to learning more.”

Luke credits his older brother, Alex, for his interest in football and his teammates for his love of the game. He said playing alongside his teammates is his favorite part of the sport.

“I love how team-driven the sport is and how everyone is working together,” he said.

He also likes a simple part of his position.

“I like hitting people,” he said.

Before each season, Jami and Cody have their children make goals for the next season. Luke has not made his yet, but he has an ultimate goal in mind.

“Luke’s ultimate goal in football is to someday be selected as an All-American and play for a Division I school,” Jami said. “Being selected as Top Gun is helping him work toward reaching that goal. It’s good to see him working toward his goals and having a little bit of success with that. These experiences will only make him a better football player.”

Jami said she and her husband do what they can to see their three children succeed.

“We just try to provide all of our kids opportunities to help reach their goals, whatever those goals may be,” she said.

Luke looks forward to continuing his football career through middle school and into high school. He has been inspired by the varsity team’s recent success from being winless to back-to-back appearances in the sectional championship game.

“It’s pretty good they have been able to do that,” he said.

When Seymour High School needs an offensive lineman focused on his team and strong fundamentals, it will not need to look further than Luke Franklin.