(STORY COURTESY BISMARCK TRIBUNE)

Luke Little already is an All-American wide receiver with an MBA. After this weekend, he could have another prestigious title: NFL player.

The Century High and University of Mary grad has drawn interest from several NFL teams heading into this weekend's NFL draft.

Craig Bagnell, head coach of the Marauders, said the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and Washington Commanders have shown the most interest.

If he is not drafted, Little then potentially could have options as to where he lands. One thing is certain, though — he won't be picky.

"More so than anything it's just about going somewhere that's going to give me a legitimate opportunity," Little said. "I'm more than willing to start at the bottom, go through special teams, whatever it takes. I just want a shot."

Little caught 20 touchdown passes last season for the Marauders, the most of any college football player in the country. That caught the eye of NFL talent evaluators. On March 24 at UND's Pro Day in Grand Forks, Little opened their eyes even wider. 

At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Little ran a 4.5 second 40-yard dash. He also bench pressed 225 pounds 16 times. As for his 40 time, Little said it "surprised him." Same was true of his effort pumping iron, "adrenaline is a beautiful thing."

Little credited trainer Kyle Kudrna, originally from Dickinson, with his training regimen during the offseason. Kudrna worked with a number of NFL players during his time as a strength and conditioning coach at the University of Memphis. 

Proving he had the required measurables upped the intensity of interest among NFL teams.

"It definitely helped me," Little said of his pro day performance. "Coming from D-II, you have to show you have the necessary athletic ability. It's great to have desire, commitment and a willingness to do anything, but there is sort of a baseline of athleticism you need to meet. I think I did that."

For all of the tangibles Little offers, it's the intangibles that was a particularly easy sell for Bagnell when talking with NFL scouts.

"With Luke you're going to get a guy that's committed; a guy that works extremely hard; a guy that shows up on time; a guy that's never going to be a distraction or cause problems; a good leader ... those are the types of people teams want in their buildings," Bagnell said. "Football-wise, he offers a lot of versatility. He's smart. He picks up concepts quickly. He's physical and he showed at his pro day he has the athleticism you need to compete at that level."

All of those things are important, but with the NFL it truly is the best of the best.

"There are no bad players in the NFL, there really isn't. There are bad organizations, but no bad players. It's the elite, the one percent," Bagnell said. "When he gets there, you're a number. They don't even call you by your name. Until you show up and perform, you're just a number and Luke understands that. All he needs is a chance. I'm confident he'll get it and I know he'll make the most of it."

Little is not a Cinderella story. He played as a true freshman for the Marauders, but he's been handed nothing.

As a junior in high school at Century, he was a fifth-string tight end and backup outside linebacker.

Prior to his his senior year, Little and his high school and college teammate Isaac Bolton, decided the clock was ticking and make a conscious effort to improve.

"When I started to apply myself, and put in the time and effort that was necessary to be one of those dudes on the field, things started to happen," he said. "I started to develop the standards and habits that I've carried all the way until today."

Little truly was a team player. He took more pride in helping the Marauders return the program to respectability then his 20-touchdown, 1,282-yard senior season.

"It was a lot of fun, just kind of being a part of seeing it turn around," he said. "Coach Bagnell was the mastermind on offense, knowing how to get us open. Logan (Nelson) made some unbelievable plays and the O-Line gave him time to do it. And having arguably the best wide receiver (Danny Kittner) in the country next to me, sure helped.

"It's been a grind for a lot of us, but to go out with a bang like that, to see the progress, it was pretty fulfilling. I'm really excited to watch those guys next year."

Where he's watching from is now the question. He already has a job in Bismarck as a financial advisor, but that might have to be put on hold if the NFL comes calling.

He'll be with his family and friends on Saturday, with phone in hand.

"It's amazing how fast it's all gone by, thinking back to high school and then at U-Mary. It's been a great ride," said Little, who does have an agent. "I feel really good about the work I've put in throughout the process, but now it's kind of out of my hands. 

"It might be a couple long days waiting, but I'm excited to see what happens and hopefully at some point I'll get a call."

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