Oct. 29, 2010
Midfielder/forward Andrew Luttrell is a senior member of Notre Dame’s soccer team. A native of Granger, Ind., he sees action as a member of the Fighting Irish attack unit. As a science-business major, Luttrell has been named a Big East Academic All-Star. Even with a minor injury last spring, Luttrell continues to make valuable contributions to the team by making good runs into the box as well as having a nose for the goal. The Irish play host to Georgetown this Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Earlier this week, Andrew sat down with UND.com’s Briana Coyne to talk about himself as well as his experiences at Notre Dame.
Where is your favorite place to play soccer? My favorite place to play soccer is probably right here at Alumni Field in South Bend. I’m from Granger so playing in this area has always been fun for me.
Who is the best athlete that you have ever competed against? The best athlete that I have played against is former teammate Bright Dike. I haven’t really played against him so to speak, because he was my teammate, but Dike is arguably the best athlete in a physically dominating sense that I have seen.
As a soccer player, is there any one player you model your game after? I like to model my game after a bunch of different players, but there is one athlete who I enjoy watching and inspires me- Andrey Arshavin from Arsenal. He is similar in stature to me and has scored a lot of goals as well as being really effective on the team. I like to think that I can play like him.
Which do you prefer Premier League or MLS? Why? I would pick Premier League, because of its long history. MLS is working its way there and they are adding more teams each year, which is good, but I am a huge Arsenal fan so I’ve always been watching the Premier League.
What is the hardest thing about being a student-athlete at Notre Dame? The hardest thing about being a student- athlete is traveling and missing classes and then having to catch up. On the other hand, I definitely love the time management aspect of being a student- athlete. It forces me to get my work done by a certain time, because of my schedule.
How do you unwind after a game? I unwind after a game by staying up in one of my teammates rooms till four in the morning talking to them and being obnoxious next to the coaches’ rooms.
What is your favorite thing about playing for Notre Dame? My favorite thing about playing at Notre Dame is that the team camaraderie is unbelievable. It is unlike any team I have ever been on. If I had to pick something else, I would also say the Parisi dinners during pre-season are awesome.
What is the most important thing you’ve learned while playing soccer at Notre Dame? The most important thing I’ve learned playing at Notre Dame is the importance of work ethic. You always need to be working and thinking. In quoting Boss, “You always need to be on your front studs”. You need to be prepared and if you are, everything will work out.
What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you? One of my first club coaches told me to ” Always take care of my chances”- whether it is your chance of getting on the field or in front of the goal scoring. Anytime I have been given an opportunity, I am always trying my best to take care of the chance and make sure I will have another one.
What will you try to pass on to next year’s seniors? Well, I am the fine man on the team so I will pass that on, but a sense of leading the team, being there for teammates, helping guys out, and being supportive is what I really hope to pass on to next year’s seniors.
What is your favorite memory with your teammates? Singing the Notre Dame fight song after games is probably one of the best moments with my teammates hands down. There was also an incident involving a coach cushion that will forever live in infamy.
What is one thing about you that might surprise people? I’ve played in the Little League World Series. Also, my Dad was in the Navy so I’ve lived in lots of places: Jacksonville, Florida, which is where I was born, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Newport, Rhode Island, Granger, Indiana. There might have even been a short stint when I was really little in Fallon, Nevada.
What is your favorite catchphrase? I have plenty of catchphrases. My favorite is “Playing for keeps.” Then, anytime someone is hitting a hard pass or throwing a ball or something like that, I say “It’s coming in hot.” The last one is “I’m pulling out all the stops.”
Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? Ten years from now, I see myself being a beach bum during the summer and then a ski lift operator/snowboard instructor during the winter.
What is your favorite show on ESPN? Right now, ESPN is doing a documentary series “30 for 30”, which has been fantastic, but I also really like “SportsCenter,” which is part of my morning regiment.
What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently? The movie I’ve seen most recently is “The Social Network”, which was pretty good. It is interesting because it connects with our generation. It was neat to see how Facebook was set up and the story that surrounds it.
Who are you rooting for in the World Series? I’ve got a tough dilemma. I have three Texas teammates here who have all introduced me to the claw- the Rangers celebration. I love the claw- love everything about it. However, the Giants closer, Brian Wilson, is a wild man and a sound bite machine. I think he’s hilarious and he’s a great pitcher so I have a vested interest in both teams.
How do you define “success”? Whenever you reach your own goals or your team reaches its goals, you can define that as success. Most people are going to say success is if you win this, this, and this, but when you reach your personal goals I would consider that a success.
What is the most rewarding thing you’ve done? Anytime I can help people no matter what it is or where it is, I find it rewarding. In high school, I was part of the Anti-Defamation League. I went to a conference in Chicago where we had workshops and worked with kids, which was pretty neat. Also when we do the soccer camps with the little kids, just helping them out and putting a smile on their face is gratifying.
What are you being for Halloween? For Halloween, I’m being Joe Dirt- I have the beard for it right now.