Luke Colella celebrated his second touchdown against Albany on Oct. 25 with a backflip. Villanova graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide flew down the field to dance with him. It looked like Colella had been around Villanova for years.
Yet, Colella, a graduate wide receiver, transferred to Villanova this offseason from Princeton University.
Colella decided to take his receiving talents to the Main Line because Princeton’s graduate programs did not match his interest in pursuing business.
In just a few months at Villanova, Colella said that he has formed a close relationship with his teammates.
“Villanova creates a culture filled with bonds and brotherhood,” Colella said. “I think the coaches here have done a really good job of facilitating that culture.”
The 5’10” Colella scored two touchdowns in Villanova’s Homecoming game on Oct. 25, which the Wildcats won, 29-16, against Albany. Colella led his team to victory with key maneuvers in the second half.
Colella has since become a breakout star in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). He leads the Wildcats in receiving yards this season, averaging 92.13 over eight games.
Going into halftime against Albany, the Wildcats had a 12-7 lead. Five minutes into the third quarter, McQuaide and Colella connected on a 34-yard pass for the receiver’s first touchdown of the game. Colella celebrated with a backflip.
McQuaide later connected with Colella for a 36-yard touchdown, his second of the game.
The last time Colella scored two touchdowns was in the 29-21 win over Elon on Oct. 21. They were his first touchdowns as a Wildcat.
The following Saturday, Oct. 19, Colella contributed one touchdown to Villanova’s 56-14 blowout victory over Hampton University.
Colella has now scored five touchdowns for Villanova, tying his total from last season.
“Luke Colella is our leading receiver,”head coach Mark Ferrante said. “He’s one of the top receivers in the conference, right now. Him and Pat seem to have a good chemistry and they’ve built that over time, starting in the summer and the rest of the season.”
Colella grew up in Wexford, PA, and played football at North Allegheny High School. He was a multi-sport athlete his first two years of high school, also playing basketball and baseball.
In his junior year of high school, Colella got serious about his football career. He realized that it would take both academics and athletics to gain recognition and earn a scholarship at a top university.
“During high school, I knew I wanted to try to play football as long as I could,” Colella said. “I started getting offers, and Princeton was definitely in my top choices. It all boiled down to the academics and team culture in making my decision to play for the Ivy League.”
Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, Colella and his family always respected Villanova’s athletic reputation. Once his dreams came true to play for his favorite school growing up, Colella wanted to express his strengths during his last year of eligibility.
Thanks in part to the efforts of Colella, Villanova is currently ranked No. 11 in the country and third overall in the CAA standings with a record of 6-2.
“It doesn’t mean much to me, to be honest,” Ferrante said of the high ranking. “We have a certain commitment to this team, and we have the opportunity to go as far as we can. We still have a lot left to play. It’s always nice to be in a good position going into the end of the season.”
Colella and the rest of the Villanova Wildcats are scheduled to return to the field to play Towson on Saturday, Nov. 8. The Wildcats are riding a five-game win streak and will close out the season with two games at Villanova Stadium.
