Lawson Luckie: The real reason this remarkable young man committed to UGA will touch your heart

Lawson Luckie’s father and two uncles all played football for Georgia at the same time. They received national media attention a generation ago as three triplet brothers on the same college football team.

His home state Bulldogs are coming off a national championship. UGA is a standout public institution that offers a world-class education. Sanford Stadium is just about 55 miles due east of his house.

The nation’s No. 12 TE prospect loves Georgia and already considers himself a ‘Dawg. There’s no team in the nation that recruits and showcases its tight ends right now like the one in Athens. Georgia assistant Todd Hartley is a relentless recruiter on the trail. When he finds his guy, he just does not miss.

There were so many good reasons for Luckie to commit to Georgia back in January. Yet none a single one of those was the main thing.

The biggest reason why was Cannon Luckie. His youngest brother weighs about 70 pounds. He cannot see. That’s what his doctors say.

Cannon is nine. This young man cannot speak or move on his own. His motor functions have peaked between six and 12 months of human development.

His main source of entertainment is a loop of Barney cartoons that stream via YouTube from a mobile tablet.

“I know basically every Barney song,” Lawson Luckie said. “Every single one.”

Georgia beat out Alabama, Notre Dame and everyone else to stay home because of Cannon. This marvel of a young man can do so very little.

Yet he means so much to his family.

“He was seven by the time he was able to control his own arm enough to rub his own nose when it itched,” his mother Hillary Luckie said. “You should have seen the look of satisfaction on his face. That was a moment I definitely will remember. I’ve recorded it a few times when he is laying in bed and he finally gets it up there.”

Luckie knew he had to play for UGA after a holiday family beach trip to Seaside in Florida. His extended family flew down from New York.

His trip lasted about 18 hours. Not even one full day of that booked week.

“Cannon spiked a fever,” Hillary Luckie said. “Within the day, he was seizing. Not breathing well. Unconscious. We ended up at a children’s hospital in Panama City. Which was terrible. He tested positive for Covid. We got back and I was like I have got to head home with him. I had to have him near Scottish Rite in case anything happens.”

Both of her sons will play college football. Lawson is 17 and plays for Norcross. Carter is 14 and plays for Blessed Trinity. Her boys returned home with her.

She needed them. Cannon was out of sorts. Lawson had to hold his head for the entire six-hour trip back.

“It was a horrible ride,” Hillary Luckie said. “Cannon is choking. Lawson is trying to keep his head up so he can breathe. On and off with oxygen. It was just a miserable ride.”

That is a unique “when did you know?” story about a Georgia recruit.

“When we got home he looked at me and said ‘I have got to go to Georgia’ and he’s like ‘I cannot have you trying to get to the football game with Cannon,” said Hillary Luckie as she recalled what Lawson said then. “Even if it is like South Carolina. If it is a night game you are going to have to stay in a hotel. Cannon will hate that’ and he said ‘Georgia is a great school. There is absolutely no reason why that shouldn’t be my pick.’”

Now his mother doesn’t want that to be the sole reason.

“She was like be sure to still look around,” Lawson Luckie said. “She said ‘I will make it work where ever you want to go’ but then Georgia still ended up being like the place where I wanted to be.”