BUTLER TWP College football wasn't even on the radar for Luke Gilliland a year ago.

A wide receiver at Butler High, he didn't see the field enough as a sophomore or junior to letter in either season.

Then he entered his senior season being switched to linebacker and suffered a knee injury.

In the fall, he'll be playing at Waynesburg University.

"Luke is definitely in the late bloomer category," Butler coach Jeff McAnallen said.

When Gilliland reported to summer camp before last season, he was surprised to learn about his move to defense.

"I had played offense all the way through the system," he said. "But Coach (Erich) Campbell and the other coaches wanted to look at me on the other side of the ball."

"We had three or four kids we were looking at to join T.J. (Lesniewski) as a middle linebacker in our 44 defense," McAnallen said.

Gilliland sat out the next-to-last day of summer camp because of his injured knee. He said the coaches asked him if he could play on it.

"They said they really needed me for the New Castle game," Gilliland said of the season opener. "That's all I needed to hear. It was my senior year and I was going to play."

At 6-feet-1, 190 pounds, Gilliland is not the prototypical linebacker. McAnallen thought his wide receiver-like speed inside would match up well against New Castle's speed on offense.

Gilliland didn't disappoint. He didn't vacate that linebacker position, either.

"He played very well," McAnallen said. "He covered their iso package well and was a big part of us winning that game.

"Luke wound up staying at that spot the entire season."

Gilliland underwent surgery on his left knee in November.

"It got sore at times," Gilliland said of the knee's condition while he played last fall. "But when you're going through drills at practice, working on plays or you're in a game, you don't even think about it. Your focus is elsewhere."

Gilliland finished the season with 48 tackles. After the season, he entertained college possibilities at Waynesburg, Thiel and Westminster.

A trip to Waynesburg to watch a game in October sold him on the Yellow Jackets.

"A bunch of us went to watch them play and their defensive system was a lot like what we play at Butler," Gilliland said. "That's one of the reasons I decided to go there."

Gilliland will have plenty of company when he battles for playing time at Waynesburg. The Yellow Jackets had 13 freshmen linebackers on their roster a year ago.

Waynesburg is coached by Rick Shepas, a former Seneca Valley High head coach entering his fifth year with the Yellow Jackets. His team was 5-5 last season.

Shepas is 23-18 overall at Waynesburg, including an 8-3 mark 5-1 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play in 2007. The Yellow Jackets have played postseason games three times in the past six years.

"If I gain a little weight and muscle mass, I can play linebacker there, maybe even defensive end," Gilliland said. "I definitely enjoy defense now. Dishing out hits is better than taking them."