Packers’ Lukas Van Ness believes hockey background a key to NFL success

Imagine Green Bay Packers’ first round pick Lukas Van Ness playing in the NHL. 

At all of 6-foot-5, 272 pounds Van Ness earned the nickname of “Hercules” at Iowa, where he became known for his massive physique combined with his athleticism and strength as a pass rusher. 

Now take that frame and quick-twitch athleticism and translate it to hockey — where Van Ness could have become the NHL’s most feared enforcer of all-time.

No, Van Ness’ hockey dreams as a kid didn’t pan out, but the No. 13 overall draft pick does think that his time on the ice will pay off for him in the pros.

Believe it or not, there are some hockey skills that translate to the NFL, according to Van Ness.

“(Hockey) taught me to use my eyes, use my vision, trust in what I’m seeing,” Van Ness recently told the team website. “I have size-17 feet. I was carrying some boats around as my skates. It was almost like I had five-pound weights skating around, getting good conditioning, so my motor, my effort, physicality, all that I believe came from hockey.”

Whether or not his hockey background helped Van Ness make it to the NFL, the fact is that he’s just months away from kicking off his rookie season. 

The Packers took somewhat of a chance on the physicals specimen from Iowa, knowing that the fact that he didn’t start in 2022 was because of the fact that he was a redshirt sophomore — and at Iowa, underclassmen don’t start over seniors, no matter how good they are.

The Packers also know that Van Ness isn’t a finished product. Defensive coordinator Joe Barry made it clear that the true genius in the Van Ness pick may not be realized in 2023, but in the years to come for Green Bay.

“When he walks in the room, he’s a big man,” Barry said. “He’s got length, he’s got explosion and then you look at the fact he’s 21 years old. So, I think it’s scary when you get a young player like that, to kind of close your eyes and think what those guys will be three, four, five years down the road when they are 25, 26 years old.”

Right now, it’s all about potential, and Van Ness has loads of it — thanks to an old pair of ice skates.