Derrel Joe Luce (born September 29, 1952) is a former professional American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played six seasons for the Baltimore Colts, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He attended Baylor University where he was a second-team All-American in 1974.
 Luce in 1977 | |||||||||||
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| Position: | Linebacker | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born: | September 29, 1952 Lake Jackson, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight: | 226 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school: | Clute (TX) Brazoswood | ||||||||||
| College: | Baylor | ||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1975 / Round: 7 / Pick: 168 | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Luce got his NFL opportunity in 1976 when starting linebacker Tom MacLeod was injured.[1] Luce started all 14 games for the Colts during that season, registering 68 solo tackles and 4 assists, as well as the first two of his 3 career interceptions.[1] He also saw action on special teams on the punt coverage unit, recording three more tackles.[1]
He was released by the Colts on August 22, 1979, immediately ahead of the 1979 NFL season, and was claimed off waivers two days later by the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he saw action in all 16 games of the 1979 season.[2] He made the Vikings roster again in 1980 but was released on October 1, after having appeared in four games.[2] The Detroit Lions signed him two weeks later as a free agent and he appeared in the last 9 games of the season for the silver-and-blue.[2]
Luce received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from Baylor in 1975 and subsequently enrolled in Baylor Law School towards the end of his NFL career.[2]