Klein Cain High School product's success at TCU is latest chapter in football legacy

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In his third year with the program, Luke Pardee, the backup quarterback for TCU, has various responsibilities for the Horned Frogs.

"It's an incredible opportunity to prepare each week," Luke Pardee, a Klein Cain High School product, said during a Zoom interview with ABC13. "I try to bring guys along in the game plan and make sure we're all ready to go."

Among those duties, he helps the Horned Frogs' defense.

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To prepare for Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship vs. Georgia, Pardee, as part of his job on the scout team, is playing the role of Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett - a Heisman Trophy finalist.

"You watch a lot of tape of the opponent's quarterback, and then you try to sort of become them," Luke explained his scout team duties. "Obviously through the scheme, but through mannerisms and little things you pick up that they do on film."

He's as much of a coach as he is a player. And with the last name Pardee in Texas, that's merely part of the playbook.

"So many great experiences in my life originated around football," Ted Pardee, Luke's father, admitted. "It's awesome for me as a Dad that I've got three kids that have embraced that part of our heritage."

Luke is the grandson of College Football Hall of Fame football coach Jack Pardee. His dad, Ted, played football at the University of Houston. So did his brother, Payton, the wide receivers coach for the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.

"You love to see somebody in your family achieve success," Payton shared. "But for Luke and the team at large, it validates all that hard work."

"Football is a special thing in Texas, and I feel really honored and proud to have grown up a Pardee," Luke added. "My grandfather is my hero. We all look at that as shoes to fill, and a standard to uphold. I know there's a responsibility because my grandfather was a special man, and he lived his life the right way. I think that we all have an obligation to do the same."

So Luke has responsibilities from his role at TCU and the legendary name he carries everywhere.

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