North Allegheny grad Luke Colella a bright spot for Princeton football

The wait was worth it for North Allegheny graduate Luke Colella.

After biding his time for two seasons at Princeton behind a group of talented pass-catchers, Colella has become the Tigers’ top wide receiver.

Colella, a senior, moved into the starting lineup last season and earned honorable mention all-Ivy League honors and is once again Princeton’s leading receiver.

“I think I’m playing well and doing the best I can,” he said. “At the end of the day, I wanted to improve from last year and help improve the record of the team and leave a legacy, whether individually or team-wise.”

One season after posting 47 catches for 620 yards and six touchdowns as a first-year starter, Colella has 30 receptions and ranks in the top 10 in the Ivy League in receiving yards (418) and receiving TDs (five).

The former first-team all-conference selection at North Allegheny has been a bright spot for Princeton (2-6, 1-4 Ivy League), which is headed toward its first losing season since 2011.

“I feel like I’m doing what I can and doing the best I can to help the team win,” Colella said. “It’s been a little bit of a rocky road this year. I’m just focusing on how I can help the team.”

Colella had to wait to help the team after arriving at Princeton following a standout career at North Allegheny. His first season was canceled due to the pandemic. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder played in one game as a freshman in ‘21 and then caught three passes for 6 yards as a sophomore while earning his keep on special teams.

The obstacles to playing time were understandable. Colella shared the wide receiver room with some of the top pass-catchers in Princeton history, including Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas.

“I think any kid who’s had a successful high school career and they come to college and they get told it’s not your time, I think it’s difficult for anybody,” Colella said. “For me personally, at the time I didn’t understand the impact of it, but I was thankful having guys in the receiver room who helped me along the way. … Guys who mentored me and told me to keep my head down and that my time would come.”

As a first-year starter in ‘23, Colella caught a touchdown in his first start against San Diego, had seven receptions for 121 yards and two TDs against Yale and five receptions for 98 yards in a 21-14 win over nationally ranked Harvard.

This season’s highlights include a 37-yard TD catch in a 30-13 win over Howard and six receptions for 96 yards and a TD in a 29-17 victory over Brown.

Princeton coach Bob Surace praised Colella for staying the course.

“It’s one of those challenges where the guys are used to being the star in high school and … had to get on special teams and work their way up,” Surace told reporters earlier this season. “To see Luke go from being that guy, he’s had to take every step and he’s been very good.”

Colella’s days at Princeton are almost over. He will play his final game at the school Nov. 23 against visiting Penn. Colella, who graduates next month with a degree in history, has entered the NCAA transfer portal.

“One way or another,” he said, “wherever I land, I am for sure planning on playing another year of football.”

Although he had to wait to get on the field, Colella is thankful for the path it led him on.

“At the end of the day, I’m just so grateful for this place,” he said. “If I hadn’t come here, I wouldn’t be the man that I am today. It’s a really special place, and I’m grateful for everything that I’ve accomplished here and every opportunity that I’ve been given.”