Legacy Tryout: Luke Akers, Son of Eagles Hall of Famer David Akers, Gets Rookie Minicamp Shot

A punter and kicker at Northwestern the younger Akers had a steep hill to climb.

Aug 31, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Northwestern Wildcats punter Luke Akers (11) punts against the Miami (Oh) Redhawks during the first half at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The son of an Eagles franchise legend will get his first crack at following in his father’s footsteps this weekend.

Undrafted Northwestern punter/kicker Luke Akers has accepted a rookie minicamp invite from the Eagles.

The six-year college veteran, who started at UCLA before finishing at Northwestern, will also attend the Chicago Bears’ rookie minicamp as he looks to carve out an NFL career — ideally as a punter, his main role with the Wildcats.

For the Eagles, the kicker spot offers the more realistic opening. Jake Elliott has posted back-to-back uneven seasons and, while he has eclipsed several of David Akers’ franchise records, inconsistency has opened the door for competition.

At punter, however, the path is much steeper: Braden Mann signed a significant four-year, $14 million extension this offseason after delivering another strong campaign in 2025.

Luke Akers spent his final three collegiate seasons as the starting punter at Northwestern after beginning his career in Souther California with UCLA. Across 180 career punts, he averaged a respectable 42.9 yards per punt.

He also handled some kicking duties for the Wildcats in 2024 and 2025, going 13-of-17 on field goals and a perfect 13-for-13 on PATs.

During the 2025 season, Akers earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors. He had 36 punts for 1,619 yards (45.0 avg), with nine punts over 50 yards and a long of 59, pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 10 times. He also excelled a kickoff specialist (40 kickoffs, 22 touchbacks).

Tough Act To Follow

Earning an opportunity 👏

Luke Akers has accepted rookie minicamp invites to the @ChicagoBears and @Eagles! pic.twitter.com/SeALRHd5DF

— Northwestern Football (@NUFBFamily) April 29, 2026

His father, David Akers, remains one of the most decorated players in Eagles history. From 1999 to 2010, he racked up 1,323 points in Philadelphia — the most in franchise history — earned six All-Pro selections, and was named to the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s.

He was later inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame.

Luke now faces the steep challenge of turning a minicamp invite into a roster spot, but the bloodlines and his dual kicking/punting versatility give him a compelling story heading into the tryout.