The UTEP football player wearing No. 2 with the name "Laufenberg" on the back is sophomore receiver Royal Capell, a transfer who played his true freshman year at Oklahoma State.
The number is an honorary one, awarded each year to a player who represents the values of Luke Laufenberg, a tight end who was with UTEP in the spring of 2019 before losing his life to leukemia later that year on Aug. 22. His father Babe Laufenberg is a former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current color commentator on the Cowboys radio broadcasts.
Why is UTEP's Royal Capell wearing No. 2 with Laufenberg on the nameplate?
In that 2019 season, one of the Miners' top receivers, Justin Garrett, began wearing
the No. 2 number and keeping the name Laufenberg on his back. After he exhausted his eligibility he handed the jersey to quarterback Gavin Hardison, and since then the number and name on the back has been awarded to an offensive player.
Capell was selected by the coaching staff last week to carry on the legacy.
"Since Royal has come into this program, he has been a winner and he's exemplified Code Blue, being a man of commitment, relentlessness, selflessness, toughness and integrity," UTEP coach Scotty Walden said. "It was unanimous as a coaching staff.
"He played at Oklahoma State as a true freshman (last year before transferring to UTEP) and you see why. He's tough, he will block you, he will strike you, he'll play on wefense (special teams) and he's a heck of a receiver. He's the total package."
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Who is wearing the Laufenberg No. 2 for the UTEP Miners football team?
