How Hunter Luepke can spark Dallas Cowboys’ offense by living up to a nickname

Dallas Cowboys fullback Hunter Luepke didn't need to turn to Google the first time he heard the nickname "Little Alstott."

Luepke knows all about Mike Alstott, the hulking former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star who became an icon in the late 1990s and early 2000s. While often serving as a lead blocker, Alstott also became the model for fullbacks who want to thrive as ball-carriers or pass-catchers by piling up 7,372 yards from scrimmage over his 11-year career.

"In college, we used to have, like, motivational videos, and my position coach would pull up Michael Alstott pretty much every Friday," Luepke, a North Dakota State grad, said this week. "He's a legend."

So, no, Luepke wasn't surprised to hear quarterback Dak Prescott use "Little Alstott" to describe him during a postgame news conference last week. And, no, the 24-year-old Luepke isn't shying away from the moniker as the Cowboys (2-2) prepare to play at the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) on Sunday night with the offense in need of some playmaking oomph.

Since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted rookie in 2023, Luepke has earned playing time as a blocker and special teams contributor. More recently, he's grown active as a playmaker on offense — just like Alstott, with whom he shares his No. 40 and a penchant for tough running.

In last Thursday's win over the Giants, Luepke totaled two carries for eight yards and two receptions for 14 yards. His four touches represented a career high.

Those numbers aren't staggering, but Luepke's contributions were meaningful; he converted a fourth-and-1 on his first rushing attempt and a third-and-short on his second carry. He also hauled a vital 11-yard reception across the middle of the field on a third-and-3 that helped spark Dallas' first touchdown drive. Prescott said he didn't hesitate to throw through a tight window to Luepke on the play, even though the fullback entered the game with just seven career receptions.

"Just a guy that not only gained more and more of my trust, but with the coaches as well," Prescott said. "You can put him there in any situation and he's going to get the job done."

A week before the Giants game, Luepke drew praise for beating star Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton with a polished wheel route . Last week, Luepke also earned the special teams game ball for his performance on kick and punt coverages.

"This guy is just a confident football player," offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. "He can do so many cool things. Again, it's what you saw, honestly, it's what you saw of him coming out of college. You saw him play [running back] by himself. You saw him play tight end, you saw him play fullback, you saw him play special teams."

Luepke does serve in a variety of roles, but, like Alstott, he can separate himself from peers across the league by producing with the ball in his hands. And the Cowboys could use him to add life to an offense that's still aiming to find its footing in 2024.

Veteran receiver Brandin Cooks landed on injured reserve with a knee infection this week, which will further sap the Cowboys' offense of playmaking ability. So far this year, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has Dallas' longest running play (12 yards) and has recorded the longest reception in each of the team's four games. Aside from Lamb, Dallas offense is missing game-changing skill-position players.

The Cowboys rank 14th in total offense in the NFL, and coach Mike McCarthy's offense has drawn scrutiny for its lack of balance and use of strategies like pre-snap motion.

Luepke's ability to run routes, take handoffs or move to different spots before the snap can add wrinkles to an offense that often sinks into predictable patterns or relies heavily on Lamb.

And Luepke is happy to be involved as a playmaker. He trains with multiple position groups at practices and knew he needed to display versatility and blocking skills to make the roster as a rookie last season. But Luepke likes to get the ball in his hands, too.

"It's great to, you know, get a catch here and there," Luepke said.

Signs suggest Luepke will continue to grow his role. Last year, he played more than 20 offensive snaps in a game just once and finished the season with nine touches — six carries and three catches. This year? Luepke's averaging over 22 offensive snaps per contest and have eight touches through four weeks.

That's not quite up to Alstott's level of production from two decades ago, but it's enough to make a significant impact on the Cowboys' offense.

"Hunter's a guy that we just see continue to ascend," Schottenheimer said. "We don't feel that there's really a lot that he can't do, and we're still scratching the surface of how we can help us win a lot of games."