Illinois TE Luke Ford was 1 of 15 student-athletes who signed an NIL deal with the WWE on Monday. He is really excited about the opportunity per Joey Wagner of 247Sports.

Ford joined another B1G student-athlete in signing the NIL deal, as Michigan State TE Maliq Carr also signed. He had 114 yards receiving and 2 touchdowns last season, and is slated to become 1 of the top options on the depth chart at his position in 2022. Ford and his brother have been lifelong fans.

“I’ve always been a huge WWE fan,” Ford told Illini Inquirer by phone on Tuesday. “Me and my brother growing up would always do WWE moves on each other on the couch. I grew up loving it and watching it. I felt like it was the perfect fit. …I was super stoked. I was freaking out, hyped up, jumping around, yelling in my room. My brother was freaking out because me and him both love WWE. We grew up wrestling each other. I don’t know. It’s just an awesome feeling. It’s really exciting.”

It sounds like Ford is a great fit for the NIL deal.