Hosley’s house of jerseys
November 28, 2018
Walking into sophomore Luke Hosley’s room, you see a sports fan’s dreamland. He has various jerseys spread out along the walls and even some on his bed. Each jersey has a story of different significance to him.
Some people may collect jerseys from a specific sport or team, but for Hosley, that’s not the case. He has a diverse range of jerseys that other collectors may not say they have.
“I’m a big sports guy,” Hosley said. “I have soccer, basketball, hockey, football. So I just like all sports in general.”
This love for sports and collecting has been with Hosley since he was in elementary school. His first jersey he got helped peak his interest.
“In third grade, I got an Adrian Peterson jersey,” Hosley said. “From then on, I got my Aaron Rodgers jersey, and then I just got going.”
His Aaron Rodgers jersey, along with several other NFL jerseys, show that even though he collects jerseys from other sports and teams, he still has a large selection of them from one of his favorite sports.
“I’m big into NFL. I have a lot of NFL jerseys.” Hosley said.
For some sports fans, they will go to great lengths to find a specific jersey. Sometimes buying them online for $100 or more. The process of buying a jersey for Hosley is just a little bit easier and much less taxing for him.
“I’ll get them at thrift stores, and I’ll just pick them up,” Hosley said. “To me, it’s just super cool to have the variety.”
Hosley’s collection doesn’t fail to impress his family. His mother Erica Hosley gave one simple statement about Luke’s favorite hobby.
“He’s a little cray-cray,” Erica Hosley said.
A collection that warrants the “cray-cray” label creates some rules for when Hosley wears them and what to do with them afterwards. Some of the jerseys that are special to Hosley he won’t wear, such as his autographed Kirk Cousins jersey.
“Some of the jerseys he won’t let me wash,” Erica Hosley said.
Hosley won’t just get a jersey and store it in his closet. There’s a reason why he will buy that specific jersey he wants.
“He’s very involved with every name he collects,” Erica Hosley said. “He knows a lot about the names on the back of the jerseys.”
His curiosity and dedication creates a story behind each jersey and just why Hosley purchases them. Those are jerseys that Hosley takes pride in knowing that player’s interesting information.
For people outside of his family, such as sophomore Tristan MacLaren, one of Hosley’s friends, Hosley’s collection shows off his fandom for sports and his fun in collecting.
“Luke shows passion and enjoyment in going out of the way to find certain jerseys,” MacLaren said. “He is constantly looking to add to his collection and make it better.”
The search for more jerseys helps to keep Hosley’s collection going. Having the motivation to continue the search is pivotal for a collection as expansive as Hosley’s.
“Collect what you like.” Hosley said.
His large assortment leaves Hosley and his family hopeful for the future and the many other jerseys he will collect.
“I hope his future wife accepts having all of his jerseys.” Erica Hosley said.
