From pro football to competitive cycling, Luke Willson has found a new hobby

Luke Willson will be feeling a different kind of pressure Saturday, when he competes at the 62^nd Tour di Via Italia.

“I'd rather compete in front of 60-thousand people than sit there and have my nonno berate me for not doing well.” Said the former NFL’er.

Willson said his 91-year old Italian grandfather is a big fan of the historic international race.

“I hadn't looked at the technical guide of the race yet and he was telling me exactly where it goes because he can remember for years going down there and watching the bike race.”

Willson retired from the NFL last August.

With more time to visit, he came home to LaSalle and recalled going on a casual bike ride with his parents.

“I said, 'This is a lot of fun. I'm going to see what this is all about,” Willson told CTV News, adding he ended up purchasing a road bike after returning to Seattle.

Willson bought his first bike in October and crashed in his first race, an incident which he said “wasn’t my fault.”

“I went over the top of a pile.”

After enjoying the competitive side of the sport, he learned how to gain speed on his bike.

“Hopefully by next spring or summer, I'll be able to know whether I'm a cyclist or if I'm just a bum.”

Daniele DeFranceschi, who once competed internationally for Canada, has seen Willson’s pedal power first hand.

“His form is beautiful. The power that he has is unreal,” she said.

“[With] his presence on the bike, it's going to be hard to go up and challenge him.”

DeFranceschi added she’s excited to see Willson get into the sport and feels the sky is the limit for the former NFL’er.

“He can go as far as he wants. When someone has the mindset of a champ, of an athlete, it will happen.”

While Willson has big aspirations, he’s currently trying to enjoying the process of learning the game as he prepares to compete in the CAT 4 division Saturday.

“That's the lowest division. I call it the T-Ball division. But I'll get some points soon, work my way out of there and hopefully be good enough to ride with the big boys in town soon,” said Willson.

Willson is slated to race Saturday at 11 a.m.

A pro race is scheduled for 5 p.m.