FRISCO, Texas — Hunter Luepke said Wednesday that he thought Von Miller was joking about the chicken.
Miller wanted No. 40 when he signed with the Dallas Cowboys this offseason. Luepke had worn it since 2023. The two settled it with an undisclosed equity stake in Greener Pastures Chicken, the poultry company Miller co-founded. Luepke now wears No. 30.
“Yeah, I honestly thought he was joking about the chicken at first. I had to do a little bit of research myself,” Luepke said. “But no, he’s been great trying to get to know me, know everything about me, and vice versa, but great leader in the locker room.”
Luepke would not detail his role in the business.
“I don’t really want to get too much into detail,” Luepke explained.
Greener Pastures Chicken is a 35-acre regenerative organic poultry farm in Elgin, Texas. Its other investors include quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees, and Nick Foles.
What Hunter Luepke Turned Down First
Miller’s earlier offers included a lifetime supply of chicken and full-body tattoo work. Luepke passed on both.
He holds a finance degree from North Dakota State, where he won two FCS national championships before signing with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
The subject matter was not a stretch for him either.
“It’s near the top,” Luepke said of where chicken ranks on his list of favorite foods. “No, I’m a big chicken guy.”
Von Miller’s Number History
Miller wore No. 58 in Denver and No. 40 with the Rams, the Bills, and at Texas A&M. He wore No. 24 in Washington last season.
He is a Super Bowl 50 Most Valuable Player and an eight-time Pro Bowl selection. Dallas signed him this offseason to a defense that allowed 511 points in 2025, the most in the league.
Luepke played all 17 games last season with 5 starts. He carried 16 times for 71 yards, caught 13 passes for 109 yards and a touchdown, and made 13 tackles on special teams.
Dallas opens Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against the New York Giants. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
