Troy University Athletics
Photo by: Troy University
Purchase Your Gameday On Saturday
10/11/2010 2:52:46 PM | Football
In this week's Gameday, Al Lucas will be featured as the "Reliving the Past" entry
Thousands packed an auditorium in Macon, Georgia in mid-April of 2005. State officials came. Football coaches came. Friends came. The Reverend Jesse Jackson came. They all came to say goodbye to a man who fought the challenges of life while doing things the right way down his entire path.
A dark day descended upon the Troy football program on April 10, 2005 when word began to spread that a Trojan great had passed. The news devastated all involved with the program, and that a truly great member of the Trojan family was certain to be missed. That dark day though wasn't just limited to the Trojan family, but for football fans nationwide, players and coaches.
One of the greats had fallen, and everybody felt the blow.
Leadership and determination were just two words used to describe Al Lucas on a frequent basis. Strength and character are also associated with the name. His jersey hangs on the wall in the Trojans strength and conditioning center, and his legacy lives in Troy football history forever.
“Al and I were really close,” Troy strength coach Richard Shaughnessy said. “His work ethic made him successful. Al was phenomenal in the weight room, and his work ethic was always strong. His technique and his attitude and demeanor were what made him special. He was just a hard-nosed kid.”
The Macon, Georgia native came to Troy with a point to prove, and he proved it from the high school grid iron in Georgia to the professional ranks on a national level.
“He had a bowed leg that he had to overcome,” Shaughnessy said. “It was almost like one of his legs was a little longer than the other, and for that reason some schools stayed away from him in recruiting. They were scared that his health would be a factor. Even when he got to the NFL, the doctors weren't real sure about that. This was a 340 pound kid that ran a 4.8 (40-yard dash) and his vertical was 36 inches. He really was a phenomenal athlete.”
Lucas made an impact wherever he went in life. Whether it was the weight room at Troy or in the Los Angeles Avengers locker room, something he would be proud to know today is that his impact still lives on as well.
Lucas spent time in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Carolina Panthers, and was enjoying a successful tenure in the Arena Football League as he tried to work his way back onto an NFL roster in 2005.
“What made him special was that he just took charge,” Shaughnessy said. “We ran a big team set sometimes where we would give him the ball in short yardage situations. He was just multi-talented guy and for a big guy he moved exceptionally well. He had the issue with his leg that he had since birth, and I think that maybe if he didn't have that he may not have been as fast. I think it actually helped him with his speed. It never hampered his play.”
Nothing hampered Lucas on the field. Nothing hampered Lucas in the weight room. Nothing hampered Lucas' heart either.
“He was a big kid with a big heart,” Shaughnessy said.
Lucas ran downfield on a kickoff for the Los Angeles Avengers like he had done many times before. He went to make a play when he was blocked by a defender, and that's when tragedy struck. Lucas' neck was broken due to direction of the hit he took. He died shortly thereafter.
The shockwaves began as the story hit national news. The impact of his untimely death wouldn't go without impact. The nature of his injury was a large part of the story, but then America got to learn about his character afterwards.
Shaughnessy and anyone that ever knew him will tell you that anybody that knew Al Lucas was blessed.
The news was tough.
“It devastated me,” Shaughnessy said. “We were really close. In fact, that whole '99 team was really close. There were a lot of successful players from that team. I attended the funeral. It was huge. It was really a terrible day when we found out he had passed. Even to this day, I'll always remember him, he was phenomenal.”
The story of Al Lucas is one that will never be forgotten in the longstanding history of Trojans football. The traits that Lucas possessed are the goals for Troy football as a whole. Great character, determination and heart are some of the major things Troy football athletes strive for, and any coach will say that.
Lucas possessed all of those and more, and the Troy University family was blessed to have him.
Goose Crowder - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Donnie Smith - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - T-Day
Saturday, April 18
Gerad Parker - April 16
Thursday, April 16