Al Lucas
Encyclopedia
Albert Lucas was an American football
player in the National Football League
and Arena Football League who died during a game while playing for the Los Angeles Avengers
.
; his father was Georgia State Representative David Lucas and his mother was Macon City Councilwoman Elaine Lucas. He attended and played football
for Northeast High School. While there, he set the school record with a 440-pound (200-kg) bench press
. Nicknamed "Big Luke", he went on to play college football
at Troy State University
. Lucas also served as an assistant football coach at Northeast High. He was married to De'Shonda Lucas with one daughter, Mariah. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi
fraternity.
At Troy State, Lucas was a standout player. In his senior year (1999), he won the Buck Buchanan Award
as the most outstanding defensive player in NCAA Division I-AA. He was also honored with unanimous All America and All-Southland Football League first team selections that year, in which he compiled 126 tackles (twenty for losses), fifteen "quarterback hurries", four sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Lucas played a total of forty-three games for the Trojans, and finished his college career with 255 tackles (thirty-six for losses), twenty-five quarterback hurries, and eleven and a half sacks. In addition, he saw some limited action at running back in his junior and senior seasons, scoring seven touchdowns.
over the course of the 2000 and 2001 NFL seasons. He totaled 49.5 tackles, three quarterback hurries, two batted down passes, a forced fumble, and a sack. He was selected by the Frankfurt Galaxy
with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Europa free-agent draft, but chose instead to begin his AFL career with the Tampa Bay Storm
.
victory over the Arizona Rattlers
. After that season, Lucas was one of the most sought-after free agents in the League, and signed a three-year contract with Los Angeles on October 27, 2003.
In the 2004 season, Lucas played in all sixteen games for the Avengers and led the team's linemen with 18.5 tackles. He also had three quarterback sacks, three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), two batted down passes, a forced fumble, and a safety.
, Lucas got tackled
by Corey Johnson
during a kickoff
return with ten minutes and seventeen seconds to go in the first quarter. Dr. William Lang, the team Internist, attempted to revive him on the field. He appeared to suffer a spinal cord injury
. He was rushed to nearby California Hospital Medical Center
, where he died at 1:28pm PDT.
Dr. Luga Podesta, Team Physician:
The Maxwell Football Club
named its Arena Football League Player of the Year Award in honor of Lucas.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
and Arena Football League who died during a game while playing for the Los Angeles Avengers
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers was an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.-History:...
.
Early life and college career
Lucas was born in Macon, GeorgiaMacon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
; his father was Georgia State Representative David Lucas and his mother was Macon City Councilwoman Elaine Lucas. He attended and played football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
for Northeast High School. While there, he set the school record with a 440-pound (200-kg) bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
. Nicknamed "Big Luke", he went on to play college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Troy State University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
. Lucas also served as an assistant football coach at Northeast High. He was married to De'Shonda Lucas with one daughter, Mariah. He was a member of the Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity.
At Troy State, Lucas was a standout player. In his senior year (1999), he won the Buck Buchanan Award
Buck Buchanan Award
The Buck Buchanan Award is awarded annually to the most outstanding defensive player in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football, and was first given in 1995 after the Walter Payton Award was designated solely for offensive players.The trophy was named in honor of the...
as the most outstanding defensive player in NCAA Division I-AA. He was also honored with unanimous All America and All-Southland Football League first team selections that year, in which he compiled 126 tackles (twenty for losses), fifteen "quarterback hurries", four sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Lucas played a total of forty-three games for the Trojans, and finished his college career with 255 tackles (thirty-six for losses), twenty-five quarterback hurries, and eleven and a half sacks. In addition, he saw some limited action at running back in his junior and senior seasons, scoring seven touchdowns.
NFL career
Lucas played in twenty games for the Carolina PanthersCarolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
over the course of the 2000 and 2001 NFL seasons. He totaled 49.5 tackles, three quarterback hurries, two batted down passes, a forced fumble, and a sack. He was selected by the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
with the fourth overall pick in the 2003 NFL Europa free-agent draft, but chose instead to begin his AFL career with the Tampa Bay Storm
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm are an Arena Football League team based in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida. They play their home games in the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa....
.
AFL career
In his rookie season with Tampa Bay, Lucas was an immediate impact on his new team. He had 19.5 tackles, three for losses, 1.5 sacks, a blocked kick, and a safety, and was a major factor in the Storm's ArenaBowlArenaBowl
The ArenaBowl is the Arena Football League's championship game. From 1987 to 2004, the ArenaBowl was hosted by either the team with the better regular-season record or the higher seeding in the playoffs. From ArenaBowl XIX in 2005 until ArenaBowl XXII in 2008, the game was played at a neutral site...
victory over the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
. After that season, Lucas was one of the most sought-after free agents in the League, and signed a three-year contract with Los Angeles on October 27, 2003.
In the 2004 season, Lucas played in all sixteen games for the Avengers and led the team's linemen with 18.5 tackles. He also had three quarterback sacks, three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), two batted down passes, a forced fumble, and a safety.
Death
On April 10, 2005 in a game against the New York DragonsNew York Dragons
The New York Dragons were an Arena Football League team based in the New York metropolitan area. The team was founded in as the original incarnation of the Iowa Barnstormers, and relocated to New York in . They played in New York until 2008, when the league folded...
, Lucas got tackled
Tackle (football move)
Most forms of football have a move known as a tackle. The primary purposes of tackling is to disposses an opponent of the ball, to stop the player from gaining ground towards goal or to stop them from carrying out what they intend....
by Corey Johnson
Corey Johnson (American football)
Corey Johnson in Forest Park, Georgia is a former American football defensive back in the Arena Football League. He played college football at Georgia....
during a kickoff
Kickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
return with ten minutes and seventeen seconds to go in the first quarter. Dr. William Lang, the team Internist, attempted to revive him on the field. He appeared to suffer a spinal cord injury
Spinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
. He was rushed to nearby California Hospital Medical Center
California Hospital Medical Center
California Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is currently operated by Catholic Healthcare West.-Services:The emergency department at CHMC is certified as a level II trauma center for adults.-History:...
, where he died at 1:28pm PDT.
Dr. Luga Podesta, Team Physician:
- "During the game today, Al Lucas suffered a presumed spinal cord injury and was brought to California Hospital where all attempts to revive him were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at 1:28 p.m. (PT) 4/10/05. It is a Tragedy."
The Maxwell Football Club
Maxwell Football Club
The Maxwell Football Club was established in 1935 to promote safety in the game of American football. Named in honor of the late Robert W...
named its Arena Football League Player of the Year Award in honor of Lucas.