Richie Lucas
Encyclopedia
Richard John "Riverboat Richie" Lucas (born April 15, 1938) is an American
former collegiate and Professional Football
quarterback
, noteworthy as a College Football Hall of Fame
quarterback
, and best known for his All-America
n career at Pennsylvania State University
(1957–1959).
Lucas was born in Glassport
, Pennsylvania
. He was a first round pick in both the NFL
and AFL
drafts in 1960. Like many college stars of the era, and possibly because of the conservative style of play in the old NFL, Lucas signed with a team in the wide-open new American Football League
, namely the Buffalo Bills
, making him officially the franchise's first player.http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2004/01/01/1960_birth_of_the_buffalo_bills.php There he played quarterback, halfback
, defensive back
and kick returner
for two seasons before he was obtained by the AFL's Denver Broncos
following the AFL's 1962 equalization draft, but he never played for the Broncos.http://www.buffalobills.com/history/August.jsp
Nicknamed "Riverboat Richie" due to his gambling instincts when calling plays,http://pennstate.scout.com/3/PromoFOSMagArticle2.html Lucas won the 1959 Maxwell Trophy
and was runner-up to LSU
's Billy Cannon
for the 1959 Heisman Trophy
. He returned to Penn State following his pro football career, serving as assistant athletic director
until 1998. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
former collegiate and Professional Football
Professional football
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, noteworthy as a College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, and best known for his All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n career at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
(1957–1959).
Lucas was born in Glassport
Glassport, Pennsylvania
Glassport is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, approximately south of Pittsburgh and the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers where they form the Ohio River...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He was a first round pick in both the NFL
1960 NFL Draft
The 1960 National Football League Draft Annual Player Selection Meeting in which NFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, was held in secret in order to fend off increased competition for college players from the American...
and AFL
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
drafts in 1960. Like many college stars of the era, and possibly because of the conservative style of play in the old NFL, Lucas signed with a team in the wide-open new American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, namely the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, making him officially the franchise's first player.http://www.billszone.com/mtlog/archives/2004/01/01/1960_birth_of_the_buffalo_bills.php There he played quarterback, halfback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
, defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
and kick returner
Kick returner
In American and Canadian football, a kick returner is the player on special teams who is primarily responsible to catch kickoffs and attempts to return them in the opposite direction. If the ball is kicked into his own endzone, he must assess the situation on the field while the ball is in the...
for two seasons before he was obtained by the AFL's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
following the AFL's 1962 equalization draft, but he never played for the Broncos.http://www.buffalobills.com/history/August.jsp
Nicknamed "Riverboat Richie" due to his gambling instincts when calling plays,http://pennstate.scout.com/3/PromoFOSMagArticle2.html Lucas won the 1959 Maxwell Trophy
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and was runner-up to LSU
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
's Billy Cannon
Billy Cannon
William Abb "Billy" Cannon is an All-American, 1959 Heisman Trophy winner and 2008 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, and one of the American Football League's most celebrated players.He was born in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and moved...
for the 1959 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. He returned to Penn State following his pro football career, serving as assistant athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
until 1998. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1986.
External links
- Lucas' 1960 Fleer football card
- Archive photos of 1960 Buffalo Bills
- "Riverboat Richie" by Lou Prato, for Penn State's All-Sports Museum
- The Pennsylvania Football News All-Century Team