Overcoming the Obstacles

Kent Lucas spent the first three years of his collegiate football career struggling to overcome obstacles on the football field, obstacles usually in the form of 220-lb. defensive linemen.

After being switched from split end to tight end during his sophomore year, the senior from Flushing, N.Y. had trouble making the transition from receiver to blocker.

"It was really tough," Lucas says. "I didn't have the size, and I had trouble making the adjustment."

Lucas played sparingly his junior year, catching only two passes all season, as the gridders struggled to a 3-7 record.

"Personally, it was a hard experience," Lucas says. "I felt I wasn't seen in the coaches' eyes as I thought I should have been seen. But football meant a lot to me, so I stuck with it."

And he worked at it. Going into his senior year, he bulked up, and worked at becoming an all-around tight end.

The coaches--as well as Lucas teammates--noticed the improvement.

"At the beginning of the season, it was like a joke," said Captain Kevin Dulsky, who often went head-to-head with Lucas in practice. "The linemen couldn't wait to go against Kent. But he worked really hard at it, and by the end of the season, he was really tough to handle."

And Lucas improved blocking allowed him to become a full-time, all-around tight end. He snagged 19 receptions for 334 yards, almost 18 yards per reception, and three touchdowns.

Lucas' gridiron career came to a close when the Crimson defeated Yale, 14-10, in The Game last November.

"The Ivy title was the culmination of my career," Lucas says. "I couldn't have asked for a better way to end my career."

The next obstacle for Lucas is the business world, a 220-lb. lineman in its own right.