Lucky Lucas
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
In the Emporia State opener, tight end Lucas Sullivan caught a pass near the sideline and hurdled a defensive back before he was knocked out of bounds.
Sullivan had never done that before. He surprised himself, his teammates and his coaches.
“He definitely has not done that in practice,” tight ends coach Sean Clowers said.
The senior from Ohio is making a habit out of surprising himself and his teammates this season. After two games, Sullivan leads the Hornets with 82 receiving yards on five catches.
“Oh, really,” Sullivan said when he found out. “It’s only two games. Whatever. I just do what the coaches ask. It really wasn’t anything spectacular, just basic waggle routes, stuff we’ve been working on since the beginning of the camp and I just happened to be open.”
Despite Sullivan’s humility, it’s tough not to be impressed with what he’s done in two games.
Sullivan transferred to ESU from Ohio after his freshman season when he started seven games for the Bobcats. In his first year at ESU, he was an honorable mention at fullback on the All-MIAA team. In 2007, he was a preseason All-MIAA selection, but he did not have a great season statistically. Splitting time between fullback and tight end, he rushed for 49 yards and caught seven passes for 33 yards.
“I think we probably tried to do too much with him and never let him settle in to be in a position that he’s comfortable with,” coach Garin Higgins said.
Sullivan flew under the radar this preseason, but he’s finally comfortable in Higgins’ spread offense and it’s showing. He spent all spring at tight end and knew he was going to play exclusively there this season. He pulled his hamstring the first day of practice this season, but two weeks later when he was cleared to play again, he made sure to play catch up.
Sullivan is on the practice field early every day, playing catch and working on his hands, a skill that looks so natural for him but one he’s had to work on after spending his life in the backfield.
“If you would have asked me that three months ago, I would have told you no,” Sullivan said about his comfort level catching the ball. “But that’s something I’ve really had to concentrate on and work on.”
His coaches say his pass-catching is now a strength and his one flaw — if he has one — is his blocking technique. Sullivan says he’s improving every day.
Sullivan’s a worker. This offseason he won the team’s lifter of the year, an award given to a player that excels in the weight room.
“He’s one of those guys that always gets extra in the weight room, and that’s a tribute to him and his work ethic,” Clowers said.
Sullivan downplays the award. He was just doing what he was he supposed to be doing. And last Saturday against Augustana when he caught four passes for 64 yards — including a 21-yard pass that set up a touchdown and a 25-yard pass that saved the Hornets when they were backed up against their own end zone — it was just more of the same.
“It really wasn’t anything special,” Sullivan said. “It’s stuff we’ve worked on, just basic concepts. But it was just luck of the draw. I happened to be in the right spot at the right time.”