Great article about Marcus Lucas:
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/colle...db1995dd8.html
Mizzou's Lucas ready for next step
COLUMBIA, MO. • Becoming an athlete at Missouri was always on the list of pursuits for Marcus Lucas, who envisioned himself playing college basketball.
What better way to honor his mother, Monique, than to play the same sport that put her through Mizzou from 1986 to '89?
Monique did play a role in developing her son's skills and ambitions, but it turns out she had the greatest impact on his ascent in football.
"When I first started playing football and playing receiver, we'd be in the yard almost every night playing catch," Lucas said. "So, the thing she tells people is that she's the one who taught me how to catch."
Having mastered the technique of catching Mom's passes, Lucas hopes to become a favorite target of quarterback James Franklin as he enters his first season as a projected starter.
The junior had 23 catches for 414 yards as a sophomore and has hit the point, as coach Gary Pinkel often says, maturity-wise that he could be ready for a breakthrough.
The basketball dream stalled as mother was beating son consistently through middle school, Lucas said. But he's ready to apply the pass-catching ability he learned in the backyard.
"I feel I've developed a lot since freshman year," he said. "So running routes, running different depths and catching passes away from my body — those kinds of things set me apart from a lot of receivers."
At 6 feet 5, 215 pounds, Lucas offers size and speed that was coveted by some top programs, including new SEC opponents Tennessee and Arkansas. But with Lucas growing up in Liberty, Mo., Mizzou always held the advantage.
Asked recently about Lucas' potential, Pinkel made a dangerous allusion to former Mizzou tight end Michael Egnew as a player who exploded onto the scene as a junior after two decent seasons. He insisted he wasn't trying to draw a parallel, but the seed was planted.
"He's maturing," Pinkel said. "I use the term maturity because to be truly mature and play focused at a high level, very few can do it at the level you need."
Lucas made a mark at Mizzou in multiple roles last year. He averaged 18 yards per catch, reflecting his ability to stretch the field, and caught five touchdown passes.
He also was an academic All-Big 12 selection, marking another influence from his mother.
"She was the first one to actually make it to college," he said, "and then excel in college."
Lucas was good enough to see the field as a freshman, his highlight coming on an 11-yard catch in the win over Oklahoma. By 2011 he was ready to leave a serious impression.
In the season opener he caught a 10-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that allowed Mizzou to hold off upset-minded Miami (Ohio). Against Texas A&M he displayed the value of his height when he went high for a fade pass to beat the Aggies in overtime.
With 18 players in the receivers' meeting room, Lucas knows there is always someone pushing to take a job.
"I just know I've been working hard this offseason to be able to make that stride to the next level," he said. "I've been trying to go from just being out there making plays to being a consistent playmaker."
Lucas made only three starts last season, but offensive coordinator David Yost has said he regards him as a returning starter at the "X" receiver spot.
Lucas had just one catch in the team's first scrimmage, but the quarterbacks were busy spreading the ball around to 19 players. That number will dwindle, and Lucas is content just being part of the puzzle.
"It's not a thing where I'm expecting every ball to come my way," he said. "I want to get the best out of myself. My coaches and teammates have goals for me and I want to be able to be that guy."