02.14.08
Posted in Memories at 10:52 am by Tarlie Harris
I miss Lucas. I miss him giving me a hard time for being a terrible driver, even though I’m not. I miss him for doing anything I ask him to, if I ask real nicely, like driving us all around in a van for Megan’s bachelorette party and managing the bar at my wedding when my dad decided to stop paying attention to what we needed. I miss him rolling his eyes every time I asked for a bite of what he was eating, because he said I *always* did that. I miss making him laugh by being as goofy as I could be, and the face he would make when he was trying not to laugh, but trying to make me feel like I was a weirdo instead. I miss him trying to pick a fight with me and then laughing at how both of us hated to argue. I miss hearing him call me ta-ta. I miss thinking about going to a concert with him and playing him a new song. I miss his “aww shucks” grin. I miss ten year old Lucas asking if he could stay in my room a little longer if he paid me a nickel for every five minutes. I miss him drawing letters on my back to see if I could guess which one, when we were trying to fall asleep when we were real little. And the memories live on and on and on…..and I will keep missing him.
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09.25.07
Posted in Memories at 1:32 pm by jeffmc80
Lucas and I were not good friends. We hung out because we had a lot of the same friends, but he wasn’t on my speed dial and I probably wasn’t on his. Don’t get me wrong, I respected Lucas. I thought he was hilarious. I think he intimidated me. I never understood how someone 5 inches shorter than me and 40 pounds lighter than me could intimidate me.
I didn’t come to his funeral. School was about to start, so I was pretty busy, but mostly I was just mad at Lucas. I didn’t understand how someone who I respected so much could do what he did. I decided that was more important than coming home to support my friends and his family, so I stayed in Jackson. It was selfish.
I say all this now because when I think about Lucas, none of the negatives enter my mind…
I think about his passion. I remember after getting beaten by Highland Home, I gave Lucas a kind of “well that sucks” smirk. He responded by yelling in my face, “Why are you smiling? Do you not care?” I thought I cared, but maybe I didn’t care enough. I made a point to care enough from that point forward.
I remember his intensity. I remember how his shoulder would come out of its socket every time he would make a hit. He would stand there, leaning forward, his arm hanging limply and rotating in circles, calling out the defensive formations through his gritted teeth (in between a few “dammits”). Against MA, he played the entire second half with a broken hand. A doctor from MA even tried to examine him at halftime. The other team prayed he would come out. They would rather play against a fresh running back or linebacker than Lucas with one arm.
I think about his selflessness. I remember after we won Players of the Year, I asked him how he felt. I wanted us to gloat together for just a minute, to take just a second and pat ourselves on the back. Instead, he just answered, “We are lucky Jason (Smith) broke his leg. If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t be getting these.” The proudest moment of our lives up until that point, and Lucas would only complement one of his rivals.
I think about how he loved to laugh. He loved to laugh almost as much as we loved to hear him laugh. I remember (back when we sucked) standing through one of the worst renditions of the national anthem I have ever heard before one game (yes, it was an away game…no, there weren’t any white kids in the band…) Anyway, every player and coach had his head down, biting his lip, trying their hardest not to snicker…everyone except Lucas… he starts in with that goofy laugh “he he, he, ahh ha, AAHHH, HA HA HA!” None of the coaches could get on to him because they were too busy trying not to laugh themselves… The funny thing is, whenever he comes up around the coaches now, including Bowman and Smeltzer, the first thing that comes up isn’t his football play. Someone always tries to imitate his laugh…I wish someone had a tape recording of nothing but his laugh…
I hope people learn two things from Lucas. I hope they learn the dangers of getting caught up in the bad stuff. Just as importantly, I hope they learn what it means to care about something.
Lucas, I love you and I respect you. We may not have been best friends, but you impacted my life for the better. Thank you for teaching me how to care about something.
-Jeff McIntyre
9/25/07
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09.24.07
Posted in Memories at 10:34 am by jeffmc80
I am honored to speak some brief words about Lucas Harris. I’m Robert Johnson and was Lucus’ head football coach at STJ.
I had lunch with some of his best friends yesterday and asked them what they wanted me to talk about.
They had been getting together and had received numerous phone calls.
They said that they wanted to hear what Lucas was passonate about and talked about all the time: his senior year of STJ football.
They said that Lucas was his happiest when he played football and got excited when he talked about it.
Lucas was some kind of ball player. He played about every postion at some point. He played RB,WB,Center,Kicker,LB,DE, and DB to name a few.
Lucas finished his career at STJ in specatular fashion, but things weren’t always so easy.
He started being the ball boy when he was in elementary and hanging around the older players.
In 7th grade, he played on a team of only 15. It was tough.
In 8th grade he would practice with varsity and get his tail whooped, but it wasn’t from a lack of effort.
He had a good 9th grade year, but his soph and junior years were disappointing. Lucas did well, but the team didn’t.
All he cared about was the team.
I was fortunate to become head football coach his senior year. Lucas was such a blessing to have. Coaches always look for leaders.
And Lucas was a born leader. He made sure everyone busted their tail in the weight room and running.
He made sure everyone gave max effort on the field both by example and words.
He gained over twenty pounds and increased his speed before his senior year.
By the time the season rolled around, he was a beast and he had everyone believing.
Some of highlights of his senior year are: running over an ACA defender at the goalline in the first game.
Being called Lucious Harris as he ran thru Saint Jude players.
Destroying every counter play run. “Don’t run no counter at Lucious Harris.”
Beating Trinity for the first time in 10 years.
Running for over 160 yards at Calhoun and over 100 against Calera.
Breaking his hand in the first half of the MA game, but having an incredible second half to beat them and win the first ever CCC title at STJ.
Snapping his shoulder back into place constantly while calling defense.
Winning the first round of the playoffs.
But, Lucas told friends that his best and proudest moment was just being with his Dad in the locker room after the final game.
Lucas was the captain and MVP of the football team. He also was named CCC player of the year and proundly displayed the trophy next to his bed.
He loved to talk about his senior season and tell anyone that he was on the team that turned Saint James around.
Lucas’s impact at Saint James will be felt forever. Last years seniors loved to watch Lucas play on highlight films and used him as inspiration.
Lucas was so much fun to be around. He had that goofy laugh, and he loved to laugh at his own jokes and stories.
He loved Bacon, BBQ, and milk. I can remember he would drink a half gallon of whole milk at lunch every day to bulk up.
He loved to play pool.
Some of his football buddies might remember this,
after a long story about Cortez burning the ships, he was worried his car was going to burned to the ground went to the parking lot.
And he knew that dive was the first play ever put into football.
Lucas never met a stranger and was willing to spend time with people and help them.
He was a friend to the young and old alike.
He loved Pops, his granddad. They would watch Fox News together, go to Wendy’s, and just be together.
In difficult times like these, we all have questions.
I have no answers, but to trust in the Lord.
Ones life is not summed up by one decision.
It is a culmination of many events. Lucas had some great times, great friends, and lived life to the fullest.
Lucas we miss you and love you. I hope now, that you and Pops get a chance to watch some football together.
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06.21.07
Posted in Memories at 1:59 pm by Tarlie Harris
I had a baby boy born on April 15th. He tried so hard to come on Lucas’ birthday, but he didn’t quite make it. I sat around eating cookie cake thinking of Lucas and telling the baby that this was the day. He got close enough I figure. We named him John Marshall Brox Rosenfeld. The John part is for Lucas. For most of his childhood, my parents and grandparents called him John Lucas, and not only when he was in trouble. I missed him during my pregnancy, I know he would have loved to see the big belly. And I miss him now that he isn’t here to see Brox. Chance told me that taking care of his children was like taking care of Lucas as much as was possible because they are 1/4 Lucas. So I think of Brox that way, part of Lucas living on, and I get to take care of him. We’ll be hitting the swimming pool in a couple of weeks.
John Marhall Brox, born April 15th, 2007
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06.01.07
Posted in Memories at 1:02 pm by JudiMom
The first time we took Lucas in the pool was June 1980 so he was about 6 to 8 weeks old. The pool in Millbrook was the center of our summer time family activities. There are several pictures of that day with all four kids,
then Jerry and the kids and some of just the kids. Most of them are very dark and I am unable to get them to scan well enought to see but this one is me with Lucas,Tarlie and Gabe.
The water was very warm that day… I remember the kids and I were swimming and Lucas was sleeping but when I stuck my foot in the pool it was warm and I thought we would get him in when he woke up… from this picture it looks like he might have just slept through the whole thing anyway. It is hot today… a good day for the pool or the slip-n-slide on the front yard.
Or maybe just nap by the pool after a hard swim….
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04.14.07
Posted in Memories at 8:51 pm by lanebailey
happy 27th Lucas. I Miss U so much. Wish U were here. I dont know right now what to say except that you are one of the best people I have ever known.
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Posted in Memories at 2:18 pm by Kelley
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LUCAS. WE LOVE YOU!
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04.03.07
Posted in Memories at 11:52 am by JudiMom
Last year as Lucas’s birthday approached I spent alot of time trying to find picutres of his birthday to include in my post for that day. I knew his birthday was around Easter some years and I took the time to look up easter day 1983 when I found this picture of my Mother, Ya Ya, and Lucas at Easter. Lucas would still be two in this picture but about to turn three.
My Mother and Dad moved to Millbrook in 1983 to be close to us. I asked Lucas one day in the last year of his life if he remembered Ya Ya very well. He said he always thought she was “mean” which made me laugh because she was not mean but pretty loud and very direct spoken. He also said one time he thought they lived in Millbrook their whole life… he did not remember them moving there just to be close to us…. such a weird thought to me since my parents and I moved around the country as an Army family. Anyway…. here is Lucas with YaYa on April 3, 1983.
And another April 3 picture from 1993… the famous blizzard in Montgomery Alabama occured on April 3 1993 and we all got to stay home from school and Lucas built a snowman. It was a good April 3 for all the school children in Montgomery.
I get a kick out of this picture because those have to be Jerry’s gloves and it is one of my cheerleading (pink) sweatshirts, and even the hat on the snowman seems to be borrowed from the back of Pop’s truck… Lucas had a good time building the snowman that day. I’m so glad we got the camera out to snap the picture of him .. I miss you, Lucas, today and every April day.
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03.12.07
Posted in Memories at 6:36 pm by JudiMom
This is the first day of Spring Break here in Alabama and as Tarlie has mentioned we went to Destin alot from Montgomery. When Lucas was a junior in high school he went to Destin with a bunch of people from Saint James. I forget where they were suppose to be staying, but Jerry, Pops and I were at our condo for the week at the same time.
Of Course the guys didn’t really want to be with mom and dad for that week but one morning seven guys showed up at the condo for breakfast, a shower and a nap. I fixed them food and they all took a shower and settled into the back bedroom for a nap. seven guys, two double beds —meant that at least three ended up on the floor so it was wall to wall sleeping boys on the floor. Jeff McIntyre at 6′ 2″ took up the whole spot between the bed and the little couch, Rick Fidel, Bartley, Alan were there and Lucas. I don’t remember who else. It was a long nap (all day) the room is really perfect for daytime sleeping because it can be total darkness I can just remember peeking in an seeing them all asleep….with no room to walk, or roll over all day long. I’m sure they had been up all night long the night before… having a good time… as juniors in high schools can do on any given spring break. I know i thought of taking a picutre but I can’t find it… I wish one of you who were with Lucas that year would write a little bit about it for me.
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01.27.07
Posted in Memories at 7:41 pm by Tarlie Harris
Congratulations Lee and Laura,
I know Lucas loved you both and would have loved to have been there. I am glad to know that he is still in your hearts as you plan your big day.
Tarlie
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