Calling the Shots

Like many people during the COVID-19 shutdown, Tom Lucas ’94 was at home trying to keep himself busy when he got an interesting call from his employer. They asked him to help transform a traditional in-person event into a totally virtual experience with only a couple of weeks of prep time. While other people got similar requests during the pandemic, Lucas’ task was on a slightly larger scale because his employer was ESPN and he was being asked to serve as lead director for the 2020 NFL Draft on ABC.

Lucas, who has worked for the network for over two decades, had to set up multiple shooting locations, including NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s basement, and coordinate coverage and interviews with draftees who were scattered across the country. All this needed to be done with limited physical contact and broadcast live.

“To say that it was a challenge would be an understatement,” said Lucas, who described directing as setting the scene or creating the overall physical presentation of a television program, as opposed to the producer who oversees content production.

“We all felt it was very important to provide people a respite from everything that was taking place at that time and allow fans to watch the draft as usual and celebrate this important sports tradition.”

The broadcast, which received high ratings and praise for its production, became a milestone in more ways than one. It helped to set new standards for what could be done in live virtual broadcasting, while also creating iconic images, such as Goodell announcing picks in his now famous recliner, which have become key moments in television history.

The experience was just one of the amazing moments Lucas has been able to be a part of during his time at ESPN, which has included directing “College GameDay,” “SportsCenter,” “Sunday NFL Countdown” and “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” while working with some of the most famous names in broadcasting, from Chris Berman and Stuart Scott to Chris Fowler and Rece Davis.

“It has been an incredible journey, and I am humbled and privileged to have played a part in enhancing and promoting the unifying power of sports,” he said.

Lucas grew up in Philadelphia and was a huge sports fan from an early age, sneaking a radio into his bedroom so he could listen to games late into the night. He became particularly fascinated with the announcers who called the games and initially decided he wanted to go to school to learn to do play-by-play.

“I thought it would be a great way to pursue my passion for sports and help pass that passion onto others,” he said.

After graduating high school, Lucas chose to attend Pitt-Bradford due to its strong broadcast communications program, intimate setting, and the fact that it was away from home but close enough so he could return on the weekends if needed. He jumped at the opportunity to get involved, managing the intramural program, serving as the public address announcer for women’s basketball games and being a founding member of a fantasy football league, which ultimately transplanted to the Philadelphia area and continues to operate to this day.

“We have been going strong for over 30 years now and half the league is still made up of Pitt-Bradford alums,” he added. “It shows the quality of the relationships I was able to form on campus.”

While in school, Lucas also obtained an internship with KYW-TV in Philadelphia, then the city’s NBC affiliate. The opportunity to see how a television production was actually put together intrigued him, leading to his decision to go into the behind-the-scenes side of broadcasting instead of announcing.

After graduating, he returned to Philadelphia and began applying for jobs. While initially unsuccessful he refused to let rejections deter him and kept pushing, going so far as to cold call a station in Allentown, Pa., even though the application for a cameraman specifically said no calls.

“I ultimately talked my way into an interview and got the job,” Lucas said. “It goes to show that sometimes you have to not take no for an answer and make your own luck.”

Lucas began directing during his second year in Allentown and ultimately moved back to Philadelphia to work for the local Fox affiliate. There, he directed the local pre- and post-game shows for the Eagles while also freelancing for Comcast Sports, directing coverage of the Phillies, 76ers and Flyers.

This depth of experience ultimately caught the attention of ESPN, and he joined the network in 2004. He has worked his way up from director to supervising director to coordinating director and now oversees coverage for the network’s College Gameday broadcasts for college football and men’s and women’s college basketball.

He also continues to direct several programs, including the annual Heisman Trophy presentation and Special Olympics Opening Ceremony. Over the years, he has earned 11 Sports Emmy Awards, has traveled around the world and has covered some of the most memorable moments in sports, including the 2020 Draft.

Lucas said he had also been blessed to work with extraordinarily talented individuals both in front of and behind the camera and had learned firsthand what it means to support and be supported by a team. For example, at the end of his tenure as lead director for Sunday NFL Countdown, anchor Chris Berman “shouted him out” during ESPN’s live coverage of the 2012 Super Bowl, thanking Lucas for his service to the program.

“That was an amazing moment for me because I have always seen it as my responsibility to help Chris, and all of the talented broadcasters I have worked with, be the best they possibly can be,” Lucas added. “I am incredibly grateful that I have been able to play a role in helping so many people tell so many wonderful stories over the last 20-plus years.”

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