Name Mike Lucky Positions Tight end College: Arizona Education University of Arizona | High school: Antioch High School Weight 127 kg Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Role American football player | |
 | ||
Date of birth: (1975-11-23) November 23, 1975 (age 40) NFL draft: 1999 / Round: 7 / Pick: 229 | ||
Place of birth: Antioch, California | ||
Michael Thomas Lucky (born November 23, 1975) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. He played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the University of Arizona.
Contents
Early life
Lucky was born in Antioch, California where he played in Antioch Youth Football. He graduated from Antioch High School. While there, he served as team captain and recorded 36 receptions for 650 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning All-Northern California and All-state accolades as a senior. He left high school rated as the 15th best tight end in the country by SuperPrep magazine.
In 2014, he was inducted into the Antioch Sports Hall of Fame.
College career
Lucky attended the University of Arizona where he was a two-year starter for the Wildcats. As a junior-starter, for the Insight.com Bowl champions, he finished fourth on the team with 13 receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns. As a senior, he finished fourth on the team with 11 receptions for 142 yards. He also added 40 knockdown blocks.
He started 35 of the final 36 games of his college career and although he was mostly used for his blocking, he finished as one of the school's top receiving tight ends, with 43 receptions for 563 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also earned his degree in Political science.
Professional career
Because his size was similar to that of an offensive tackle, Lucky was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (229th overall) of the 1999 NFL Draft, with the intention of using him as a blocking tight end. His rookie season got off to a difficult start as he suffered a stress fracture in his left foot on August 27 and was forced to miss five weeks. On October 3, he earned his first career start and first career reception, both against the Arizona Cardinals.
His sophomore season with the Cowboys never got under-way as he suffered a career threatening injury, tearing the ACL, MCL and PCL in his right knee during the pre-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He underwent re-constructive surgery to repair the ligaments in his knee on August 1, 2000, and was placed on the injured reserve list.
After 12 months of rehab, he returned to action and earned starts in 5-of-16 games in 2001. His blocking helped bring about a resurgence in the team's running game that saw the Cowboys rank third in the league with 136.5 yards-per-game on the ground. As a receiver, he recorded 13 receptions for 96 yards and his first career touchdown. In view of his comeback, his teammates voted him the recipient of their 2001 Ed Block Courage Award.
In 2002, he appeared in 16 games (no starts) and recorded one reception for 22 yards. He also was a part of the 17-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks where Emmitt Smith broke the NFL all-time rushing record. That year would mark his final season as a professional football player, after retiring because of knee injuries.
Personal
Off the field, he showed support for the Race for the Cure in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, which benefits the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. He also donated time to "Our Children's Center in Irving".
Lucky and his wife Deanna have a daughter, Madison. Deanna was a member of the inaugural Dallas Desperados Dancers team. Lucky and his family now live in Mesa, Arizona.