WASHINGTON (October 15, 2023) - Lucas Lopez is a living example of bringing Martin Luther King. Jr.'s quote, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase" to life.
 
Lopez took a chance in leaving his comfortable Texas surroundings for an unknown Washington, D.C. environment. Three years later, Howard University' Director of Strength & Conditioning is a critical component of the Bison Athletics. 

"I'm a small-town kid that kept his head down and worked towards chasing my dream job," Lopez said. "In a lot of ways, I'm still that kid. But honestly, that kid never dreamed of being in Washington, D.C. The first time I visited D.C. was my first day on the job (at Howard). My wife and I took the risk and trusted we would figure it out."
 
In addition to the stress of finding a new place to live, learning a different city, especially one as complicated as the nation's capital and adjusting to being without family in the area, Lopez and his wife, Abbey Roach-Lopez, experienced adversity.
 
"We had a very immediate family member pass away literally the week we had moved up here," Lopez said. "That's something that took so long just to work through emotionally, and again, we only had each other. Time does make some things better, but the longer we have been here, the closer we've become."

"I wouldn't say we have completely coped since our family member passed and being away from the rest of our family is still hard. We have grown closer in our marriage since we've been here. She is my absolute rock. What we had to endure together to pick up and move our entire lives without any family here forced us to grow through the good and the bad. She is the biggest reason I can show up to work and try to be a positive person in the lives of my student-athletes." 

Growing up on a ranch about 15 miles from Ben Bolt, Texas, Lopez's family foundation has guided all his decisions. They provided him with the confidence and courage to make tough decisions. Ben Bolt is two hours south of San Antonio and less than 100 miles from the Mexico border in southeastern Texas. Founded in 1904, Ben Bolt sits in Jim Wells County.
 
Lopez remembers watching his parents, Rosa and Ferman Lopez, dance all night to Tejano music while he waited patiently to go home.
 
They barbecued every other weekend, and during holidays, Lopez was surrounded by cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, siblings and lots of love. There was lots of joy, music and food, especially carne guisada, a delicious Mexican beef stew. He watched his grandfather drive a lawnmower from his house to eat with their family.
 
His two older brothers and his parents encouraged Lopez to play sports growing up.
 
"Growing up, everything always centered around family," Lopez said. "It was all that all the time; it was just regular to me growing up. And I did not realize what it all meant until I left. It took a few years of being away to realize the uniqueness of how I was raised in Latino culture. So, it is something I might not have realized until now, but I carry it with me regarding how I move and operate every day."
 
"What can be difficult at times is at first glance, because of my skin tone, most people assume I am not fully Latino. And that assumption can lead to thoughts on how I may have grown up. A lot of small-town Latinos could probably relate."
 
Lopez has gained another family in the numerous Howard coaches, staff and student-athletes he impacts regularly. He has been instrumental behind the scenes in helping Howard's championship culture. Howard's student-athletes are bigger, stronger, faster and consistently competing for championships. 

He has outstanding relationships with head football coach Larry Scott and head men's basketball coach Kenneth Blakeney. They collaborate and implement many of his suggestions into their practice itineraries. It is no coincidence that both programs won Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championships last year.
 
"I enjoy the people I work with most," Lopez said. "I brag with other coaches in my profession about the student-athletes I get to work with at Howard. Some people do not realize the commitment they make every day in school and sports. The level of commitment you feel from the athletes is palpable, and it is starting to be felt more throughout the university. We want to do right and represent the brand that is Howard University. I am most proud of what we've been able to accomplish."
 
Lopez, who received a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology - Learning and Development from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology - Exercise Science from Texas A&M University Kingsville, holds a USA Weightlifting – Level 1 certification.
 
Before coming to The Mecca, Lopez spent six years at the University of North Texas. In those six years, North Texas had its first NFL draft pick in over fifteen years, sent nine players to the NFL, appeared in one conference championship and competed in four bowl games. Lopez continued to train former North Texas players during their NFL offseason and administered the Catapult GPS system year-round with the team. 

Lopez spends as much time with his wife and two dogs, Charlie and Sage. This past summer, they rode their bikes around Harvard's campus, watched a Red Sox game and drove around Boston with their dogs. Lopez's biggest hobby is playing golf and being in the driving range.
 
He has learned plenty during his journey.
 
"The move from Dallas to D.C. has to date been some of the hardest adversity I've had to overcome," Lopez said. "Taking risks in life can come with tough times that sometimes you can't see an end to. Don't be afraid to lean on others for help or even talk to people during those times, and try to find ways to keep pushing towards where you want to be; however, that looks. Hard times are harder alone, and those storms won't last forever." 

Rob Knox is an award-winning professional. A member of the Lincoln (Pa.) Athletics Hall of Fame, Knox currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Communications for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Knox enjoyed a distinguished career as an athletics communicator for Lincoln, Kutztown, Coppin State, Towson, and UNC Greensboro. He also worked at ESPN and for the Delaware County Daily Times. Recently, Knox was honored by College Sports Communicators (CSC) with the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award and the NCAA with its Champion of Diversity award. Knox is a graduate of Lincoln University and a past president of the College Sports Information Directors Association of America (CoSIDA).

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.