On the football field Elijah Lucas can do it all. Quarterback last season, Lucas is mixing things up this year at Lake Highland Prep, playing in a multitude of roles for the Highlanders.

“That just shows you the kind of kid he is,” said Lake Highland Prep Head Football Coach Ben Bullock. “He is committed, knows what he wants, he understands his strengths and wants to be the best at whatever it is.”

But the gridiron isn’t the only place the 17 year old excels. Elijah Lucas also knows a thing or two about flying, working towards his private pilot license since middle school.

Flying planes might seem like an unusual hobby for a teenager to pick up, but with both of his parents already in the industry, the athlete jokes, he really had no choice.

“I’ve always been flying ever since I was little, even in my Momma’s stomach when she was a flight attendant,” said Lucas. “I think it’s built for me, I was born to just do it.”

Lucas has racked up over 20 hours in the air through ‘Vision of Flight’, a program geared towards introducing the aviation industry to youth of all backgrounds. With 40 hours the requirement, Elijah is set to accomplish something extremely rare, earning his certificate while just a teenager. And while Lucas is obviously busy juggling both football and flying, he wouldn’t change a thing. 

“Every time I fly I’m always zoned in, I’m always zoned in, like you’ll see my face, I’m always zoned in because it’s serious, it’s serious to me,” said Lucas.

“The same thing on the football field, like you are zoned in on that play, it’s like I’m zoned in flying the plane.”

Lucas’ dream is to meld both of his loves – football and flying – in college, visiting several service academies and schools with aeronautical programs on recruiting trips. The goal is to be a commercial airline pilot. And Lucas has no problem working for what he wants.

“Whether it’s him doing the flight stuff or him on the field, he is going to be committed to doing whatever we ask him to do, understand why we are doing it and then do it to every ability he has,” said Coach Bullock.