It was just before 1 a.m. Tuesday, when Borough police came across a disabled SUV near Pugh Street and Beaver Avenue. Allegedly, the driver was Nittany Lions assistant linebackers coach Jordan Lucas. Downtown street footage showed the vehicle veering into a bus lane before stopping in a crosswalk.

According to borough police reports, Lucas was allegedly found behind the wheel of a disabled vehicle with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal driving limit of 0.08%. The Nittany Lions have also reacted to the development.

“We are aware of these charges and take this matter seriously,” a Penn State Athletic Department spokesperson said. “Coach Lucas remains with the program. As this is a legal matter, we cannot comment further.”

Police said they found Lucas around 12:45 a.m. inside an SUV with two flat tires near the intersection of South Pugh Street and East Beaver Avenue. A review of street-camera footage showed the vehicle drifting into the bus lane several times before eventually stopping in a crosswalk.

According to the affidavit, Lucas initially failed to respond to the officer and remained seated with his foot pressing the accelerator while the SUV was in park. He reportedly refused to move the vehicle until the officer physically intervened.

When officers approached him, he reportedly smelled strongly of alcohol, had watery eyes, and appeared drowsy. Lucas reportedly needed assistance walking to the sidewalk and repeatedly stumbled during the field sobriety tests.

His condition was allegedly so poor that he was unable to complete the tests and was later transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he consented to a blood draw. When the tests came back, the police found out that he had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.236%.

The assistant linebackers coach now faces misdemeanor DUI charges, along with summary citations for driving with a suspended license, operating an unregistered vehicle, and parking in a crosswalk. Authorities filed the charges by summons, with his preliminary hearing scheduled for Oct. 21.

Recruited out of New Rochelle High School and Worcester Academy, Lucas came to Penn State in the class of 2012. He was one of the six true freshmen who got a chance to play. The defensive back went on to have an impressive college career at Happy Valley, appearing in 35 games and totaling 181 tackles.

The Miami Dolphins picked Lucas in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL Draft. However, he was traded to the Chiefs ahead of the 2018 season. Under Andy Reid, the DB went on to win Super Bowl LIV. However, his career in the pros only lasted until 2021.

Lucas’ foray into coaching started at his alma mater, when he returned to Happy Valley to be a part of James Franklin’s staff. Initially, the former Lion was given an off-field operational role centered on player personnel and recruiting. But it soon expanded to player coaching. Lucas started assisting with the secondary and the defensive backfield.

Interestingly, while James Franklin was fired by the program in 2025, Lucas stayed put at his alma mater. Even the new head coach, Matt Campbell, retained his services on his staff.