Former NFL Quarterback and NJ Native Ray Lucas Visits High School in Camden County, NJ to Warn of the Dangers of Opioid Abuse

Former NFL quarterback and NJ native Ray Lucas visited a high school in Camden County Wednesday to offer student athletes advice and a warning about the dangers of abusing prescription pain killers.

Lucas' appearance at Sterling High School in Hi-Nella was in support of the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative.

Lucas, who QB'ed in the NFL from 1996 to 2002 (as a New England Patriot, New York Jet, Miami Dolphin, and Baltimore Raven) was joined by Camden County Prosecutor, Grace C. MacAulay.

As a one-time professional athlete, Ray Lucas knows all too well to riggers of contact sport and the toll it can take on the body. His own personal struggle with dependency on prescription opioids to manage pain from his injuries on the football field make him the perfect candidate to speak to student athletes who may find themselves in the same position.

Over the course of his football career, Ray Lucas, a Rutgers University alum who grew up in Harrison, New Jersey, reportedly underwent more than a dozen surgeries, leading to a 1,400-a-day habit of consuming prescription pain meds.

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According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), student athletes in the United States have a higher risk of opioid use due to sports injuries sending more than 2.6 million children to ER every year.

Lucas' personal story and recovery no doubt resonated with the Sterling High School students he spoke with Wednesday.

Watch more about Ray Lucas' journey to sobriety and the Knock Out Opioid Abuse initiative below.