Bentley University

Exceptional talent is a rare commodity and it is even more extraordinary that someone of that ability graces the fields of a Division II institution, but Lucas Jaramillo did just that at Bentley College from 1992 through 1995.
 
"The moment he stepped on campus and practiced for the first time you could see he was someone special," said Peter Simonini, the Falcons’ head coach during Lucas’ time at Bentley. "You could tell he was the most talented guy on the field and he earned instant respect from everyone."
 
Lucas did not disappoint in the least as he led the Falcons with 24 points his freshman season and earned first team All-Northeast-10 and second team All-New England selections as well as being named the NE-10 Freshman of the Year. More importantly, he led the Falcons to their second consecutive perfect NE-10 regular season and Bentley's first NE-10 tournament championship.
 
The following year, Lucas helped Bentley to their second straight conference tournament championship and their third regular season title in a row. He became just the third Falcon to be an All-America selection in addition earning All-Northeast-10 and All-New England first team recognition.
 
By the beginning of his junior year, he was a marked man according to Simonini. "The remarkable thing was the fact that he put numbers up despite the fact that other teams focused on him. Yet, he never complained and would do anything I asked of him, whether it was to play more defensively or actually move and play fullback."
 
The accolades deservedly kept pouring in for Lucas following a junior season that saw him lead the Falcons with twenty-seven points. The team won their third straight Northeast-10 tournament title and Lucas was named the NE-10 Player of the Year. Once again, he earned an All-New England first team nod.
 
Despite all the attention that Lucas received for his contributions on the pitch, it was his demeanor off the field that was most impressive. "His personality was just tremendous," according to Simonini. "He never put himself above anyone else on the team even though he was clearly the best player on the team. He brought a passion for the game that was infectious and really helped our American kids understand how the game should be approached."
 
Lucas saved his best for last, recording career highs in both goals (10) and assists, with his total of 16 assists still a single season school record. He once again led the Falcons to the best record in the Northeast-10 and was named the league's best player for the second consecutive year, one of only three players to ever accomplish the feat. He was an All-America selection for the second time, the only Bentley player to do so, and was a first team All-New England honoree for the third consecutive year.
 
He graduated as Bentley's career scoring leader with 107 points, a distinction he holds to this day and is considered by Simonini, the Falcons’ head coach from 1987-2007, to be "the best player I have coached here at Bentley." It should not be surprising that he went on to play at the highest level, playing professionally in the first division of his native Columbia for lndependiente Santa Fe. In the 2002 season, Lucas scored 21 goals, a total that ranked him fifth in one of the storied South American professional leagues.

After leaving professional soccer in 2004, Lucas became a major star in his native Colombia when he starred in a reality television show and came in second place.