Jordan Lucas tells PEOPLE he's taking the opportunity to "be a voice for not only the LGBTQ community, but for also LGBTQ athletes"
Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Lucas
NEED TO KNOW
- Jordan Lucas, an openly gay college athlete, has gone viral for his signature moves on the volleyball court
- Lucas reached a new level of fame playing with his team at California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
- He tells PEOPLE, “People either really love the way that I play or people really hate it, but regardless, you’re still talking about me”
It's hard to forget Jordan Lucas. The volleyball player, 22, isn't afraid to let his personality shine on the court. In fact, his colorful style has earned him legions of fans and brought a surge of attention to his team at California State University, Northridge (CSUN).
But his jump in popularity was fueled, in part, by an off-color remark made by UC-Irvine broadcaster Charlie Brande, who said live on air during an April 9 game, "I'm amazed Jordan Lucas hasn't been popped by somebody," adding, "The antics he's making under the net, it's very distasteful."
Brande's words were met with a slew of backlash — he later issued an apology — and support grew louder for Lucas, who quickly went viral when a wider audience witnessed his on-court style, which includes hair tosses and finger shakes.
"I think what he said obviously probably should have never been said about any athlete," Lucas, who is openly gay, tells PEOPLE of Brande's comments. While he was "shocked" by the remarks, Lucas says he's received "hate comments" and "negativity" throughout his athletic career.
"People either really love the way that I play or people really hate it, but regardless, you're still talking about me," he says.
Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Lucas
Theo Edwards, Lucas' coach at CSUN, has known the athlete for years and began recruiting him when he was around 14 years old, the coach says.
Edwards was disappointed to hear Brande's words and tells PEOPLE, "I was just really grateful to see the number of people rally behind [Lucas] in support, but I hope I never have to hear a broadcast like that again, to be honest."
Lucas appears to be focused on the opportunities in front of him following Brande's controversial broadcast. The volleyball star has been featured in The Athletic, attended the Masters of the Universe movie premiere (and posed on the carpet), taped his own Good Morning America segment and has been stopped on the street for a TMZ interview — and that's merely scraping the surface.
While the newfound attention was overwhelming at first, Lucas says he's enjoying the opportunity to "be a voice for not only the LGBTQ community, but for also LGBTQ athletes."
"In sports, we're so underrepresented and we don't get as much love because we're not the stereotypical player," he says. "I'm really just proud of and happy that I get to be at the forefront of it all and show people that although we are a 'minority,' that if we get on the court, we can just perform as well as our male counterpart or female counterpart."
Lucas was raised in an athletic family. His brother, now 26, grew up playing basketball and had a stint in the NBA, while his father is a high school basketball coach. His mother played volleyball in high school, and Lucas was introduced to the sport at 13, when he would hang out with the volleyball team while waiting for his dad to pick him up from school.
From the very beginning, he wasn't afraid to play how he wanted to. The sport also allowed to him to connect with other, older LGBTQ athletes.
"You pick up certain things at a young age, like a sponge: kind of their mannerisms or the way that they talked or the way that they held themselves really inspired me and allowed me to be like, 'People like this exist,' " he says.
One of Lucas' closest friends, Jo Rocha, whom he met through volleyball, sums up his style on the court in two words: "fabulous" and "authentic."
Rocha, 26, has known Lucas since 2017, and says his friend's recent assent is "something we kind of manifested, honestly."
Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Lucas
"He's always been a star," Rocha adds. "It was just a matter of time."
Edwards, who says Lucas has maintained the same "intensity" and "flair" over the years, is also quick to praise his ability on the court.
"He jumps incredibly high. He's got a whip of an arm. He's incredibly explosive," Edwards tells PEOPLE. He also describes the young athlete as "100% one of the toughest individuals I have ever coached in my entire life."
Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Lucas
That strength was on full display when Lucas endured one of the biggest challenges of his life to date with the loss of his mother, Christina, who died at 56 in June 2025 after being diagnosed with cancer.
Although Lucas was shining on the court that season, he was missing one of his biggest cheerleaders without Christina on the sidelines.
"To have the one person who was always in your corner and wanted to watch you have this much success and everything not being there was very difficult," he says.
Edwards says Lucas didn't share the news with anyone on the team but him.
"He said, 'I don't want the guys to know.' And I said, 'Why? I think they're such an important support system. Why wouldn't we tell them?' And he said, 'Because I don't want them to give me anything. I wanna earn it. I don't want them to treat me different. I don't want them to feel sorry for me. I don't want them to put me on a pedestal because I dealt with something tough.'"
Lucas finally did tell the team about his mom's death in a speech he made after their last match of the year. "I don't know that there was a dry eye in the room," Edwards recalls.
Credit: Courtesy of Jordan Lucas
When he's not on the court, Lucas remains active, playing pickleball with friends and Wiffle ball with his brother. He especially enjoys traveling and listening to his favorite artists, including Tate McRae and Megan Thee Stallion. For now, he says, he remains single: "I just wanna do me."
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As for what the future holds, Lucas isn't ruling out going pro after college, but says he's been focused on finding out who he is outside of volleyball.
"I don't let volleyball dictate my life anymore," he says.
Edwards says he just wants what's best for the star athlete: "I'm hoping that he continues to chase his dreams," he says.
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