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By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer
TAMPA, DEC. 4, 2015 – Eric Lee was the last Bull to leave the field after the program's second bowl practice Friday morning.
Appointed as USF's defensive captain at the beginning of the season, the senior defensive end continues to lead by example with one important game left in his Bulls career.
“I've always had the character of a leader, but now there is a lot of light being shined on that,” Lee said. “I continue to do what I do, but there is more pressure on me to make sure I hold a standard.”
Being a team captain is something Lee takes very seriously, whether it's giving guidance to a younger Bull or motivating the defense to finish strong. Inspirational players like Lee have helped the 8-4 Bulls sprint to the postseason with seven wins in the past eight games, including four straight victories.
“This season has been exactly what we wanted. Nine wins would be everything,” Lee said. “It would be our hard work, everything that we went through. It would be everything we dreamed of. Winning is the ultimate goal.”
USF is on the verge of tying its single-season wins record and the “Bull Sharks” defense has been a major player in the program's success. USF ranks 15th nationally in tackles for loss (7.5 per game) and 22nd in scoring defense (21.1 ppg).
“It's that back-and-forth competitiveness that everybody feeds off of,” Lee said.
Lee has done his part on the field by collecting a team-high 11 tackles for loss, a career-best 42 tackles and 4.0 sacks.
“I'm making sure I also perform because leadership is not only talking and by example,” said Lee, who will graduate this month. “Performance plays a big part of it just because they're going to respect you that much more if you're producing. All these players on this field want to produce.”
The American rewarded the 6-foot-3, 260-pound tackling machine for his efforts with all-conference second team honors. Lee was one of eight all-conference Bulls, which matched a program record.
Like a true leader, Lee credited his fellow defensive linemen for making it all possible.
“It's a great award, but I accepted that as a D-line award,” he said. “… Getting that award was a reflection of our efforts.”
Byrd to Play in East-West Shrine Game
Senior safety Jamie Byrd has made some ferocious hits during his highly productive USF career and he'll get another chance to show what he can do after the bowl game.
Byrd has accepted an invitation to play in the 91st East-West Shrine Game that takes place Saturday, Jan. 23 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally on the NFL Network. Take a look at East-West Shrine Game player list HERE.
Byrd has moved closer to the line this season as the Husky in USF's 4-2-5 scheme. The Dade City native has adjusted well while leading the team with 5.0 sacks along with 80 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
“He's making plays that he always wanted to make, plays that he didn't think he could make being at that position,” Taggart said. “Now he's making them and some.”
Quote of the Day
“It's been a fun year. It started off kind of slow, but we didn't let it get us down. We've just been balling ever since.”
- Receiver Rodney Adams on USF's incredible rebound from a 1-3 start this season.
Bulls Bits
- Former USF standout linebacker Sam Barrington has been named the Green Bay Packers' nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Fans can help Barrington continue to make an impact in the community by using his unique hashtag (#BarringtonWPMOYChallenge) on any social media accounts to vote. The player with the most votes by Dec. 31 will receive a $20,000 donation to a charity of his choosing. Learn more about Barrington's nomination HERE.
- Sean Price's late-season surge helped the senior reel in all-conference second-team recognition. USF's all-time leader in receptions (75) and receiving yards (897) for a tight end finished the regular season with consecutive games with two touchdown grabs. “I'm happy to see him with a smile on his face scoring touchdowns. It's pretty cool,” Adams said.
- Learn more about Lee and relive the magical 44-3 win over rival UCF by checking out the latest episode of USF Football: A New Era On The Bay below.
The USF Football program is in its 19th season overall and 16th at the FBS level. The Bulls have made six bowl appearances, including every season between 2005-10, and have four bowl game victories. USF has produced 14 All-America selections, 25 NFL Draft picks and reached the No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press Poll in 2007.
