When the USF football team arrived at the Hawaii Bowl, the players had fragrant leis placed around their necks. And they were offered that ever-present greeting:

Aloha!

It means hello.

Tuesday night, after the Bulls (6-6) face the San Jose Spartans (7-5) to complete the second year of head coach Alex Golesh and the program's back-to-back postseason appearances, don't be surprised if wide receiver Sean Atkins and running back Kelley Joiner savor their surroundings and take one last look around.

The word still applies.

Aloha!

It also means goodbye.

"These guys have paid the price and they deserve the biggest rewards,'' Golesh said. "They mean a lot to the entire staff. Years from now, they can come back to USF when we have our on-campus stadium and say, 'We helped to build this.' They set an example for how to do this the right way.''

They arrived at USF in 2019. Atkins was an unknown walk-on. Joiner was a runner with great potential who came off a catastrophic high-school injury. And now they depart as USF icons.

Atkins already has USF's career receptions record (189 catches) and needs 74 yards to break the career receiving yardage mark of Andre Davis (2,136 yards from 2011-14). Last season, Atkins registered USF's first 1,000-yard receiving season (1,054) while setting a single-season record for catches (92). He's also trying to catch a pass in his 31st consecutive game, which would tie the program mark of Davis.

Joiner has enjoyed his best season by leading USF in rushing (766 yards, 11 touchdowns), while recording two of his three 100-yard efforts on consecutive weeks in November (against Charlotte and Tulsa). Joiner needs 76 yards to finish as USF's fourth all-time leading rusher, surpassing Matt Grothe (2,206) and Rafael Williams (2,253).

"Those guys have stuck it out,'' offensive coordinator Joel Gordon said. "Hopefully, for both of those guys, what they've taken from their college experience is you can't ever give up.

"Being a team player is still the most important part of this game because it takes everybody in that locker room to be going in the right direction to make this thing work. Both of those guys have been just that for our team — on and off the field. We're really fired up for their opportunity to go lace them up one more time.''

 

The Road Less Traveled

Atkins will be remembered as a record-setting performer. He arrived as an afterthought, an undersized walk-on from Viera High School, practice fodder. Las Vegas would've never taken odds on him making a difference for USF. But he proved everyone wrong.

All he ever wanted was an opportunity.

"I didn't know what it was going to blossom into,'' Atkins said. "I just knew that I was a young kid who just loved to play football and compete. Everything that kind of came after that, it's just a blessing. At the end of the day, I just love playing football and competing at the highest level.''

Atkins will shoot for a spot in the NFL — anybody want to bet against him? — which has shown an inclination to utilize smaller slot receivers with smarts and precise route-running skills. If that happens, the two-time Burlsworth Trophy nominee (nation's top former walk-on player) breaks into the sport's stratosphere.

But the essence of Atkins? He still wistfully recalls his days on USF's scout team, the anonymous grind of practice, the ability to frustrate top defensive backs with his penchant for catching and running in tight spaces. To him, those were the great days.

"Coming to the end is really bittersweet,'' Atkins said. "It's really hard to wrap your head around the concept of this being your last game. You never think this day is going to come, but six years flew by and now here we are. I'm so determined to go out with a great taste in my mouth.

"I really have to give credit to USF. I've seen myself grow in such a better way and so many people have helped along the way, from coaches to support staff. This is a special place. I was just a little kid whenever I first came here. Now I feel like a grown man to be honest.''

For Gordon, the story of Sean Atkins will always rank as one of his favorite football tales.

"It's really hard for him to be where he is right now,'' Gordon said. "What he has done for his teammates is show when the odds are stacked against you, you have to bet on yourself.

"He put a lot of faith in Coach Golesh and our staff, and we will forever be indebted to him for doing that. He has helped to get people believing in what we can get done here. He has been that guy for us every single day. When Sean Atkins puts on the green and gold one final time, that's going to be a special day.''

 

Saving The Best For Last

Joiner always had tantalizing potential — at Clermont South Lake High School, he once rushed for 372 yards and eight touchdowns in one game — but somehow found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.

During his USF tenure, he has played under three head coaches, four offensive coordinators and five running backs coaches.

Just when he was rounding into dominant form during 2022 training camp, Joiner broke his foot. And when Golesh took over in 2023, Joiner was moved to slot receiver (before being returned to the backfield later that season).

This season, it all came together for Joiner, who was a dominant factor behind USF's 4-2 finish that assured a second straight bowl-game appearance.

"Getting this win (in the Hawaii Bowl) will top it all off,'' Joiner said. "I feel pretty good about how my career at USF played out. It started out a little slow with the injuries and stuff. But it's not about how you start. It's about how you finish. I'm glad to do it with these coaches.''

In the Golesh offense, where effective running sets up everything, Joiner found his stride.

"Kelley's road was rocky in its own right,'' Gordon said. "There were injuries, coaching changes and not a lot of wins when Kelley got going. Then we changed his position. I'm not sure we made the right call for him there, but he never complained, and now he's back where he needs to be.

"What you see in college football right now, it's super easy for guys just to check out and find another place. Kelley hung in there with us. Now he's as healthy as he has ever been. He had his best season. We've relied on him every single week to go out there and help us win football games. He went from maybe having doubt about it being worth it and wondering if he'd ever be healthy to being our absolute rock in the backfield.''

Joiner needs 234 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season. But he won't judge his overall success by the numbers.

"I'm grateful to be at USF,'' Joiner said. "It's my home. It's where I made so many lifelong friends. To be able to spend time with my teammates in a place like Hawaii, it's like a dream come true. I want to go out the right way personally and everybody on this team wants to get that victory.

"Two straight winning seasons and two straight bowl victories shows us we've come a long way. It's not where this program is going to wind up eventually, but we're on the way and we can say we were here when it started turning around.''

 

The Final Act

On Senior Day against Tulsa on Nov. 16, before the players emerged from the Raymond James Stadium tunnel for recognition, Joiner sought out Atkins.

"I told him we had come a long way,'' Joiner said. "We both took a moment to look at the crowd and appreciate our family and friends out there, being part of this journey. It was amazing. We almost shed a tear right there together. I respect the heck out of Sean. I think we have a bond.''

"We came in together and now we leave together,'' Atkins said. "Six years is a long time. Just coming to the facility and seeing each other on a day-to-day basis, we have so many inside jokes and things that we have shared. We're the old heads on the team now. But I don't think we'd have it any other way. We've known some rough times and some great times. There's a great deal of respect.''

That respect is shared by the coaches.

"If I have a relationship with some of the best players on the other side of the ball, if they extend themselves out to me, that tells me a lot about them,'' defensive coordinator Todd Orlando said. "We compete like crazy in spring and fall camp, but those two guys treat me like I was their position coach.

"What Sean has done is an incredible story. It's what college football should be all about. What Kelley has done this season was invaluable, in terms of being the guy and taking over. Both of those guys are as humble as can be. Not an arrogant bone in their bodies. They're both about work and doing things the right way. They have grown as men and they've helped to establish an identity within this program.''

When the Hawaii Bowl is done, Joiner said he'd like to have a jersey swap with Atkins and maybe take a few photographs as No. 8 is exchanged with No. 38.

Those smiles will last forever. They can look back on the moments of being doubted and working feverishly, then finally turning the corner. Their patience and loyalty were rewarded. No matter where they go, they'll always have a home at USF. It's a nice thing to ponder as they say farewell.

Aloha!

–#GoBulls–