By Joseph Schiefelbein, Advocate sportswriter
Players would rather be considered a “gamer,” than a “practicer.”
And being a “gamer” is where Southern sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee falls.
“He’s a nonchalant individual,” SU coach Pete Richardson said. “He’s not going to say a lot. The thing about him, you watch him practice and you swear he can’t play.
“But you put him out there and all of a sudden the lights go on. That’s all you’re looking for.”
Lee was 22-for-29 for 215 yards and a touchdown and ran for 50 yards and another TD Saturday while being named Southern’s MVP in the Jaguars’ 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala.
Southern (1-0) opens Southwestern Athletic Conference play against Mississippi Valley State (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) at 4 p.m. Saturday in the Chicago Football Classic at Legion Field in Chicago.
“People said, ‘Were you surprised?’,” Richardson said. “Well, he got the MVP in the Bayou Classic and came right back and got it in the other game. I expect him to get it this game, too.”
Lee is getting comfortable with his reputation. Just don’t make too much of the easy-going manner.
“I care,” said Lee, who used to come after practice to throw when he was deep on the depth chart and didn’t get many practice reps last season. “I’m laid-back in a way. But once game time is on, I’m ready. I’ve always been that way.
“I get excited. It’s just me being me, really. I’m a jokester, but I get on (players), too.”
Teammates enjoy Lee’s demeanor. As it is, senior left tackle Trent Thomas said fifth-year senior quarterback J.C. Lewis, third on the depth chart, is even more easy-going.
“I like Bryant Lee,” senior running back Darren Coates said. “To me, he’s a great kid. He clowns a lot. We have fun. That’s what the game is about, having fun.
“He’s a great competitor. He loves the game. He’s going to give it all he’s got, every play. He’s cool. He knows when to fire it up and when to relax.”
Richardson said being a fiery leader will come.
“You have to learn that part,” Richardson said. “Once you get the experience, you earn that. Eventually, that will come.
“He did a good job of commanding the football team and orchestrating our offense. As long as he does that and stays away from the street committee, he’ll be alright.”
Sleepy Jaguars
Richardson said he had worries about his young team prior to Saturday’s 33-27 win over Florida A&M.
“I was concerned because, really, we had a tired football team,” Richardson said. “We got up on Saturday morning and you can say, ‘Go to bed,’ but when you have an experienced football team, a lot of them didn’t get a lot of sleep that night. Especially the inexperienced. They’re excited about it, and they’re not going to go to sleep.
“What helped us a great deal was opening up and scoring that touchdown (Coates’ 90-yard run on the first play).”
How’s Valley’s QB?
Saturday’s game will match two sophomore starting quarterbacks, and neither played in last season’s meeting.
Richardson got his first look at Valley’s Paul Roberts, who was 15-for-27 for 153 yards and one touchdown (but was sacked four times), on film of Valley’s 16-9 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
“I think he’s a good quarterback,” Richardson said. “He throws the ball well. As far as progressions, he’s patient.”
“They have a great offense,” SU strong safety Glenn Bell said. “They have a young quarterback who really surprised me, who stepped up. They have a great running back, a great offensive line. It’s going to be a nice challenge.”
SU relies on WR depth
Starters Gerard Landry, Del Roberts and Juamorris Stewart had 12 of Southern’s 22 catches Saturday. But Clevan White, backing Roberts at “Y,” had three catches for 23 yards and RaShon Jacobs, behind Landry at “X,” had two catches for 34 yards.
“It kind of came to fruition, where you saw where the depth was needed and it helped out,” SU wide receivers coach Eric Dooley said. “Those guys who worked on the second team worked as hard as those guys on the first team, and they stepped up when they needed to.”
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