Read how Texas boy ended up at ECU
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 1:06 pmRobert Lee... We call him the "GENERAL" (He has not missed a single FG or PAT, longets FG 51 yds)
GREENVILLE — Imagine going from sitting at home with a PlayStation2 controller in your hand to being on the center of a football field in front of 35,000 screaming fans.
That’s the transition East Carolina kicker Robert Lee has gone through in the past year and a half.
Lee was the kicker for Trinity Valley Community College after a successful career at Spring Hill High School in Longview, Texas.
After his junior college career was over, Lee was faced with the task of joining a squad at a four-year university. He had to do his own marketing. But where to begin?
“I decided to do my own recruiting since my coaches couldn’t help me out,†Lee said. “They were busy trying to get new players in. I got my PlayStation out; I figured that’d be the best way to see who had senior kickers. I went through the roster list and found 51 schools who had kickers who were seniors.â€
Finding the ‘who’ and ‘where’ was the easy part. It was the ‘how’ that got a little tricky — and expensive.
“In a month’s time I ran up about a $900 cell phone bill,†Lee said. “I was calling people in between classes or whenever I got a chance from 8 till 5 every day. I called the 51 different universities, and not all of them were interested. Others said to send a tape and a resume. So, I typed myself a resume and made a highlight reel of my kicks and FedExed them out to the universities. Fortunately, my dad (Danny Lee) was able to help me out with the money a little bit.â€
Luckily for Lee (and Pirates’ fans), the tapes paid off. He was brought to Greenville, and stayed on as the team’s kicker.
“I talked to coach (Donnie) Kirkpatrick here, and fortunately everything worked out,†Lee said. “They needed a kicker, and I was able to step in here and do a good job. I’ve always wanted to play football at a D-I university. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play football at this level. It’s not often people get a chance to get their school paid for and get to play this great game. I’m just enjoying it completely.â€
In Lee’s first game — against Duke — he kicked a 32-yard field goal and three PATs. The difference in the game was three points for a Pirates’ 24-21 win over the Blue Devils.
Against Wake Forest, the following week, Lee started East Carolina’s scoring with a 51-yard boot.
“That was awesome,†Lee said of the field goal. “That was my longest in college. I had a great snap from Michael Yardin and a great hold from Ryan Dougherty. Those guys have been exceptional for me this year. I just kicked it; it was a real good feeling. I hate that we lost the game. I wish it would have made a real difference in the game, but it was good.â€
The kick sailed through the uprights with plenty of room to spare. It’s almost a shame he wasn’t further back.
“You get the adrenaline going in the games, and sometimes you can kick the ball a whole lot farther than you can in practice,†Lee said. “If you’re hitting from 50 in practice, and you get in the game with the adrenaline going all of a sudden you’re hitting from 60.â€
As the first half of the Pirates’ game against Rice drew to a close, the Owls got the ball at their own 9-yard line with 53 seconds to go. The Owls ran three plays, each followed by an East Carolina timeout, and were forced to punt with 27 seconds remaining.
The Pirates got the ball back at the Rice 40-yard line, and James Pinkney tossed an incomplete pass that sailed out of bounds over the head of Kevin Roach. With only seconds remaining, the possibility of a 57-yard field goal attempt by Lee was brought into question.
Were the coaches going to put Lee in the game to attempt the second longest field goal in Pirates history?
“I don’t know if they were, or not,†Lee said. “I certainly would have loved the opportunity. With the weather being like it was, it was real hot and the air was real heavy, I’m not sure I would have had that kind of distance in my leg. Fortunately, we were able to score (a touchdown) there.â€
On the next play, Pinkney hit Aundrae Allison for a touchdown. Instead of the 57-yard field goal, Lee kicked another PAT. He liked it better that way.
“I hope I kick eight PATs and call it a day,†Lee said. “That’s all I want to do every time we go out.â€
On the season, Lee has made all 13 of his PATs and all eight of his field goals.
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2005/10/ ... orts03.txt
GREENVILLE — Imagine going from sitting at home with a PlayStation2 controller in your hand to being on the center of a football field in front of 35,000 screaming fans.
That’s the transition East Carolina kicker Robert Lee has gone through in the past year and a half.
Lee was the kicker for Trinity Valley Community College after a successful career at Spring Hill High School in Longview, Texas.
After his junior college career was over, Lee was faced with the task of joining a squad at a four-year university. He had to do his own marketing. But where to begin?
“I decided to do my own recruiting since my coaches couldn’t help me out,†Lee said. “They were busy trying to get new players in. I got my PlayStation out; I figured that’d be the best way to see who had senior kickers. I went through the roster list and found 51 schools who had kickers who were seniors.â€
Finding the ‘who’ and ‘where’ was the easy part. It was the ‘how’ that got a little tricky — and expensive.
“In a month’s time I ran up about a $900 cell phone bill,†Lee said. “I was calling people in between classes or whenever I got a chance from 8 till 5 every day. I called the 51 different universities, and not all of them were interested. Others said to send a tape and a resume. So, I typed myself a resume and made a highlight reel of my kicks and FedExed them out to the universities. Fortunately, my dad (Danny Lee) was able to help me out with the money a little bit.â€
Luckily for Lee (and Pirates’ fans), the tapes paid off. He was brought to Greenville, and stayed on as the team’s kicker.
“I talked to coach (Donnie) Kirkpatrick here, and fortunately everything worked out,†Lee said. “They needed a kicker, and I was able to step in here and do a good job. I’ve always wanted to play football at a D-I university. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play football at this level. It’s not often people get a chance to get their school paid for and get to play this great game. I’m just enjoying it completely.â€
In Lee’s first game — against Duke — he kicked a 32-yard field goal and three PATs. The difference in the game was three points for a Pirates’ 24-21 win over the Blue Devils.
Against Wake Forest, the following week, Lee started East Carolina’s scoring with a 51-yard boot.
“That was awesome,†Lee said of the field goal. “That was my longest in college. I had a great snap from Michael Yardin and a great hold from Ryan Dougherty. Those guys have been exceptional for me this year. I just kicked it; it was a real good feeling. I hate that we lost the game. I wish it would have made a real difference in the game, but it was good.â€
The kick sailed through the uprights with plenty of room to spare. It’s almost a shame he wasn’t further back.
“You get the adrenaline going in the games, and sometimes you can kick the ball a whole lot farther than you can in practice,†Lee said. “If you’re hitting from 50 in practice, and you get in the game with the adrenaline going all of a sudden you’re hitting from 60.â€
As the first half of the Pirates’ game against Rice drew to a close, the Owls got the ball at their own 9-yard line with 53 seconds to go. The Owls ran three plays, each followed by an East Carolina timeout, and were forced to punt with 27 seconds remaining.
The Pirates got the ball back at the Rice 40-yard line, and James Pinkney tossed an incomplete pass that sailed out of bounds over the head of Kevin Roach. With only seconds remaining, the possibility of a 57-yard field goal attempt by Lee was brought into question.
Were the coaches going to put Lee in the game to attempt the second longest field goal in Pirates history?
“I don’t know if they were, or not,†Lee said. “I certainly would have loved the opportunity. With the weather being like it was, it was real hot and the air was real heavy, I’m not sure I would have had that kind of distance in my leg. Fortunately, we were able to score (a touchdown) there.â€
On the next play, Pinkney hit Aundrae Allison for a touchdown. Instead of the 57-yard field goal, Lee kicked another PAT. He liked it better that way.
“I hope I kick eight PATs and call it a day,†Lee said. “That’s all I want to do every time we go out.â€
On the season, Lee has made all 13 of his PATs and all eight of his field goals.
http://www.wdnweb.com/articles/2005/10/ ... orts03.txt
Good stuff, thanks. Usually, spending too much time playing video games gets you out of college.