LB Joseph practicing with heavy heart

Posted Oct 20, 2009 by Gregg Becnel

Updated Oct 20, 2009 at 06:51 PM

University of South Florida senior LB Sabbath Joseph has been practicing and preparing for Saturday’s Big East showdown at No. 20 Pittsburgh with a heavy heart after learning of the stabbing death of his friend, Connecticut CB Jasper Howard.

Although they played at different high schools in South Florida – Joseph at Miami Central and Howard at Miami Edison – the two became friends.

“I played against him and I knew him because a lot of my family played at Edison. So I was there a lot watching them practice and I talked to him a lot,” Joseph said. “The last time we had hung out was Memorial Day weekend on South Beach. We talked a lot and I told him I was proud of him and to keep up the good work.”

Joseph, who is sixth on the team in tackles with 22 and first with three forced fumbles, received the dreaded news Sunday morning.

“To find out what happened to him was very sad,” he said. “I got a whole bunch of phone calls Sunday morning about the bad news. It was a shock. It shocked me.”

ODDS AND ENDS: RB Mo Plancher will wear Keeley Dorsey’s No. 10 jersey this week. … Of DE Jason Pierre-Paul’s 20 tackles, 8.5 have gone for a loss.