Taylor Only USF Passport Casualty

Posted Dec 28, 2009 by Scott Carter

Updated Dec 28, 2009 at 07:51 PM

TAMPA— USF’s football team and its traveling party arrived in Toronto around 6 p.m. Monday, capping a hectic three weeks that included applying for nearly 200 expedited passports for players, coaches, cheerleaders and band members for Saturday’s International Bowl.

The U.S. passport office at the Hillsborough County courthouse processed 178 passport applications in two days earlier this month. The only casualty according to USF coach Jim Leavitt was junior RB Jamar Taylor, who could not obtain a passport.

“There is nothing he has done wrong,’’ Leavitt said. “He couldn’t get a passport. He was the only one.’‘

Taylor missed the final month of the season with a knee injury and had recently been working at linebacker in practice. Injured senior WR Colby Erskin (knee) also did not make the trip, according to Leavitt.

Injury update

Leavitt said junior OL Zach Hermann (neck) is out of Saturday’s game, and OL Jake Sims is doubtful. In addition, reserve WR Joel Sherman ruptured his Achilles’ heel in practice last week and is out. Sherman still made the trip to Toronto, as did Hermann and Sims.

Freshman DB Kayvon Webster participated fully in Monday’s practice after missing nearly 10 days to a severe flu, and WR Carlton Mitchell, slowed by a late-season ankle injury, is back to 100 percent, according to Leavitt.

Weather warning

At the end of Monday’s practice, the team gathered underneath a warm sun that had temperatures in the mid-60s. By the time the Bulls arrived in Toronto, the temperature was below freezing.

“I told them it might be a little different up there than here right now,’’ Leavitt said. “The sun will be probably out, but it might be a little cooler.”

USF is scheduled to practice from 10 a.m.-noon today at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Centre, an indoor facility.