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Xavier Lee Has Only Himself To Blame
Posted Jan 15, 2008 by Aaron Knox
Updated Jan 15, 2008 at 07:53 AM
Is quarterback Xavier Lee the biggest bust in Florida State football history? That’s debatable, but what’s not in question is that Lee got way too much hype for a player who made six career starts in four years at FSU.
Lee is leaving school early to enter the NFL Draft, sparking another round of debate among fans about whether Lee was a bust or a victim of circumstance during his career with the Noles.
Lee’s mother, Gloria, put her spin on the news by saying this to The Orlando Sentinel:
“As a single parent, I’m pretty much upset, heartbroken, because of the situation they put him in and how they treated him over the years,’’ Gloria Lee said.
Memo to Mrs. Lee: Don’t believe everything your son tells you about “the situation they put him in.’’
For the record, Lee had nearly as many opportunities to win FSU’s starting quarterback job and keep it the past two years as Britney Spears has had trips to rehab. Sure, a shoulder injury did put him behind Drew Weatherford on the depth chart as a redshirt freshman in 2005, but in each of the last two seasons, Lee made three starts and the job was his to keep each time if he played well, went to class and studied the playbook.
But Lee failed at all three. And he did it under different offensive coordinators, adding even less credence to the perception of some that he was not treated fairly by the coaching staff.
Look, in my two years covering Lee, I found him to be funny and at times one of the team’s most engaging characters. He is certainly a likeable guy with a wry sense of humor, the kind of guy you know would be fun to go out with and have a few beers.
Also, his rocket of a right arm could seduce you with one throw. But on the next throw, he could make a decision that only left you scratching your head. That type of inconsistency is why he was never able to beat out the steady Weatherford.
But there’s more to this story than simply what transpired on the field. Evidently, Lee liked going to class about as much as getting drilled in the gut by a linebacker. His class performance was so poor in the fall that at the time of his departure, he had earned only three credit hours in the fall semester.
Lee’s lack of interest in class earned him a two-game suspension shortly after he made his final appearance for the Noles on Oct. 29 in a 37-29 loss to Miami, Lee’s final career start. He threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles in the loss, prompting offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to hand the job back to Weatherford.
Lee appeared to check out mentally after the Miami loss, declining to speak to reporters for weeks after the game. Lee was later ruled academically ineligible for the Music City Bowl, but in typical Lee fashion, when he finally broke his silence a few days before the game, he told reporters he was eligible to play and would be making the trip to Nashville.
For a player who arrived at FSU from Daytona Beach Seabreeze as Florida’s all-time high school passing leader, you can’t label Lee’s career anything other than a failure. When Fisher recently approached him about moving to tight end for his senior season, Lee said no thanks rather than try to salvage something of his college career.
Lee’s strong right arm – The Sporting News ranked it as the ACC’s best last season – will probably earn him at least a free-agent invitation to some NFL camp over the summer. Maybe Lee will finally realize all the opportunities he has wasted and will start taking his career more serious. Maybe not, and he’ll fade into oblivion by playing in the Arena League2 or some other place far away from the spotlight of FSU.
Regardless of what Lee tells his parents or anyone else about his career at FSU, he had his chances to be a star. But like so many gifted athletes who discover the challenge of going from high school to college is greater than they anticipated, Lee failed to apply himself the way he should have.
That’s why his mom should be heartbroken.
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Reader Comments
Por (C Young) on January 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Classless article. The only spin is your own biased opinion. X. Lee never got a real shot and as far as bust Weatherford’s years of mediocrity should be first choice. One class suspension is supposed to cover years of being passed up for a lesser talent who never produced? Lee, McPherson, Walker, Boldin, Richarson, Lorne Sam talented and better than their competition at the time never a chance to start at QB? I dont want to here the Charlie Ward story that was nearly 20 years ago and he wouldn’t have played if people in front of him didn’t get hurt. karma for FSU right now with 7 straight poor seasons with no talent qb’s. Continue to talk up your hometown boy Weatherford, S. Carter who could only start at FSU and Tennesse Tech.
Suggest removalPor (Scott Carter) on January 17, 2008 (Suggest removal)
C Young, there is no doubt that in some ways, Weatherford has been a disappointment as well. He showed a lot of promise as a starter in 2005, but since then, he has leveled off and even regressed in the view of some. But as for Xavier—and believe me, this view is shared by many coaches and people closely tied to the program—Xavier never was truly willing to put in the work to take full advantage of his talent. The perfect FSU quarterback the past three years? Xaver Lee’s arm and athletic ability, and Drew Weatherford’s poise and work ethic. But that’s not the way it works. Anyway, I was just telling it the way I see it. I hope Xavier proves us all wrong some day, but for now, he is a great example of potential unfulfilled.
Suggest removalPor (PD Nelson) on January 22, 2008 (Suggest removal)
I’m not sure what planet C Young is living on, but on this one—you have to actually attend class in order to pass it, You have to read the playbook and understand it to run a complex collegiate offense, and you have to perform to get and keep your job. Also, on this planet Anquan Boldin is making millions as one of the best WR’s in the NFL. Too bad the coaches didn’t push him to his ideal position earlier so he could’ve helped the program even more. Keep up the interesting articles, Scott.
Suggest removalPor (Joseph A. Perez) on January 23, 2008 (Suggest removal)
C. Young, you are just trying to re-write history without regard to the facts! McPherson was a similiar problem to Lee as to immaturity showing up in different ways. Coaches also thought HE had great potential but was a problem child from the start. The coaches tried to shoe-horn both into the line-up despite their lack of work ethic, but it never worked. You also seem to forget the evidence of McPherson’s gambling.
Suggest removalPor (Joseph A. Perez) on January 23, 2008 (Suggest removal)
You also seem to forget Bowden’s reputation for giving a player more extra chances than most coaches, and even HE ran out of chances for McPherson. You also seem to forget that it was Boldin who asked to be moved to wr even tho coaches expected him to be a star. When he asked to be moved, Bowden reportedly said “son, are you sure you want to do this? You are giving up an NFL carrer as a qb.” Boldin’s reply was “I never wanted to be a qb, I just played it in high school because somebody told me I couldn’t and I wanted to prove them wrong.”
Suggest removalPor (Joseph A. Perez) on January 23, 2008 (Suggest removal)
You must also have forgotten that the last game Boldin played for the Noles was in the bowl game that year, and he played qb due to injuries, and looked GREAT. I remember one throw he made that went about 60 yards and hit a receiver perfectly! In fact, he said he came out when he did, (after the bowl game) because he was afraid, after his bowl performance, that he would be moved BACK to qb.
Suggest removalStick to the facts and don’t try to rewrite them!
Por (tina peters) on February 26, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Maybe you should research the people that you mention in your article, Xaviers mothers last name is not Lee.
Suggest removalPor (John) on June 04, 2008 (Suggest removal)
Of-course Xavier Lee is one of the biggest in Florida State football and every football lovers should agree on this.
Suggest removalhttp://vacationrentalhotspots.com/florida/daytona-beach-vacation-rentals.php