Lee Becton: Athlete Interview Series

A Conversation with Lee Becton

    Prior to my conversation with Lee Becton, I happened to come across an article centered around him titled, Lee Becton: ND’s Artful Dodger. “ND” as in, Notre Dame, of course. Published nearly nine years ago, the article gave me some great insight as I prepared a list of questions to ask Mr. Becton. Leaning heavily into his experience as a Notre Dame football star, the Q&A-style publication hit on some of the key points in Lee’s college experience. In the article’s subtitle were the impressive stat lines of “177 yards vs. USC, 122 yards against Florida State and Boston College, and 138 yards vs. Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.” These high-level performances came during his breakout Junior season in 1993 and were against some of the premiere programs in college football at that time. It was beneficial to come into our conversation with an understanding of his thoughts on those athletic achievements. More importantly, it built a certain level of intrigue for me to give attention to the journey that led him to those high points.

 

    It was great to learn how Lee Becton’s athletic peak was not merely based on statistical success on the field. Yes, when an athlete can reliably show up against top-tier competition, much respect is earned, and rightfully so. The highest form of it was shown from Becton’s teammates, who eventually voted him as their team captain. This prestigious honor is not geared for those who only “show up” against those who wear a different jersey, but for those wearing the same one, day in and day out.

 

My goal for this conversation was to uncover the psyche of someone from a small town who just so happened to have a major gift. It is no question that a big component of any athletic ability requires an extensive list of physical capabilities. Known for his skill to make defenders miss, there is a reason he was deemed an “artful dodger” on the football field. What Lee Becton now displays at this stage of life is more along the lines of artful. Evident in his response to every question was Mr. Becton’s extensive level of thought, care, and respect he has always maintained. Lee’s style as an interviewee was quite different from his as a shifty, hard-to-contain running back. There was no hint of any “dodging” when it came to this conversation. In sharing his experience as it actually happened, Lee Becton took everything head on and with full attention. I thank you, dear reader, for giving his story your attention, as it is one that has yet to be told in this way. 

MB: Where were you born and raised and what did your folks do for a living?

LB: I was born right there at Craven County’s hospital in New Bern, North Carolina. My mom worked at a garment factory at first, then she worked for Moen corporation. My dad worked at PepsiCo. They were both just hard working, kind of factory workers.

MB: Early on in your life, what role did sports play in that time period and when was it that you first suited up in football pads?

LB: Yeah, so that’s a really interesting question. I believe I started playing when I was nine years old. I was playing for the Vanceboro Steelers under Coach Willie Harris. The crazy thing is, and not a lot of people know this, back then you had to take a physical before you could play. I’m not sure if they are still doing that, but you did, and I actually had a heart murmur that, when I went and took the first physical, the doctor told me I couldn’t play. So, I was all upset because I really wanted to play, you know? I’d go to school and I’m out there running around with all my classmates and all my other friends were playing and they were like ‘Lee , you need to come out and play!’ And so, I’m all excited and wanted to do it but the doctor was telling me no. So, we went and saw another doctor, got another physical, and that doctor told me no again.

So, I’m sitting there and my mom is like, ‘you can’t play’ and I’m crying. Then through people, found out … this is the bad side of it, but there was a doctor that was passing everybody and my mom looked at me and she said, ‘do you really want to play?’ and I said, ‘yes, ma’am’ and so she took me to this doctor and he passed me and that’s how I ever got on the field. I would have never played a single down without that happening.

MB: That’s really interesting backstory there

LB: Not a lot of people know that story.

MB: Wow, that’s incredible. Once you did make it there on the field, Coach [Clay] Jordan mentioned how other parents and coaches there could definitely tell that you were on a higher level than those you were playing against at that young age. At that point, were you able to also realize that about yourself?

LB: Honestly, I didn’t. You know, for me, I was just a kid out there having fun. Hanging out with my friends. But I was just very competitive. I never wanted to lose. No matter what I was doing, I wanted to be really good. From a really early age I always had a team-first mentality and I never thought it was ever just about me. You know, when I was playing with the Steelers we had some really good guys, some really good players on that team. It never dawned on me that I was that good. I knew I was doing good things, but for me it was we’re doing good things. My first game for the Vanceboro Steelers I ran for a touchdown- a sixty yard touchdown. It didn’t phase me. I thought nothing about it. Like, okay let’s just move on to the next thing. It wasn’t that big of a deal to me.

MB: In those early years, did you lean into that running back position?

LB: It was, but it was more because I was one of the faster kids. I was pretty athletic. I was, for my age. I was big. I was the kid that, because they did a weigh in before every game, would think ‘how can I trick the scale?’ like ‘is there a way I can trick this so I can play?’ It was just a time frame where you always wanted to have one of your better athletes with the ball in their hands, as much as possible. So, it just translated to that and for me, I wasn’t even thinking about the position. I just wanted the ball. Growing up, I grew up around a lot of my cousins and we always played backyard football and stuff. Running was a big part of that. So, by that time, it came extremely natural to me. Like, it wasn’t work. I didn’t have to think about it. It just kind of naturally evolved, but it didn’t hurt that we didn’t throw the ball a lot. In the times we did throw, there were times where I was doing the throwing. I never envisioned or thought that I was going to be a running back. I just enjoyed playing. 

MB: I think that’s definitely the best approach. Speaking of approach, off the field, going through elementary school, middle school, and into your high school years, as a student, what was your mindset then and did you already have good habits built in from those earlier years in the classroom. 

LB: Yeah. Well, yes, so- not many people know this story, either. There’s an event that happened in first grade that kind of changed things for me. Kindergarten and first grade just weren’t that difficult for me and in first grade I was acting out a lot because I was bored. I was in class and everything was so easy, at least it felt like that to me and I was acting out. My first grade teacher got really upset one day and was in the hall crying. The teacher’s assistant came in, grabbed me, and said, ‘Lee, look at what you’re doing.’ Seeing her that emotional, because she saw the potential in me and I wasn’t living up to that potential, changed everything for me. So, from that point on, because I wasn’t a bad student, it changed my attitude towards education.

MB: I’m sure that image of her with that emotion stayed with you all throughout those years.

LB: I’m fifty-years-old and I still remember that day.

MB: Thinking of your family, was there a high standard and expectation that they set, there at home, for you to take that seriously when you left home and went to school?

LB: One hundred percent. You know, my mom- the one thing you were going to do was make sure you got your school work done. You can have all the fun you want, but you’re going to get your school work done. She worked hard, you know? And she wanted a better life for her son. She knew the only way for that to happen is that you have to get that education. There’s more opportunities now in life than she had as a kid. She wanted to make sure we were prepared to take advantage of any of those opportunities. So, it was very important to her.

MB: Did sports also have a role in keeping you motivated as a student?

LB: The biggest thing with sports and the education piece, you know, of course you had to maintain a certain level in the classroom, because if you did not meet those obligations you were not able to play. For me, personally, sports wasn’t the driving force. I think I mentioned earlier, I was competitive and I just wanted to be better than everybody else in the classroom. That was my driving force. So, I tried harder. The coaches never worried about me in the classroom, ever. That was never an issue.

MB: Some of the things that made you great on the field, that competitive mindset, also helped out in the classroom. 

LB: It did.

MB: Your athletic expectations going into high school, what were those like going into your freshman year and was there any intimidation you felt?

LB: It was a lot more intimidating. I honestly didn’t know what to expect, going from Vanceboro Steelers to the Dolphins. I will say, there was something when I was with the Steelers that really- when I look back and examine it all, it really- as far as my mindset, how I played, how I worked, it all started with the Steelers. The Steelers and the Dolphins- Coach Harris and Coach Morris were absolutely amazing coaches. They were incredible. I was one of the better kids on the team, but I wasn’t treated like that. I had to run wind sprints. I had to do leg lifts. I had to work just as hard, if not harder, than everybody else. One of the things they instilled in me was that if you are the star player or what not, you’ve gotta be the example. So, I literally- even in middle school, in 7th grade when I could have played for the middle school team, I went and played for the Dolphins again because I loved playing for Coach Harris and Morris. I couldn’t play my eighth grade year, so I played at the middle school. When I was looking at going into high school, I was petrified. Because I was going to those Friday night games and back then, Friday night games were the thing. Everybody in town went.

MB: They shut the whole town of Vanceboro down for those games!

LB: Yeah! It was insane. So, I grew up idolizing Jesse Campbell and Norman Becton, and all the other guys that came through there. I was like, ‘man, I wish I could be as good as them.’ But never did I think that I could. It never dawned on me. I was petrified. Going and playing JV, that first game I did not think I would do well and I ended up doing well. But I never thought that I was just that good. I just never did. It was all about putting in the work, and more importantly, my teammates had a lot to do with my success. That was, like I said, instilled in me at a very early age, which I think is a great thing. Because I was a kid, you know I was big, and it just could have been, ‘alright, we know we can do these things with Lee, so we don’t have to work that hard.’ Those two coaches [Harris and Morris] were the exact opposite. We’re going to work you even harder. So, by the time I got to the JV team, it was all about the team. I just, I don’t know, I never thought that I was that good. It just never entered my mind. 

MB: That might have been a healthy approach to have, you know, sometimes those who think they are the best really are not.

LB: Yeah. I think when you’re always striving to be the best- If you always have that mentality then you’re going to continue to work and try to grow yourself as an athlete and as a person. But if you think that you’re great, then what’s there to strive for? So, I was just always trying to get better.

MB: From a physical standpoint, how did you match up with not only those you were playing against, but those you were practicing with everyday? 

LB: By the time I got to JV, I wasn’t the “big” kid anymore. 

MB: They caught up with you!

LB: Yeah! So, I was probably middle of the pack. I wasn’t small. I wasn’t big, but I was still very athletically gifted. I had great balance. My vision was impeccable. It was just the understanding of the game. I had very good football IQ, I would say. Which a lot of people may not understand that but it matters when you’re talking about reading angles, anticipation, and different things like that- of what the other person is going to do. I was a student of the game. I wanted to know what everybody’s position was and what they were going to do.

MB: Around your teammates, did you already develop a leadership role among them, even in your early years was it more vocal or by example?

LB: I was not that vocal. That was something that developed later. I was definitely more of a leader by example. Which is why, as one of the better players, I was going to go out there and run the wind sprints the hardest. I wasn’t going to take any plays off. I was going to be the first to say, ‘I’ll go over and be on the scout team defense.’ It was more by example, then it gradually grew into me being more vocal.

MB: Someone whose name I mentioned earlier, Coach Jordan. Talk about your connection with him from the very beginning to the end of your high school years at West Craven.

LB: So, Coach Jordan was another pivotal person in my life. At an early age, he had mentioned to me, ‘man, I think you’re going to be really good.’ I didn’t think anything of it, but he just had a belief in me that I don’t think I had in myself … of where I could go. Like I said, I never thought about my potential. I just went and played. There were other people telling me about my potential and then they were driving me to it. Coach Jordan was one of those people. I remember my freshman year, the last game of the season we were playing Havelock, I believe. He brought me up from the JV for that game. They do that towards the end of the season for JV guys. Generally you don’t play, right? I was just happy to be out there! It was Friday night lights! I’m super excited, we were down by the goal line, and he ended up putting me in the game and gave me the ball. In that moment, it made me start realizing that he believes in me. Sophomore year comes along and the first game at North Pitt, we run thirty-eight sweep. I fumble the ball. They pick it up and go down to score. They kickoff, the next play he gives the ball to me again, I fumble again! This time I recovered the fumble. He pulled me out of the game and he came over to me and was like, ‘Lee, calm down. Just relax.’ I was petrified! I really was. He puts me back in and gives me the ball again. That was the thing about Coach Jordan in our relationship, he was able to make me realize my potential and do it in a way that wasn’t telling me how great I was. It was just pushing me to mentally be there, be present, and further understand the game. It was just this seamless thing. We would talk about anything, whether it was football or school, whatever it may be, we talked about a lot of different things. He made sure I understood that no matter how good you are, it’s not just about you. There’s something I tell people all the time, that I’m only as good as everybody else or teammates. What I mean by that is, and I’ve been asked this question about who is the most important person on the team, the most important people on the team are the people who are on what they call the “scout team.” How can I get better if I’m not being pushed in practice? They are by far the most important people. If they’re giving one hundred and ten percent, then I’ve gotta give one hundred and ten percent, which means that I’m going to get better. That was one of the things that Coach Jordan taught me, is that your team is the one that will get you to where you want to go. 

MB: Before getting more in-depth about the sport of football, you were also a standout in track as well. I think you played basketball, also. Speak on how that helped you on the football field by being active year round and not just focusing on one sport. 

LB: Yeah. So, the crazy thing is, everybody knew me from football, but I was the first student at West Craven to make the varsity basketball team as a freshman. It’s kind of weird like that but Coach Jones, huge influence. Man, you talk about someone that pushed me. I mean, it was-  whew! He was intense! Coach Jones shaped me a lot, as well. Like, a whole lot. For me, how those things translated, and why I’m glad I did it and I wish more kids would do it nowadays, is that running track. I was working on explosiveness, because I was a long jumper, triple jumper. I did some sprints, but that wasn’t my big forte’. For me, it was more of the jumps. 

Side story, but I remember the first day I learned how to triple jump. I had Coach Jones in gym class and it was raining outside. We couldn’t go outside so we were in the gym. For some reason we were doing the triple jump in the gym and he was like, ‘man, you’re pretty good at this!’ The next thing you know, I’m out on the track doing the triple jump. Had never thought about it in my entire life. I was a long jumper. To answer your question, in track, you work on top end speed, you work on- for me, I was working on explosiveness. When you triple jump, you hit and you’re pushing off. So, in football that translated with when I’d make a cut. My explosiveness came out of that cut. So that was how that translated. 

Basketball, the lateral movement. That lateral movement was absolutely insane. It was the best thing I ever could have done, because you’re working different muscles of your body when you’re doing other sports. Like, football is more straight-line and power. Basketball, you work on quickness and agility and different things like that. So, getting all those other skills and honing those in one hundred percent helped my football career. I started playing organized basketball at the same time I started playing organized football when I was nine. 

MB: You didn’t try to go out there and pull a Saquon Barkley-like hurdle on the football field, did you? 

LB: (laughs) No! That wasn’t my thing. My thing was, I didn’t like getting hit. So, I tended to make people miss me a lot. But that ability came from the things that I was doing on the basketball court.

MB: That style of play, dodging people left and right, that balance, how did that style of play mesh with the team’s offense? Was it built around your talents once you started to have that varsity role?

LB: You know, I think Coach Jordan did a great job of- it wasn’t necessarily built around my talent, but each year he built our offense around the entire team and what we had available. My junior year, we had a lot of wide receivers. So, we ran a wing-back set with four wideouts and did a one back set. My sophomore year we ran the I-formation and then my senior year, I think we went back to the I-formation. But it wasn’t necessarily built around me, it was built around the personnel we had available, but the plays were- there were plenty of plays to ensure that I got the ball.

MB: One of those personnel members, Kevin Holzworth, your quarterback. I think you guys were pretty close there on the field, and off it, as well. Describe that connection and how it evolved and developed over the years. 

LB: You know, Kevin- great guy, great teammate, great friend. It made things easier for us when you’re friends off the field, as well. Kevin was a lot more vocal than I, and so that was one of the things that I started picking up from him, being more vocal. The cerebralness of the game that he had was just off the charts. So, I was always picking his brain about schematics with what we were doing. We just complimented each other. You know, he was a great quarterback. If he plays in any other era, he throws for two thousand yards a season. But neither one of us let any ego, or anything like that, affect the success of the team. There were games where I would have a good game and he would have a great game. We both would be cheering each other on. That was the relationship we had. It was never about who needed to be the start, it was about what can we do to get another victory.

MB: Having team success on the field, you both were pretty active off the field, as well. Looking through the old yearbooks of my parents, all the club photos, one consistent theme was you and Kevin in most of those. Obviously like student body leaders, as well. What were the benefits of being well-rounded outside of athletics? 

LB: It’s one of those things where, too often you hear about how high schools have cliques, right? The athletes hang with athletes, these people hang with these people. I didn’t want to be that type of person. I wanted to know as many people as I could, be friends with as many people as I could. Joining those groups and being part of our student body was a part of that. I didn’t want people to look at me as Lee Becton, ‘the star.’ I’m just Lee. I’m your classmate. That’s just who I am. It wasn’t a conscious thing where I was doing it on purpose, it just felt like the right thing to do. 

MB: At what point during those high school years did you start receiving some college interest?

LB: I started getting some interest my sophomore year. Just very local- local colleges, because Coach Jordan had great relationships with college recruiters. It started then and really picked up my junior year. It picked up pretty significantly. I never dreamed or thought that was even a possibility, until it started happening. I was going up to NC State to watch Jesse Campbell play as much as I could. So, I started to get inspired to do that. 

MB: The word did begin to spread beyond our state. What were some of those big names that began to show up in little ‘ole Vanceboro, North Carolina, just to get a face-to-face interaction with you?

LB: There weren't a lot of big names that actually came because I took a different approach than most with my recruiting. I had some big schools recruiting me: Michigan, USC, UCLA, Miami, Florida State. Of course, North Carolina, North Carolina State, East Carolina, all those. I had every intention of going to NC State. Every intention. I wanted to stay close to home, because my mom. Since I was nine years old and all the way through high school, she only ever missed one of my games. At the time, it was important to me for her to be there. So, I was all set to go to NC State. When things start getting more and more- I mean, I had trashbags full of letters. Crazy. But I just whittled it down my senior year. I remember walking in at school, going to lunch, and somebody was like, ‘Lee, there’s somebody here from Penn State.’ I was like, ‘what? Penn State? Okay, that’s fine!’

Like I said, I was all set to go to NC State … until Notre Dame came around. Which is a very interesting story how that even happened. They were not recruiting me … at all. So, the summer before my senior year, I went to the University of North Carolina’s football camp. I’m out there performing and I’m doing well. This guy named Tom Lemming comes up to me, he writes this magazine called The Tom Lemming Report of his top one hundred football players in the country. He comes up to me and says, ‘hey, would you be willing to be in my magazine? I write this top one hundred list and I want you in it.’ I’m like, ‘Sure! Okay. I’ll do it.’ Well- and I found this out later, Tom is really good friends with the recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame, at the time, Vinny Cerrato. So, Tom immediately calls Vinny and says ‘hey, are you recruiting this kid, Lee Becton?’ and Vinny is like ‘I’ve never heard of him. I don’t know who he is.’ and Tom tells him, ‘man, you need to see this kid!’ So Vinny asked him, ‘so, where’s he at?’ Tom’s like, ‘he’s from Vanceboro, North Carolina. Which is by the coast.’ and Vinny tells him, ‘yeah, we don’t recruit kids east of Raleigh.’ Because, if you think about it, east of Raleigh, we’re all small towns, right? So, Tom was like ‘I’m telling you, you need to check this kid out.’ So, that conversation ends. Well, Vinny is then up in Jersey looking at some kids and this was back when the USA Today did prep honor roll. I made the prep honor roll two weeks in a row. So, Vinny sees this and he’s like man, this is the kid that Tom was telling me about! Because back then, recruiters had to either drive or fly to wherever they were going to recruit kids.

MB: Couldn’t pull them up on their phones back then!

LB: Yeah! So, he decides that, during his east swing, that he was going to come. He ended up coming by West Craven, so that was a big deal. That actually was a big deal. He comes down just because he saw me in the prep honor roll. He looks at the Beta tape and tells Coach Jordan, ‘I need to take this back to Coach [Lou] Holtz.’ That was my senior year. That’s when that whole recruiting stuff started.

When it was time for me to take my visit, I told everybody else, ‘I’m going to North Carolina, East Carolina, South Carolina, North Carolina State, and Notre Dame. If I leave this area, it would only be to go to Notre Dame.’ 

MB: Notre Dame did have some talented running backs on their roster at that point.

LB: Whew! Loaded.

MB: Thinking of Coach Lou Holtz, was he the determining factor to help you take that leap outside of this local area?

LB: He was. There were a couple of things that turned the tide. When I went on my visit to Notre Dame, I got there late because I had a basketball game that Friday. I wasn’t going to miss my game. So my flight left later than most of the other recruits. The graduate assistant was like ‘what do you want to do?’ and I said, ‘just take me to the student union and just let me sit there. I just want to see what it would be like to be a student here. So, he does it and I’m sitting there. People were talking to me and not recruiting me, they didn't know who I was, but they were still just interacting with me. For me, that was it. That, and one other thing. There was one more piece that had to happen. In my mind, I wanted to go, but I had to get my mom on board. So, I told Coach Holtz- because all the other coaches had come and talked with my mom, I’m like, ‘you gotta come to Ernul. You gotta come see my mom.’ So, he did. Which was a pretty big deal for Ernul!

MB: I bet! That’s probably on the top one or two things in Ernul history right there.

LB: Yeah! But the turning point was something he said to my mom. He looked at her, and to me, he said, ‘Mrs. Becton, I don’t know if your son will ever play a down at Notre Dame.’ Now, he’s saying that to a kid that, from nine-years-old to then had played almost every down. He tells my mom, ‘I don’t know if he’s ever gonna play a down at Notre Dame, but I can promise you these three things. One, he’s going to get a great education. Two, he’s going to leave Notre Dame a better man. Three, I’m going to treat him like he’s my son.’ 

MB: That’s what a mother wants to hear. 

LB: Exactly what she wants to hear. That was it! 

MB: Closing out on West Craven, aside from the demands you experienced off the field, did you feel the weight of being such a big determining factor of the team’s success going into each game?

LB: I was more just going out there and playing football. You know, I understood that a lot was going to be asked of me, because I knew I was going to get the ball a lot. I was in that position and I was prepared for that. If I had a bad game, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. That’s just what happened. I will say, playing with Kevin, he lessened a lot of that burden. People just couldn’t try to key on me. They could try that, but we can air it out. We’ve got a quarterback. I put pressure on myself to try to be the best every game, but it wasn’t something where I was pressing. I just knew if you go and you execute and do what you’ve been doing, you’re going to have success.

MB: Entering a new environment at the campus of Notre Dame, there in South Bend, Indiana, far from Ernul, North Carolina, aside from the weather, what was that adjustment like for you?

LB: You know, Notre Dame, everybody says it’s in South Bend. It’s really not. It’s actually in Notre Dame. But, South Bend surrounds it. So, it’s not that big of a deal. South Bend is more like New Bern than anything else. So, it’s actually a really small community. Notre Dame had less than ten thousand students total. For me, it was still that small home feel. It wasn’t that big of a place, which was, for me, that was exciting. It was attractive to me. Everything was pretty closed in. The difference was, I mean, West Craven fans were amazing. Notre Dame fans are different. My goodness!

MB: A lot of tradition there.

LB: That was the biggest thing to get used to. That and the weather.

MB: When you’re talking about the fans, was that more along the lines of both ends of the spectrum of when you’re doing well, it’s all the support, but if something goes wrong, they’re going to get on you? Or was it mainly just the support? 

LB: Oh, no. It’s both ends of the spectrum. When you’re doing great, I mean you’re treated like a god. When you’re not, they’re going to let you have it. 

MB: Aside from that, those external voices there, the demands of being a college athlete and that routine, what was that adjustment like for you?

LB: That was hard. I can honestly say that was a pretty big challenge. Throughout all the years, everything was pretty structured. Now, I’m in college and I’m a long way from home. So, I don’t have anybody looking over my shoulder and telling me to do this. I struggled with that my freshman year, pretty bad. To the point where I was on academic probation and I’m like I’ve never been in trouble academically! What is going on? It was all because I just wasn’t allocating my time right. Instead of doing what I knew I should be doing, I was experiencing college life. Notre Dame had a great support system. They got me back on track and I didn’t have any issues there. You know, I help some kids when they’re talking about going to college and the first thing I tell them is their biggest challenge is free time. You’ve got a lot of free time. You’re not going to school from eight to three o'clock anymore. So just be mindful of blocking off specific times where you’re going to do things so you don’t run into those same pitfalls that I did.  

MB: I did come across one story, something about you carrying a football with you around campus, was that a real thing? If you could, describe what that philosophy was in doing that?

LB: It  actually was a real thing (laughs). Coach Holtz, I would say he fancies himself a perfectionist in the fact that we focused on the small details- your footwork, your stance, your first step. I fumbled one day in practice and nobody told me to do this, I took it upon myself to do this. I was like this ain’t ever happening again. So, I took a football and told my guys on the team, ‘if ya’ll see me around campus, I want y’all to try to knock the ball out.’ Nobody told me to do it. I decided to do it myself just because I didn’t want that to ever happen again.

MB: In those first couple of seasons at Notre Dame, there was already an impressive slew of players on the running back depth chart. One of those being future NFL hall-of-famer Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. What was that learning curve and connection like with him?

LB: First and foremost, let me say this, when I decided to go to Notre Dame I had zero intentions on playing. Never crossed my mind. My whole intent was going and having my education paid for and getting a degree from Notre Dame. That’s all I wanted. Nothing else. I’m not kidding. When I went on my recruiting visit, they were practicing for the Orange Bowl and I’m watching these guys and I see Rocket Ismail run down the field and I’m like how in the world can a human run that fast with pads on? And I see Chris Zorich hit somebody and I’m like oh that guy can never hit me. Like, the size of these people was insane and so I’m like yeah, I’m gonna come here, but I’m going to be over there on that scout team. I’m going to get my education, and everything is going to be good. So, that was my mentality. The backfield was loaded with talent. The learning curve was fairly quick. Jerome wasn’t that vocal. Jerome wasn’t that type of person, at least at that time. The guy that really gravitated me at the beginning was Tony Brooks and Jeff Burris who kind of just showed me what it’s like to be on the team. When you come in, each freshman is assigned a big brother. Jeff Burris was my big brother and there wasn’t a learning curve about the specific position. It was more about this is how we go to work, this is how we do things, this is the expectation, this is what you’re going to get from coach and this is how you need to react to that. (laughs) Jerome, I’m still friends with him. I see him up at games. We talk, we sit together, talk on the phone every once and awhile. Great guy, but I will say the person that mentored me the most ended up being Reggie Brooks, who played some DB and then played running back. He and I became very close and I learned quite a bit from him. 

The early years at Notre Dame were interesting because I came in and we did this physical test. When I was at West Craven I never went to the weight room. My working out was working in the tobacco field or bailing hay. (laughs) That’s what we did during the summer. We did this physical test and I didn’t test well. I was kind of on the back burner with Coach Holtz. But then, when we’d hit the practice field, and I was down there on scout team, I’m just dominating people. I mean, I was giving them a really good look and my running backs coach at the time, Tom Beck, he was a big fan of mine. Eventually, I ended up playing in that third game. I went from being in the background to actually getting into a game my freshman year. They brought me from scout team up to the offense with the ones and twos. It was just working hard. That’s the thing. I come from West Craven, where I got all these awards and accolades, all these things. I got to Notre Dame and everybody has got the same thing, but more! (laughs) It all worked out. It panned out to be the best. 

Funny story, that freshman year, when I finally got to play. Petrified. I had never been in front of fifty-six thousand people before in my entire life. The team we were playing, we were beating them pretty good. They punted the ball and downed it at like the four yard line. They already told us we were going in. So I’m like cool, they downed it that far back, they’re not going to put us in, they’re going to put the ones back in to at least get the ball away from the endzone … no! (laughs) I sat there and I’m standing in the endzone. They called a play for the fullback, I’m like thank goodness, I’m not getting the ball. He got it out to like the seven yard line. The next play they called was “twenty-four zone,” my first carry at Notre Dame went for twenty-six yards. 

MB: Nice little boost of confidence right there, just to get a feel for it.

LB: That was the moment where I started realizing that I could play in college. 

MB: Speaking of the perseverance it takes to go from the bottom of the depth chart to eventually getting in a game, nowadays you don’t see that as much. You don’t have many guys who are sticking it out. A recruiting pitch that doesn’t include a promise to play, and nowadays get paid, is unheard of. What did you learn and gain from going through that?

LB: Well, believe it or not, I wanted to transfer. We played Navy and with the windchill it was like negative thirty or forty degrees and I was like football is not made to be played in this weather. I’m out of here. I’m leaving. I called Coach Jordan like, ‘hey, find out if these coaches are still interested in me, I’ve gotta come back home.’ He was like, ‘you know you’ve gotta call your mom.’ I’m like, ‘yeah … I know.’ So, I called her and she literally said, ‘you’ve never quit anything in your life and you’re not going to start now’ and she hung up the phone. 

MB: That was that.

LB: So that transfer stuff went out the door. If she would have been okay with it, I would’ve been back home. Now, I’m glad she did not let me do that. I’m very glad she did not let me do that. The benefits [of sticking it out] are more of a life lesson. You start learning that when things get difficult, that’s an opportunity for you to work harder and change the situation. Just constantly trying to move on to something better, or that you think might be better, tells me you’re not willing to put in the work. What I learned is that if there’s something you want to achieve, if you’re willing to put in the work and grind and just go for it, you can achieve it. I am so thankful that my mom hung up on me, because I was going to take the easy way out.

MB: Going into that junior season, you really came into your own. Was it the external factor of getting more opportunities, more reps, or did something click for you internally?

LB: There were a lot of things. Yes, I was going to get more opportunities. Each year I had gotten more and more involved in the offense. My sophomore year, Reggie Brooks was the primary back and he killed it! Over thirteen hundred yards and eight yards per carry, yeah he should get the ball. He’s crushing it! But I still got my share. 

My junior year, we brought in two highly touted freshmen and I knew that they were looking over my shoulder. But I was definitely getting my opportunity. I knew as long as I did the things that I had been doing, I was going to be fine. 

Well ...  the first game, I didn’t play that well. The second game, it was okay. The third game, I tore my hamstring. It was pretty bad. One of those freshmen came in the next game, because I didn’t play, and rushed for one hundred yards. I hadn’t rushed for one hundred yards yet. I’m feeling the heat and eventually Coach Holtz called me into his office and told me that I was going to lose my starting position. I was like I can’t let that happen. So, I went to our trainer. He and I had a really good relationship. I said, ‘you’ve gotta get me back on the field.’ He was like, ‘okay.’ He took the inner tube from a tire, a car tire, took the inner tube from that and attached it to the top of my hamstring and to just below my calf, to kind of recreate a hamstring for me so I could practice. I went out and practiced, and I knew the heat was on. I’m like, if I don’t have a good game, I don’t know if I’ll see the field anymore. I went for one hundred and thirty-two yards, which started a string of one hundred yard games that is still the record at Notre Dame. 

MB: Those one hundred yard games eventually led you to over a thousand yards that season.

LB: Yep.

MB: You're there in the backfield when you get the ball, either from a handoff or pitch, you then look ahead and a hole opens up in your offensive line. You see nothing but green grass ahead of you. The entire stadium is looking at you at that point. Going inside the helmet, what’s going through your mind in that scenario? 

LB: Yeah. It’s one of those things where you see it and there’s that initial moment of excitement. Like, yes I’m going to get positive yards. But for me, then it all went to the peripheral vision to see who’s coming. Somebody has to be coming, or you would think somebody is coming. So, I was always just trying to anticipate and really look at where the offensive line’s head is at, their body position, and try to anticipate who might get off a block or something like that, so I could react quickly.

MB: Nowadays, all the stadiums have these massive jumbotron screens and when a runner breaks free and is speeding down the field, you’ll often see them looking up to see how far back the defenders are. Do you think you’d take that approach if you were playing today?

LB: I’ve played in a few stadiums where they did have that jumbotron, but I can say I never looked at it and I still wouldn’t do it!

MB: You had enough of those big runs to where I’m sure you became recognizable even without the Notre Dame jersey on. Around campus, especially during that breakout year and beyond that, what was it like going from place to place with more attention? 

LB: There was definitely more attention off the field once I started getting more playing time and playing well. My philosophy was that the fans come out there to cheer you on. If there are no fans, then you're just out there paying a game with your brothers to get to an outcome. The fans are what make it exciting and bring the energy. So, I was very humbled and if somebody wanted to take a picture or get an autograph I was happy to do it because without them there would be an element of the game missing. Why would I not want to be as kind and as friendly as I can with them? 

MB: The individual success being one thing, the team in that ‘93 season was 11-1. Thinking now in the playoff era, you’ve got twelve teams in the playoff, but even if it would have been four teams, like the first playoff model, do you ever think of what that opportunity would have been like for the ‘93 team, who didn't even get a shot at championship? Florida State was ultimately voted as that season’s champion, who you actually beat during that ‘93 season.

LB: Yeah they got voted. [Florida State Coach] Bowden hadn’t won one yet. I would have loved for there to have been a playoff or just put us against them again in a bowl game. I do think about that from time-to-time because it would have been interesting to see. I mean, they could have put that game in the largest stadium at that time and they would have filled it.

MB: Thinking of the viewership back then with TV, in general, but especially with sports, you’ve got Florida State and Notre Dame for the title? ABC would have been all over that matchup. 

LB: Yeah, your uncles were at that Florida State game. Brynn and Allen came up for that game. 

MB: How frequently did you have guys, who you went to school with, come there to visit? 

LB: You know, there wasn’t a lot, I can say. There wasn’t a lot. Your Dad came, and some other guys I played with did a few times. It was great seeing those guys. We always had a great time. It was super fun. The time that your uncles came, an interesting thing, it was the Florida State game and the place was a complete mad house! There were so many fans there that couldn’t get into the game. Back then, around the stadium, you could have RVs to tailgate and there were just RVs everywhere. There were probably one hundred thousand people not in the game, just outside the game.

When the game was over and we won, I’m trying to find Brynn and Allen. There was no way I could walk out in that crowd. They actually put me in a laundry cart, put some sheets over me and wheeled me out. I got them to meet me over at this other building where a lot of our trophies are. Funny thing is, I’m taking them in the building to go see some of the trophies, Heisman trophies and stuff like that. We’re walking up and, low and behold, ESPN was doing the first ever College Gameday. I walk up, they see me, they ask me if I’d do an interview, I was like, ‘yeah!’ 

MB: I know you were eventually voted as a team captain and with that role and responsibility, what were some of the specific standards you had to meet with a title like that? 

LB: Nowadays they have these councils within the teams, leadership councils and all that, but we didn’t have any of that. As a captain, our job was to do more leading by example. Leading by your work ethic and how you practice. All of those things. When you have those young players behind you, talking with them and making sure everybody is on the same page, as far as what we’re trying to get accomplished and where we want to go. That was what it was all about. It was, ‘We need you to set the example. You’re going to be the pulse of the team and it’s going along with the head coach, but you guys are in the trenches with those guys. So, if they see you working hard then it should motivate them to do the same thing.’

MB: At what point were you able to turn the page from your football playing days and feel satisfied with what you were able to accomplish from those Vanceboro Steelers days through your time at Notre Dame?

LB: It took some time. It really did. I chased that dream for a period of time and, you know, when you’ve played it for so long, it sometimes can become your identity of who you are. For me, it did. I struggled letting go. Figuring out that next passion of mine, I think it happened probably twenty-six years ago. That’s when it started clicking for me. I started getting injuries and different things like that, or more injuries, per se. I talk to kids now about that, because there’s a lot of student athletes that struggle with that. I did. My identity was ‘Lee Bection, [jersey] number four’, which was a complete contradiction from how I grew up, where I was ‘Lee.’

It was all about finding something else that filled the competitive void that I was missing out on. I found it and that changed everything. I got into sales and sales management, stuff like that, but I was doing that for the wrong reasons. I was doing it to just make money, but it just wasn’t satisfying me. It didn’t matter how much money I made, I just was never satisfied. It wasn’t until I started doing sales training and coaching that the void started being filled.

MB: Nowadays, with a passion you’re able to use that competitive energy towards, do you still get involved with football at all? 

LB: You know, it took me a long time to just be a fan. I’d go to a game and I’m looking more at the X’s and O’s rather than just watching the game and enjoying the entertainment. I’m analyzing plays and all of this. I live in Indiana, so I go up to a lot of games and try to catch a professional game here and there, but I watch a lot of games on TV, as well. I love the game, I love the competition. I’m excited that I can watch it without being as critical anymore. I can finally let go and that’s fun. It makes it so much better to just watch it for the entertainment value that it is.

MB: There’s certainly a lot of entertainment there in watching Notre Dame recently. They had a tough finish in this past runner-up season, but they had that success. I’m glad you can enjoy that. 

LB: Yeah, it was great. I actually was at the championship game and they just had a period in that game where they weren’t executing. We had our opportunity at the end of the game to get back into it, but you can’t go that long of a stretch between that second quarter, and the third, without executing. But we’re on the right track. We’re on the right path. I think we’ve got the right coach, so yeah I’m excited where I see us headed right now.