USF Leader `Rises Above'

[RJWGoBulls]

USF Leader `Rises Above'

By TED BECK

Ledger Correspondent

Javan Camon knows a thing or two about leading.

He knows that as a leader he has to face the criticism head-on and answer all the tough questions about why his team didn't win.

The South Florida Bulls senior free safety began looking the part before he even came to USF.

It began when he was named the captain of his Little League baseball team in his hometown of Port Charlotte. He then carried over what he learned when he was named captain of his high school football team at Charlotte High School.

And it didn't take his USF teammates long to realize that Camon was a born leader. During fall practice they voted Camon, along with Lee Roy Selmon Jr. (defensive tackle), Alex Herron (center) and Derrick Sarosi (offensive tackle) the captains for the 2004 season. `'I'm not shying away from it," the 6-foot, 185-pound Camon said. "My team picked me to lead them, so that's what I'm going to try to do."

Camon leads the Bulls in tackles with 40 through the team's first four games. USF (2-2, 1-1 Conference-USA) is off today and will continue its C-USA schedule next Saturday night at home against Army.

Camon, 22, has played in every game since his freshman season in 2001. Playing behind J.R. Reed, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles, Camon had to catch head coach Jim Leavitt's eye another way.

He broke in mostly on special teams and made a name for himself on the punt- and field goal-blocking units last season.

Since blocked kicks are kept as a team statistic, Camon's total last year is unofficial. But he is pretty sure he got a hand on at least eight kicks.

"The credit really goes to the defensive line because I couldn't have gotten the blocks without them pushing against the line and giving me the leeway to get in there," Camon said.

With the departure of Reed and his team-leading seven interceptions in 2003, Leavitt knew Camon would be able to step in and continue to lead the defense.

"You've got to be mentally tough to play this game," Leavitt said about the roller-coaster ride Camon experienced in the beginning of the season. "And he's risen above all of it."

First, Hurricane Charley ripped through his hometown of Port Charlotte. He went two weeks before hearing that his family and his home had survived.

And when he did get his first start against Tennessee Tech on Sept. 11, he was involved in a violent hit that landed his opponent in the hospital. Tennessee Tech wide receiver Drew Hixon caught a pass at midfield and turned to try for more yardage. That is when he met Camon and freshman cornerback Mike Jenkins. The hit immediately knocked Hixon unconscious with what doctors called a deep brain bruise. Nearly a month later, Hixon is still in the hospital in a coma-like state.

"It's a physical game, and injuries happen," Camon said. "Injuries happen. But, at the same time, you never want to see anybody get injured like that.

"(The team) just hopes everything turns out all right."

Camon was recruited out of high school as a very fierce hitter. This is not the first time that he has been involved in a dangerous collision. He made a hit before high school that also knocked a player unconscious, which almost scared Camon off the football field for good.

"It really set me back and I almost didn't want to play again," Camon recalled. "My mom sat me down and told me to keep playing."

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041009/NEWS/410090405/1002/sports

[smazza]

sounds like hixon suffered a subdural hematoma,brain bleed or a brain shearing injury

"deep brain bruise" hope it wasn't a USF doctor that said that

[Apis Bull]

sounds like hixon suffered a subdural hematoma,brain bleed or a brain shearing injury

"deep brain bruise" hope it wasn't a USF doctor that said that

Where did you go to med school?

[beastiebull]

Just curious.  How many int's do we have this year.  I can't recall many.  How many did we have last year?

[Omniscientbull]

This season we have only intercepted 1 pass (Trae Williams returned for a TD) and have thrown 6 interceptions.

Last season we intercepted 13 passes and threw 12 interceptions.

At our current pace we will only intercept 2.75 passes this year, and we will throw 16.5 interceptions.

That's an ugly projection.

[beastiebull]

Just another cog missing from our machine that was present last year.