Battles making most of final year at USF

[RJWGoBulls]

Battles making most of final year at USF

Former Wildwood standout had ‘incredible’ offseason to earn starting spot on defense

10/08/04

By RICH LOVIE

Daily Commercial Staff Writer

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Cedric Battles has waited a long time to be a starter at the University of South Florida.

It has been five years since Battles’ last game at Wildwood, and four years since he sat out the 2000 season as a partial qualifier.

And now that he’s at long last part of the Bulls’ starting lineup, Battles wants to make the most of it.

“I’m playing OK,†he said, “but there’s a lot more room for improvement, and in these last (seven) games, I’m really going to step it up. I have to step it up to help my team out.â€Â

Battles has endured position changes and a shortage of playing time during his career in Tampa. He also has had to learn the importance of hard work.

As a high school phenom (he was a Daily Commercial All-Area selection from 1997-99), he didn’t always have to work hard to earn playing time and to dominate the opposition, but that’s not the case in college.

“When I first came out of Wildwood, I was very immature,†he said, “and I really didn’t have a strong work habit. By me coming here, I developed a work ethic. Everybody in college has talent, but you have to have a work ethic and be coachable on the college level.â€Â

USF defensive line coach Earl Lane, one of three coaches on staff who has been in Tampa for the Bulls’ eight years of existence, echoed Battles’ self-appraisal, saying Battles had much to learn about hard work when he arrived in 2000.

“One of the things Cedric has done over the past two and a half to three years is improve his work ethic,†Lane said. “He gets himself mentally ready to play the game, as well as physically ready. Your football coaches and strength coaches are going to get you ready from a physical standpoint. A player has to put in some extra time on his own and Cedric does that.â€Â

Battles’ numbers through four games aren’t dazzling, but they reflect his steady improvement. His 14 tackles are tied for seventh on the team. He also has been in on one sack.

“He’s really had an incredible offseason,†Lane said, “starting with spring football this past spring. His summer conditioning was excellent; he was one of the top guys we had working out this summer. He made all his lifting, all his running this summer. His attitude has been really outstanding, the kind of attitude you want from a senior guy.â€Â

The Bulls’ defense, though, has taken its lumps as a unit, allowing 34 points at South Carolina, 31 in regulation of a double-overtime win against TCU and 27 more to Southern Miss in a disappointing home loss on Saturday.

Battles’ long journey mirrors that taken by the USF program during his career. When he arrived in Tampa in 2000, the Bulls were in their final year in Division I-AA. They will leave Conference USA after this season to join the Big East in 2005.

Battles is disappointed he won’t be a part of USF’s first Bowl Championship Series-conference season, but he said he’s proud to have helped the program grow.

“I really did want to play in the Big East,†Battles said, “but, at the same time, I did get a chance to play in a conference and get a chance to get a conference ring. I’m really excited to see what the guys can do next year, knowing they can go to a BCS bowl.â€Â

Lane said he’s proud of the example Battles set in completing his degree (communications) in four years, the requirement for partial qualifiers to regain their final year of college eligibility.

“I think that is a great tribute to the man himself,†Lane said. “To do the things he needed to do to put himself in that position to play tells you something about his work ethic. ... It’s such a great example for our young players here, showing that things like that can be done. It’s just a matter of setting your goals, not being swayed by anything.†Talking to Battles, though, one gets the impression wrapping up his degree wasn’t anything special.

“Not really,†he said of whether there was a stiff challenge in his final semesters. “The last semester, I needed 18 hours, then in summer I ended up needing just 10, so it wasn’t as much stress as a lot of people thought because I knew I was going to make the grades. It’s more relief now that I have my degree.â€Â

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[LakeBull]

At fan appreciation day I got to meet him.   It is amazing how humble he comes across in conversation.   With all he has done he could be forgiven a little arrogance.  It has been exciting seeing him grow at USF.   Hopefully, we will see some of the dominating performance he is capable of during the balance of the season.