February 09, 1993
By Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff
LEESBURG — There were no signs Monday afternoon that Ty Lawrence had signed a national letter-of-intent over the weekend to play football at Southwest Baptist University, an NCAA Division II school in Bolivar, Mo.
Even the shirt he wore to Leesburg High School's baseball practice didn't give it away. Instead of a Southwest Baptist shirt, of which he now has two, he wore a commemorative shirt from the FSU-Miami game played in the fall of 1991 in Tallahassee.
But make no mistake, Lawrence now is a Bearcat.
''I don't know what one is, but I'm a Bearcat,'' Lawrence said with a smile during a break in practice.
Lawrence, who was The Lake Sentinel's defensive player of the year for the past two years as a linebacker, visited the Southwest Baptist campus last weekend along with three other Yellow Jackets. Leesburg quarterback Steve Gooden also signed with the Bearcats, but his parents, who weren't on the trip, still have to sign to make him an official Bearcat, as well.
Gooden and his family could not be reached Monday afternoon to confirm if they had signed.
Leesburg defensive back David Geiger and running back Oran Singleton, whose brilliant high school career was ended with a knee injury in December, also made the trip.
Southwest Baptist was just one of about 20 colleges Lawrence has visited since last summer. Although the NCAA allows only five official visits, of which Lawrence took three, he and his father traveled through North and South Carolina and Georgia last summer, just taking looks at numerous schools.
''Southwest was one of the nicest I have seen,'' Lawrence said. ''I liked the atmosphere and I liked the coaches.''
Many thought Lawrence had signed with the University of Central Florida last Thursday, but that was only a rumor. Lawrence said he did talk Thursday to UCF, which offered him a partial grant, but told the Knights' coaches he still wanted to visit Southwest, which held open grants-in-aid for him and Gooden.
''UCF offered some tuition and books, Southwest was offering me a full ride,'' said Lawrence, 6 feet 2, 230 pounds, who will probably play defensive end or tackle for the Bearcats. ''I liked it up there so I signed with them.
''Plus, I think I have a better chance to start out there sooner. If I went to UCF, I may not start for two or three years.''
Leesburg coach Ed Hoffman, who contacted Southwest Baptist and sent video tapes, was happy to hear of Lawrence's signing.
''I think he will be given a good, fair shake at playing there, rather than him going to some other schools where he might not get a chance to play,'' Hoffman said. ''They say they like his strength and his size.
''The disadvantage with Ty is that you don't see him on the tape playing where he will probably play in college. We used him at center and linebacker but in college he will probably be a defensive lineman.''
Southwest Baptist, after going 7-4 in 1991, suffered through an injury-filled season and finished 2-8 last fall. But the Bearcats play what amounts to a pretty tough Division 2 schedule. Regulars on the schedule include Pittsburgh State, the NCAA Division 2 champs in 1991.
''Ty had four or five viable offers to go to school,'' said Marcus Lawrence, Ty's father. ''UCF called and offered him a partial scholarship, books and tuition. Had they offered him a half scholarship, that is where he would have gone.
''But this (Southwest Baptist) is the school that offered him the most academically and athletically. A full scholarship for a Division II school is pretty good.''
Now signed, Lawrence, who has a 3.4-grade-point-average, now has a little research to do to find out exactly what is a bearcat.
Resources
Joe Williams of The Sentinel Staff
Orlando Sentinel
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