Player of the Year: Hartselle's Lee joins elite list of former Tiger quarterbacks
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Dec. 27—HARTSELLE — Playing quarterback at Hartselle is easier said than done.
However, if you're able to excel at the position, it can put you in rarefied territory.
Since the award was created in 1978, seven Hartselle quarterbacks have been named The Decatur Daily Player of the Year. That list includes former Auburn quarterback Randy Campbell (1978), the very first Decatur Daily Player of the Year, as well Cameron Mims (1981), Clay Stiles (1994), Will Lang (2010), Deacon Aldridge (2012), Luke Godsey (2018) and JT Blackwood (2021).
Now a new face is added to the prestigious list as Hartselle senior Carter Lee becomes the eighth Tigers signal caller to win the award.
"It's pretty special (to be Player of the Year). To have your name mentioned with some of the best that have played quarterback at Hartselle is pretty cool," Lee said.
Like many of his predecessors, Lee only got one season to show his stuff. Hartselle hasn't had a quarterback start a season opener in back-to-back years since 2017-18.
Despite only having one year as a starter, Lee made it count. The senior completed 70% of his passes for 1,997 yards and 20 touchdowns with just five interceptions. He also rushed for 263 yards and five touchdowns.
"Our offense is a little more complicated than your average high-school offense so a lot of quarterbacks here have to sit for three years to learn. There's a lot more to it than just going out and throwing," Lee said. "The good thing about that is, when you finally get your chance, you feel prepared for anything."
Lee's position coach and offensive play caller also happens to be another former Hartselle quarterback who was named Player of the Year: Assistant Head Coach Will Lang.
Lang, who started for the Tigers for two seasons in 2009-10, said it takes a lot for player to be willing to bide their time waiting to be the starting quarterback.
"I think it says a lot about the character of the kids we have because if I'm being honest, I don't think I could have done it," Lang said. "The great thing about Carter and a lot of the other guys we've had is most of them played other positions while also being the backup quarterback. That really helped them learn even more, while also helping the team, and I think that speaks volumes."
Lang has coached several star quarterbacks at Hartselle, including Godsey and Blackwood, but he admits he was surprised at just how good Lee was this season.
"I knew he could throw it on the run, but I did not think he would throw for 70% and a lot of it be from in the pocket," Lang said. "I think that's a credit to him and the work he put in over the last three years."
Lee showed his worth multiple times this season, not only on the stat sheet, but also in critical moments. His highlight came when he led a game-winning drive to preserve an undefeated record on the road at Jasper. throwing the go-ahead touchdown with seven seconds to go.
"That's one of those games, one of those moments that you grow up acting out in your backyard," Lee said. "There were a lot of special memories from this season, but that one will always stand out."
So with now eight Hartselle quarterbacks that have now been Player of the Year, where does Lee rank amongst them? Lang said it's hard to rank them, but he doesn't know if any of the previous seven could have been a better quarterback for this particular team than Lee.
"If you lined them all up and watched them throw, Carter would probably be the last you'd pick," Lang said. "But when you look at his whole game, I think there's a lot of things that your average fan doesn't see. Quick decisions, throwaways, reading defense. He's smart in addition to being a great athlete and I think that puts him up there with any of them. He was exactly the guy this team needed."
— caleb.suggs@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2395. Twitter @CalebSuggs2
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos