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Top Five Reasons Why Marqise Lee Won Biletnikoff Award

Evan Budrovich |
December 6, 2012 | 8:10 p.m. PST

Staff Writer

Lee was a star from USC's very first play of 2012. (Jerry Ting/NT)
Lee was a star from USC's very first play of 2012. (Jerry Ting/NT)
Marqise Lee became the first Trojan receiver in history to win the Biletnikoff Award. Robert Woods and Keyshawn Johnson were finalists for the award but could not haul in the prestigious award as best wide receiver in the nation.

The sensational sophomore, now Biletnikoff Winner, has developed into the nation's best receiver after he was originally recruited out of high school as a safety.

Lee is a special talent and also a special person, as an exemplary athlete and student. These qualities make Lee's rise to prominence inspiring, plus his play on the football field is just amazing to watch.

Lee led the nation with 112 receptions and grabbed 14 touchdowns. He is a flat-out great player, but what key moments propelled him over Terrance Williams of Baylor and Stedman Bailey of West Virginia?

Here are the top five reasons why Marqise Lee won the 2012 Biletnikoff Award:

No. 5: #BeLEEVe

When hashtags start flying around you, potential is soaring in your school community. USC started with Be7ieve and then switched to Bel13ve, but next thing you know, USC's wideout received his much deserved praise. 

Stanford head coach David Shaw called Lee the best receiving prospect he has seen since Randy Moss, and UCLA's Jim Mora said he could be an impact professional player right now.

Let's not forget that Lee missed part of practice the week of Arizona to study for midtern exams, an exemplary attempt to place academics at a similar level to athletics. Congrats Marqise, you truly are the best student-athlete wide receiver in the nation.  

No. 4: Opening Play Versus Hawaii

It was the first play from scrimmage, with expectations through the roof and the sold-out Coliseum ready to erupt. Matt Barkley throws a sideline pass to Lee, who makes one juke to the field and glides down the sideline for a TD. 

With that 75-yard reception, Lee began his Biletnikoff season with a not too sensational catch but an outstanding display of athleticism to fool Hawaii's defense.

When pundits believed USC could score 50 points a game and annihilate opponents, Marqise Lee was the man. Lee fired up an anxious Coliseum crowd and started the season with a bang. That was the moment in which USC fans realized they had no one-hit wonder and that Lee would put up numbers similar, if not better, than Wood's the previous year.

Lee was among the Pac-12 leaders in all-purpose yards. (James Santelli/NT)
Lee was among the Pac-12 leaders in all-purpose yards. (James Santelli/NT)
No. 3: All-Around Package

Not only did Lee make the big play, he was an overall beast in every game this season. Lee caught an average of nine completions per game and recorded one game with fewer than 50 yards receiving (32 against Washington). 

Lee supplied his full effort on every play and exemplified the "Prep Not Hype" motto that Lane Kiffin was dishing out all season. What made Lee special was his ability to turn one small reception into a long gain. The elusiveness and strength that could be combined into one wide receiver made Lee the best in the nation. 

Every time Lee was near the ball, USC fans were rarely worried that their best weapon wouldn't pull it down. Although sometimes over-targeted, Lee used his speed, hands and timing to snag some amazing catches throughout season.

Let's not forget that Lee led the Pac-12 in All-Purpose Yards, and ranked third in the nation in that category. Lee's ability to return kicks on special teams made him the ultimate receiving threat. Occasionally, fans would cringe at his lateral decision-making and then cheer when he would break the play open for a huge gain.

No. 2: Record-Breaking Reception

In the final game of the regular season against Notre Dame, Lee eclipsed a record set by teammate Robert Woods for most receptions in USC single-season history.

Lee broke the reception record, fittingly enough, on a 53-yard bomb from redshirt freshman quarterback Max Wittek. Lee used his ball skills to swim around the defender and move his way to the football.

That play led to one of the worst goal line play-calling sequences in recent history, but only after Lee drew two pass interference penalties. But Lee does not call the plays, and his catch kickstarted the Trojans hopes against top-ranked Notre Dame.  Lee played all-out for the entire season and ended the campaign on a positive note in the stat column.

No. 1: One Man Wrecking Crew Versus Arizona

The performance Lee put up against Arizona is one for the record books, in USC and NCAA history. During a stretch in the 2nd and 3rd quarters, Lee looked like the best player on the planet. USC fans could only stand and watch in amazement as their weapon was unleashed against Arizona.

Lee finished the game with 345 yards receiving on 16 receptions, breaking the USC and Pac-12 record for yards receiving. At the end, Lee had scored with two touchdowns while averaging 21 yards per reception, quite the game for a sophomore.

With all the accolades, Lee humbly said after the game that he was upset that the Trojans lost and that he could not grab the game-ending Hail Mary from Matt Barkley.

That team-first mentality signifies Lee's maturity as a person and elite-level skill as a wideout. The 2012 Biletnikoff Winner made his biggest statement on a smoldering-hot October afternoon in Tuscon. 

Reach staff writer Evan Budrovich here, or follow him on Twitter.



 

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