CAMELLIA BOWL: Mobile native Lee made right choice with Ball State

Ball State head coach Mike Neu (right) has been ecstatic with the play of Mobile native Malcolm Lee, who returns home Saturday in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl. (Staff Photo)

By TIM GAYLE

Mobile native Malcolm Lee couldn’t hide his excitement after finding out his Ball State football team would be bowling in Alabama.

“I called (my family) immediately,” Lee said. “I know there’s a bowl game in Mobile, where I’m actually from, but Montgomery isn’t too far away. That’s still exciting. A lot of my family was coming down for Christmas anyway, so I’ll have even more family coming to this game. It’s a great feeling, just to be out here in front of family and friends.”

So how did Lee, a former Baker High standout, wind up at Ball State?

“He took a chance on Ball State,” head coach Mike Neu said. “When we recruited him, he trusted us and our program and his family trusted that they were going to drop their son off and he was going to be in good hands.

“To see what Malcolm’s done throughout his career at Ball State and especially this year, he’s played a significant role on special teams and a significant role for us on defense at safety. But it’s what is on the inside of Malcolm that makes him special -- unbelievable character, unbelievable work ethic, always has a smile on his face. His personality is contagious. I’m just thankful I’ve had an opportunity to work with him. He’s meant a lot to our program.”

Lee has a simple explanation for why he chose to play for the Cardinals.

“I had an emotional feeling toward Ball State because they were my first offer,” he observed. “I had been injured my senior year and it messed up my recruiting with a lot of schools that were looking at me, but Ball State stuck with me.”

Such dedication had to be rewarded, Lee figured, so his parents flew with him to Indiana to visit the campus. He couldn’t talk to friends or even his high school coach about what to expect from the Cardinals because there isn’t a history of the school’s football program recruiting the Deep South.

“It was a brand-new experience,” Lee said. “The weather, the environment, it was all brand new to me. I’m glad I did it, though. I wouldn’t change anything.”

Neu, a former Ball State player who had just taken over the job after serving as an assistant with the New Orleans Saints, believed Lee was a diamond in the rough after a season-ending injury his senior season seemed to curtail recruiting offers. 

“They take a lot of pride in football in the Gulf South and they have a lot of good football players,” Neu said. “At that time, Willie Snead was playing for the Saints and all the kids in the Gulf South had heard of Ball State because of Willie Snead. So that’s why we recruited New Orleans and the Gulf South so heavily is because of the good football there.”

Lee’s contribution to the Ball State program was delayed at first as he spent much of the first two years on special teams.

“I had to be patient,” he said. “I didn’t get as much playing time in my early years. But I just stuck with it, I’m playing a lot now and I’m just grateful for everything I got now. I’m big on special teams -- I’ve always been big on special teams -- and I’m getting a bigger role on defense now.”

He has saved his best for last. The strong safety has 41 tackles this season along with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. The turnovers and 34 of the 41 tackles have come in the final six games of 2021 as the senior has helped the Cardinals earn a berth in the TaxAct Camellia Bowl.

As he wrapped up practice at ASU Stadium on Wednesday, he reflected on a season that started 1-3, then a slight recovery before losing crucial games to Mid-American West opponents Northern Illinois and Central Michigan in mid-November.

“We definitely didn’t start the way we wanted to,” Lee said, “but we got the ball rolling and everything was still in front of us, including the conference championship. That didn’t go our way, either, but we all have something to play for. There are a lot of seniors on this team that put a lot of work into this team and building it from what it was to what it is now.

“There’s some history behind this game. Last year was our first bowl victory ever. We’re trying to be the first team with back-to-back wins in bowl games. This bowl experience is all fun and games, but there’s no other feeling like winning. If we come out here and lose, it’s kind of defeating the whole purpose of coming down here.

“And it’s on Christmas Day. Nobody wants to lose on Christmas Day.”

Especially Lee. He left Baker High School four years ago with a dream of making a contribution as a college football player. Now, he gets the opportunity to show family and friends the decision to travel 800 miles away from home to play college football was a wise one.

“This is really a home game for me,” he said. “I’m playing in front of more people than I’ve ever played in front of in college. My immediate family comes up for a couple of weekends, but they don’t even come out a lot because it’s like a 10-hour drive. Just being able to come back down South means a lot to me.”