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ST. PETERSBURG - Jerrell Lamb said he went home because he had a headache. Didn't tell anyone he wasn't going to practice. Just got on the bus and left.
Practice went on without him, and so did the first half of the Vikings' first game. Northeast coach Jerry Austin benched Lamb to teach him a lesson about being a team player. Sure enough, Lamb is starting to catch on.
"He's one of those kids who could do it without working," Austin said. But coming from the old school, Austin said, "He's got to work.
"He is a good player. He's got that second burst that can make something happen."
Lamb, a junior, is the county's fourth-leading rusher, averaging a little more than 10 yards a carry. Lamb said he was surprised to see his name among the statistical leaders. "I never thought I'd be that way," Lamb said. "I really didn't ever pay attention. Now I always want to be up there."
Lamb is not one of Northeast's starting running backs, but his boyish 5-foot-10, 175-pound body usually makes an appearance on the second play. And he gets as many touches as other players. He said he knows he has turned himself around this season.
"When I first came to the team, I was lazy, and I didn't want to do anything," Lamb said. "My teammates told me I needed to stop playing around."
Now, he said, he is focused. During last week's victory against Countryside, Lamb played free safety, his defensive debut this season. Austin said he was pleased with what he saw. Lamb covered well, broke up a few passes and made some key tackles.
Tonight, Northeast plays at Seminole in its first district game, and Lamb might make a difference on both sides of the ball.