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Gators? Buckeyes? Irish? Spears!

Gaither's Lydell Ross, a top target of college recruiters, has surprising interests outside of football.

By FRANK PASTOR

© St. Petersburg Times, published December 21, 2000

TAMPA -- Steve Spurrier, Tommy Tuberville, Phillip Fulmer and John Cooper visited his home. Auburn welcomed him during a recruiting trip.

Hundreds of coaches wrote letters, sent e-mails or called in an attempt to lure him to their school. But there is one person Lydell Ross really wants to meet: teenage pop sensation Britney Spears.

"To meet Britney Spears in person, shoot, that'll top meeting Bobby Bowden," the Gaither senior said.

Ross, Hillsborough County's career rushing leader and one of the most coveted running backs in the country, admits to an infatuation with all things Britney.

He has her posters on his walls. He owns her CDs. He belongs to her fan club. He even wrote to the MTV show FANatic hoping to meet her.

"A big old football player is not supposed to be a fan of someone loved worldwide by millions of girls," he said.

Maybe not. But then Ross is full of surprises.

He reads Money and Gentlemen's Quarterly. He plans to study international business and open an exotic car dealership.

His emergence as a top running back was equally unexpected.

After missing the final five games of his sophomore season with a toe injury, he broke onto the scene as a junior.

Called up from the junior varsity after injuries shelved Gaither's top two running backs, Ross rushed for 251 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-13 season-opening victory over Sickles. His performance prompted Gryphons coach Shannon O'Brien to call him "the best running back in Hillsborough County."

Ross, named for former Baltimore Colts and San Diego Chargers running back Lydell Mitchell, exploded for 206 yards the following week against Wharton. He added 148 against King, 170 against Tampa Bay Tech, 302 against Plant and 249 against Chamberlain. He finished the season 7 yards shy of 2,000.

Late in the season, he found a letter in his locker from the University of Miami. At first, he couldn't believe it was for him. Then he looked closer at the envelope.

"When I saw Lydell Ross on it, I about jumped through the roof," he said.

The letter, expressing Miami's interest in him, convinced Ross he could play at the Division I-A level. A senior season in which he rushed for 2,698 yards and 28 touchdowns erased all doubt.

Ross broke Fred Reid's regular-season rushing record of 2,083 yards and Zain Gilmore's single-season mark of 2,322. His 5,120 career yards surpassed the record of 4,591 set by Tampa Catholic's Earl Reeves.

Along the way, Ross led a Gaither team that had won just eight games in four seasons prior to his junior year to a 17-3 record. This season, the Cowboys advanced to the Class 6A quarterfinals before falling to Melbourne Palm Bay.

Colleges lined up for the chance to land the 6-foot-1, 215-pound back with quick feet, great vision and a 3.3 grade-point average.

Ross received daily calls from coaches. His e-mail basket bulged. He went to sleep three hours later than usual.

One day, he returned from practice to find 27 messages on the answering machine.

"It got to the point I had to unplug the phone because I couldn't take it anymore," he said.

Over time, Ross limited his list to five schools: Florida, Ohio State, Auburn, Tennessee and Notre Dame. He has Caller ID for his telephone. To further limit contact from other schools, he gave his cell phone number only to schools on his list.

Ross said he is looking for a school whose coach can tell him he will have the opportunity to play and whose interest exceeds the others.

"Those five schools hit me the hardest," he said.

Ross and his parents, Francine and Melvin, have visited Auburn. Next month, they will travel to the other four schools. Ross doesn't expect to make a decision until he has taken all of his visits.

Coaches will try everything to sway Ross' decision. But a savvy recruiter might try another approach: a certain blond pop star.

Introducing: Lydell Ross

AGE: 17.

FAVORITE TEAM: Tennessee Titans.

FAVORITE ATHLETE: Eddie George.

FAVORITE MAGAZINES: Money, Gentlemen's Quarterly, ESPN.

FAVORITE MUSICAL ACTS: Britney Spears, Pastor Troy, DMX.

FAVORITE VIDEO GAMES: Madden 2001, NFL 2K1.

ITEM ATOP HIS CHRISTMAS LIST: 2001 Camaro Z28 (metallic black).

FAVORITE MOMENT: Receiving the game ball after he broke the county rushing record.

FUTURE PLANS: Study international business, own an exotic car dealership.

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