The University of South Florida has teamed up with Northwestern Mutual Teague Financial Group to spotlight the top Bulls in the classroom with the Northwestern Mutual Academic Student-Athlete of the Month award.

By TOM ZEBOLD

USF Senior Writer

TAMPA - Speedster Lindsey Lamar is a dual threat.

When he isn't making dazzling plays on the football field, last season's Big East Special Teams Player of the Year is hitting the books pretty hard. Lamar posted a 3.8 grade point average last fall - during football season - and stayed strong in the spring with a 3.5.

For those accomplishments, the junior was named USF's Northwestern Mutual Academic Student-Athlete of the Month in September.

"Every chance I get I try to study - at night, at home, on the road, on the plane," Lamar said. "I balance it pretty good."

Credit another Lindsey Lamar for instilling those values in the one that puts on the pads for the Bulls.

"My dad has been there since Day 1. He always stayed on me and told me to stay focused," Lamar Jr. said. "He told me I had to get grades and I had to do the right thing. I give all the credit to him."

While football fans like to mainly think of their favorite Bulls simply as players, there is much more to Lamar than just a No. 5 on his jersey. He's a mass communications major and has been working hard to get into broadcasting.

"I like the field," he said. "It lets me meet a lot of new people."

It wasn't always this way.

Lamar admitted he wasn't too outgoing in front of people as a freshman, but a public speaking course changed all of that.

"I was kind of shy before then, but the teacher helped me break out of that," he said. "It taught me a lot of different tools to use when I'm speaking in front of the camera."

You've seen his moves on the field, and you might be seeing his smile on TV one day as a sports analyst.