Justin Lightfoot

Infobox Gridiron football person
Name=Justin Lightfoot
team=Midwestern State Mustangs


ImageWidth=200
Caption=
status=Active
Position=QB
number=
College=Midwestern State University
DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1988|06|27
Birthplace=
Height_ft=6
Height_in=3
Weight_lbs=210
playing_years=2003-2006
2006-present
playing_teams=West (HS) Trojans
Midwestern State Mustangs

Justin Lightfoot (born June 27, 1988) is an American college football quarterback for the Midwestern State Mustangs. He was a former Rivals.com 3 star athlete.

Biography

The son of Vincent Lightfoot and Melanie Martin, Lightfoot was raised in West, Texas. Lightfoot grew up loving the outdoors and is a big hunter and fisher. He also has been involved with rodeo, once as a bull rider and once as a steer roper.

Lightfoot is not the cousin of former Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox outfielder Scott Podsednik, who hit the game winning home run in game two of the 2005 World Series, and former Texas A&M hurdler Frankie Pavelka who was ranked as the 4th 300m hurdler in the nation as a senior in high school.

Football career

High school career

Lightfoot attended West High School in the small town of West, Texas. Lightfoot started on varsity as a sophomore at receiver while backing up a senior quarterback. Lightfoot's head coach Rick Wolf felt that Lightfoot was too good of an athlete to sit the bench as a backup quarterback. Lightfoot had 47 receptions for 302 yards and 6 touchdowns as a receiver his sophomore year despite never playing receiver before in his life. Lightfoot actually practiced at quarterback during the week and played receiver on Friday nights, but his knowledge at quarterback of all the receivers routes allowed him to be one of the go to receivers. Lightfoot ended up starting the last 3 games of the season and split playing time with the senior quarterback in order to get ready for the next two years. Lightfoot's junior and senior season consisted of over 3,700 passing yards and 39 touchdowns while rushing for over 1,300 yards and 18 touchdowns, all records at West High School.

Lightfoot also lettered 4 years in track capturing three district titles and the region 1-AAA title and two state appearances in the 110 meter high hurdles, and two district titles as the first leg of the 4x400 meter race. Lightfoot averaged 17.3 points per game on the hardwood as a junior and was the 2005 Super Centex Utility player of the year in baseball.

College prospect status

Lightfoot was a Rivals.com 3 star quarterback and ranked the third best quarterback in the Super Centex 2006 class. Before signing late with Division 2 powerhouse Midwestern State because of a track injury, Lightfoot was being recruited by Division 1's ranging from Wyoming to Texas. Lightfoot took his five official visits to Baylor, TCU, North Texas, Oklahoma State, and Louisiana-Monroe.

College career

Lightfoot redshirted his first season at MSU and spent most of the year running the scout team offense. The passing quarterback of the offense, Rahsaan Bell, went down in the second to last game against Eastern New Mexico with a sprained AC joint, which left only running quarterback Daniel Polk with playing experience, who also sprained his ankle in the game. Lightfoot was quickly thrown into the mix and ran the first team offense during practice for the last 4 games of the season while Daniel Polk stayed out of practice to protect his ankle.

In the Maroon and Gold spring game, Lightfoot impressed coaches by throwing for 131 yards and a pair of touchdowns to Andy Tanner and Robert Wells.

Lightfoot entered the fall as Daniel Polk's backup. Lightfoot saw action in 9 of the 11 games. Lightfoot had a 15 yd rushing touchdown in his first collegiate game against Adams State and received his first college start against East Central University.

References

#http://news.mwsu.edu/inews/view.asp?ID=1324
#http://www.jsrelays.org/Results/2006.htm
#http://msumustangs.athleticsite.com/profile.asp?playerID=90
#http://www.gotroytrojans.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2946.html
#http://www.texassports.com/results/tr2005/050406P027.htm
#http://www.dyestat.com/3state/r3so/6out/mar25-jesuit-sheaner.html
#http://texasprepxtra.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=494716

ee also

*List of football players from small colleges