ATLANTA -- Give Vad Lee this, he has to be the only major-college quarterback playing today who is quoting an Indian business tycoon.
When the topic turned to expectations, the Georgia Tech redshirt sophomore quickly offered up his favorite words to live by: "if people are not laughing at your goals," he said. "your goals are too small."
That quote's source?
"I have no idea," Lee said. "I seen it on the Internet somewhere."
For the record, Lee's Google search led him to the words of Azim Premji, the software giant Wipro chairman who was No. 91 on 'Forbes'' list of the world's billionaires with a net worth of $11.2 billion. But it would seem a fitting mantra for a guy with his sights on winning a QB battles in summer camp.
As a freshman, Lee only whetted appetites, showing in flashes that he could be the best QB of the Paul Johnson spread-option offense era on the Flats.
Appearing in 12 games as Tevin Washington's backup, Lee ran for 544 yards and nine touchdowns and was at 5.67 yards per carry, which puts him behind only Miami's Duke Johnson and Florida State's James Wilder Jr. for the highest active average of any ACC player. He was also an effective passer, going 27-of-56 for 596 yards and four scores.
"Last year was definitely a great benefit for me, just being able to see the speed of the game," Lee said. "People talk about the game is faster and you don't think so because it's just football, but it is faster, so I was able to get on point with that."
Despite all that experience, he hasn't been named the starter -- yet. While all indications are that the 6-foot-1, 215 pounder will serve as Washington's replacement, Johnson has left the competition open between Lee and redshirt freshman speedster Justin Thomas, a one-time Alabama commit.
"With me, I'm just playing my game, trying to execute the offense, trying to do everything I can to just be named the starter," Lee said. "But for me and how I'm preparing: I'm the starter and that's how I'm going. That's how I'm preparing."
Johnson's culture of competition could ultimately play to the Jackets' advantage with the possibility that Thomas could pay the Lee to Lee's Washington of a year ago and offer a change of pace. The Alabama state 4A-6A champion in the 100-meters (10.79), Thomas can bring an added dimension that the bigger-bodied Lee can't match.
But it would ultimately be surprising if Lee weren't named the starter, not just for the minutes he's already logged, but also what he's done when given an opportunity.
On Nov. 10 against North Carolina, the Durham, N.C. native and the state's Associated Press Player of the Year in 2010 returned home and on the third series took over for Washington. Lee proceeded to lead the Yellow Jackets on three straight scoring drives and played the rest of the way. He would run for 112 yards and two scores and throw for 169 yards (6-of-10), one TD and one interception.
"There was a lot of emotion built into that because I'm from North Carolina and I always thought I would be a Tar Heel," Lee said. "It was a very exciting game for me, being able to play a lot and more than I ever did the whole season and just to be out there to produce."
The expectations where high enough when Lee arrived in Atlanta after a career at Hillside High School where he registered 5,000-plus yards passing, 1,960 rushing and 1,024 receiving -- he played wide receiver as a sophomore -- but now they've ballooned.
And that's just how Lee likes it.
"I want to be great, not just good," he said. "With me, I have big expectations for myself. I know a lot of people have big expectations for me, but nobody has bigger than I have for me."
Coming off a 7-7 season that ended with a win over USC in the Sun Bowl, Georgia Tech returns 15 starters, including seven on offense. But missing from that group is a proven pass-catcher, especially with Jeff Greene's transfer to Ohio State. The Jackets lost 31 receptions from the wide receiver position in '12, though they do return a big target in 6-5, 230-pound sophomore Darren Waller, who had already made an impression on Lee.
"So far Darren is just looking great," Lee said. "He's separated himself form everybody else and got himself a bunch of confidence."
It's a position Lee is going to have to help develop and take advantage of in the one-on-one opportunities that the run-first scheme produces, especially if in a conference with QBs like Clemson's Tajh Boyd, Miami's Stephen Morris, North Carolina's Bryn Renner and Virginia Tech's Logan Thomas, Lee is going to truly make a name for himself.
About that name ...
Lee was born Lavaedeay, pronounced Luh-VAD-dee-A and when he was in high school his coach simplified things by calling his star Vad. He put it on Hillside's roster and suddenly, it was "Vad Lee" that was the one receiving recruiting letters.
"Really nobody knew my name and I'm pretty sure (unless) you go onto Facebook nobody would know that (Vad) wasn't my first name," he said.
No matter what he's called, Johnson is clear on what he thinks he has in Lee.
"I think we've got a really good football player, at least I hope we do," he said. "He's a competitor, loves the game, wants to do well and likes to win. That's pretty good intangibles to have."
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