Dec. 24, 2010
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By John Denton
UCFAthletics.com
ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - Sure, the present would come a few days late, but Derrick Hallman wouldn't mind the delay one bit. All the UCF senior linebacker wants for Christmas is a victory in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
After all, Hallman has gotten just about everything else out of a career at UCF that he could have ever hoped for and more. He's been an all-conference performer, he's won two conference championship rings, he's starred at two positions and he's put himself in position to play in the NFL. All that remains is that first-ever bowl win in school history for UCF.
``I've got everything but a bowl victory,'' Hallman said with conviction. ``It's been everything I thought it would be here and more. A lot of the things that I've done I could never imagine until I experienced it, but now I just want this bowl victory. It would be the perfect way to close this chapter of my life.''
That opportunity for a bowl win will come on Dec. 31 in the Liberty Bowl against Georgia (6-6). The No. 24 Knights are 10-3, champions of Conference USA and winners of eight of their last nine games. The season was filled with many firsts for the Knights with UCF being ranked for the first time ever and winning a school record five road games. Now, Hallman hopes that a first bowl win - especially one against a traditional Southeastern Conference power like Georgia - could clear up some skepticism about the Knights.
``They're a good team. It's big for us playing a SEC school so that we can finally hush those critics who say, `Who (has UCF) played? Who have they beaten?''' Hallman said of Georgia. ``This would be a marquee victory for us.''
Chosen as one of four captains of the team, Hallman was one of the unquestioned leaders of the team on the field and in the locker room this season. After the Knights started 2-2 and lost to Kansas State in crushing fashion, Hallman organized a team meeting where he spoke of sticking together and there still being plenty to play for. And in the days before the Conference USA title game - one in which the Knights defeated SMU 17-7 - Hallman passionately spoke to teammates about the game being a chance to leave a lasting legacy at UCF.
Hallman's legacy is safe at UCF, where he ranks 11th all-time in career tackles with 274 total stops. And he did that despite spending parts of two seasons at strong safety and two seasons at outside linebacker. This season, he rankled second on the Knights in total tackles with 81 stops. And even though his one and only interception didn't come until his final regular season game, he proved to be quite a big-play producer with 7.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and six pass breakups.
``He's played for us all four years and he's not a real loud guy. He leads by example on and off the field and has done well academically,'' UCF head coach George O'Leary said. ``He's played a position that's sort of a hybrid with a nickel linebacker/strong safety. He's made a lot of big plays here for four years and he'll be a very difficult player to replace.''
When told that defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable described Hallman as ``a consummate football player,'' Hallman was nearly speechless. A deep thinker who is thoughtful, outspoken and gregarious it was rare to see Hallman at a loss for words. But clearly he is a player who cares dearly about the legacy he leaves behind.
``That's an honor and a huge compliment. I pride myself on doing things right,'' Hallman said of Huxtable's praise. ``My old high school coach (Chris Hutchings at Fort Pierce Central) told me to just do things right and you will keep a lot of people off your back. I try to tell my little brothers and cousins that all of the time. When push comes to shove a coach is always in your corner.''
As concerned as Hallman is with the mark he will leave behind with the Knights football program, he is also plenty excited about the future and promise of UCF. He has already predicted that freshman phenom quarterback Jeff Godfrey will draw the kind of recruits to UCF to make the Knights a Top 10 team. And someday soon, he predicted, UCF will win a national championship.
But it all starts, Hallman stressed, with attaining this first bowl win for the program. This, he said, could be the start of something really big for the Knights.
``Twenty years from now or however long it takes UCF to win a national title, and I will be able to say that I was a part of helping to put this team on the map,'' Hallman said. ``I can't wait to come back in a few years, because I know Bright House (Networks Stadium) will expanded by then and this program will keep getting bigger and bigger. But first we have to beat Georgia and get this bowl win. That would be so huge for all of us.''
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John Denton's Knights Insider appears on UCFAthletics.com several times a week. E-mail John at jdenton@athletics.ucf.edu.