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Tillison Happy To Be Back

Tribune File Photo (2005)

Tillison ended up helping the Armwood Hawks reach the Class 4A state title game.

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By ADAM ADKINS | The Tampa Tribune
and TONY FABRIZIO | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 27, 2008

The name Lance Tillison probably will ring a bell for some area prep football fans.

While the Iowa sophomore defensive back/linebacker spent just one season playing in Hillsborough County, his arrival was well-documented.

A little more than three years ago, Tillison was displaced from his home in Slidell, La., by Hurricane Katrina. With his hometown ravaged and his family's home destroyed, Tillison found refuge with relatives in Thonotosassa and spent his senior season at Armwood.

As tough as things were off the field, Tillison found a way to thrive on it. He ended up helping the Hawks reach the Class 4A state title game, including catching the game-winning touchdown with eight seconds remaining against Miami Washington in the state semifinals.

"I had some good times. Met a lot of people, made a lot of friends," Tillison said. "It was just awesome."

While most of Tillison's immediate family has returned to the New Orleans area, some cousins still remain in the Tampa area. With Iowa arriving Wednesday for Outback Bowl preparations, Tillison got a chance to catch up with his relatives during the holidays.

"It was pretty good. I haven't seen them in like a year and a half," Tillison said. "It was just good being back."

Tillison has appeared in 22 of the team's 24 games since his arrival, playing mostly on special teams. This season, he has five tackles and one interception.

Tillison is one of three area players on the Hawkeyes roster, joining freshman RB Jeff Brinson (Northeast) and sophomore LB Troy Johnson (Lakeland).

GAMECOCKS MAKE LANDING

South Carolina is here, too.

Two days after Iowa descended on Tampa and commandeered the Hyatt Regency hotel, Coach Steve Spurrier's team arrived Friday afternoon and spilled into the Westin Harbour Island Hotel.

The bulk of the South Carolina team arrived by charter flight from Columbia, S.C. Several other players sifted in on their own from their respective home towns and Christmas holiday destinations.

"We weren't going to make Stephen Garcia come back to Columbus to take the team charter back home," South Carolina sports information director Steve Fink said of the former Jefferson star.

Fink said the only S.C. player who's definitely out for the game is freshman safety Akeem Auguste, who has a hamstring injury.

South Carolina coaches thought they would be without starting punter Spencer Lanning, who was ruled ineligible because he failed to pass six credit hours in his major this semester. But Lanning won an appeal of the ruling.

UNFAMILIAR OPPONENT

Iowa and South Carolina are no strangers to the Outback Bowl. Each program will be making its third appearance in the Tampa bowl game.

However, this appearance not only will mark the first time the two programs have ever met, but also it will mark the first time each program has faced a different opponent from the first two trips to the bowl game.

Both of South Carolina's previous Outback Bowl appearances were against Ohio State, while both of Iowa's previous appearances were against Florida.

The Gamecocks are 2-0 all-time in the bowl, defeating the Buckeyes 24-7 in 2001 and 31-28 in 2002. Iowa is 1-1 all-time in the bowl, defeating the Gators 37-17 in 2004 while losing 31-24 in 2006.

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