Lyle Fitte is not quite sure growing up in the deepest part of Louisiana helped make him a successful kick returner. Then again, he's not sure it hurt him either.
"We have a lot of space down there and we learn how to run," said Fitte, a junior from South Plaquemines High School.
Whatever the reason, Louisiana Tech has found success with its bayou-bred returners, a tradition Fitte continued in the middle of a tropical storm Saturday night.
When the 5-foot-8, 190-pound speedster gathered in a Corey Acosta kickoff and returned it 86 yards, it marked the sixth straight season a Bulldogs player has garnered a return touchdown — the longest streak in the nation.
"So much of that has to do with just having a return guy," Bulldogs coach Sonny Dykes said. "So much of that has been Phillip Livas, obviously. I think they have had good return guys here in the past and I think we have a good one here now in Lyle Fitte and we expect a lot out of them."
And they have delivered. Buoyed by his touchdown return, Fitte averaged 46 yards on his three kick returns while the Bulldogs as a team checked in at a 33.6-yard-per-return clip.
Like Livas, Fitte is a south Louisiana native. Unlike Livas, his return style is much different.
"He makes a quick decision and goes with that," Bulldogs special teams coach Mark Tommerdahl said. "Livas really tried to set things up. (Fitte) is full throttle from when he catches the ball. Livas was shifty. That's two distinct styles, but they both have good players in front of them."
Though their styles differed, Fitte was more than happy to watch Livas for two seasons. Few players, after all, are afforded the opportunity to learn from someone who holds a share of an NCAA career record.
Livas, who was one of the Miami Dolphins' final preseason cuts, left Tech with eight kick and punt return touchdowns.
Although their styles differ, that didn't change Livas' impact on Fitte's game.
"He was a great mentor for me," Fitte said. "I knew it was going to be hard trying to fill his shoes. I made it my goal to try my hardest."
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