Meet Shelby Lee Jr.: The LSU football player who served in the Army

Shelby Lee Jr. was acutely aware that there was only one escape route.

During a training exercise at Razish, a military simulation village in Fort Irwin, California, Lee and around 100 of his fellow soldiers from the Bulsivar Freedom Brigade found themselves cornered in a building. With the enemy closing in, Lee noticed a barred window on the first floor that was just big enough for him to squeeze through.

“You’d have to squeeze to get out,” said Kerenton Green, Lee’s friend and fellow soldier.

Taking his chance, Lee managed to escape through the narrow window while the rest of his team was eliminated. He survived alone in the desert city for another six hours, taking down members of the opposing brigade—which numbered between 300 and 400—before he was eventually captured.

Such remarkable feats were typical for Lee during his 28 months with the Fury Troop 211 Armor Cavalry Regiment in the Army. Under the leadership of Sergeant Ridge Scovil, first as his platoon sergeant and later as his first sergeant, Lee was known as a “team player” who consistently went above and beyond for his troop.

“Even the post commander was aware of Shelby Lee because of the impact he had on everyone,” Scovil noted.

As LSU football gears up to face Army for the first time since 1931, Lee, now a redshirt junior linebacker for the Tigers, brings those same qualities to Baton Rouge. Despite joining as a walk-on and member of LSU’s scout team, Lee’s dedication and teamwork have made him a valued member of the squad.

“He’s an outstanding walk-on,” LSU coach Brian Kelly said. “He’s well-liked by the team and works incredibly hard. He embodies the traits of maturity and dedication.”

Lee’s rigorous training routine in the Army, involving early morning roll calls, intense physical training, and various demanding tasks, shaped him into the resilient and supportive individual he is today. His efforts in the military, coupled with his positive impact on his peers, have carried over into his football career, where his leadership and commitment continue to shine.