Byron Center’s Isaac Lee had 3 football visits and played AAU basketball in the same weekend
Isaac Lee pushes the ball up court while playing for the West Michigan Lakers travel basketball team at the Storm Classic on Sunday, April 21, 2024. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - Many teenagers will sleep in on the weekends if they can.
Not Isaac Lee.
The dual-sport junior at Byron Center High School packed in as much as he could the past three days.
“It was a crazy weekend,” he said.
Growing up, Lee had always been a basketball kid. But in the past year, his sports future took a left turn. Now he’s getting so much attention for his play on the football field that Division I programs are calling. He got invites this weekend from three college football teams and was able to go to all of them.
Here’s what Lee’s weekend looked like:
Friday: Got out of school, drove up to Big Rapids to see the Ferris State University football team play its spring game and then toured the campus.
Saturday: Got up early to play an 8:30 a.m. basketball game with his West Michigan Lakers travel team at the Storm Classic in Grand Rapids. Then drove to East Lansing to watch the Michigan State University spring game, got a tour, met the coaches, then drove back to Grand Rapids to play in his Lakers’ 8 p.m. basketball game.
Sunday: Woke up early again for an 8:30 a.m. basketball game, scored a team-high 17 points, then drove down to Valparaiso, Indiana, to watch the Valpo spring football game and got a tour of campus. Got home and did some homework.
It’s a surprise he got any sleep.
“The first (Lakers) game, I was just getting back to getting used to playing AAU (basketball),” he said of Saturday. “From 1 to 4ish (I was at MSU). So the night (Lakers) game was at 8 p.m. I had plenty of time to rest.”
Why not just focus on the recruiting trip to MSU?
“I just love to compete,” Lee said. “I probably could have slept in. But that would be selfish if I skipped the game if I didn’t need to.”
Byron Center’s Isaac Lee throws the football around during media day on Aug. 6, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
Lee is a 6-foot-1, 170-pound wide receiver and cornerback for the Bulldogs football team, which was 10-2 last season.
“I always knew I was good at football,” Lee said. “But last season, I was stepping into the role as one of the better players and making those plays consistently. I’ve always been more than a football player but there was never much attention.”
That changed on Sept. 22 of last year when the Bulldogs beat eventual state champs Forest Hills Central 15-14.
“Against Forest Hills Central, I had over 100 yards that game with a touchdown and an interception and it was game of the week,” Lee said.
He finished the season with 43 catches for 635 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had four interceptions on defense.
Lee doesn’t have a football offer yet, but with a strong summer and fall, they will come.
His high school basketball teammate, Keane Hinkle, also is on his West Michigan Lakers team.
“Obviously, he wants to play football at the next level,” Hinkle said. “He’s going to take whatever opportunities he gets with football.”
Lee and Hinkle are both point guards for the Byron Center basketball team, which was 18-6 last season.
“This was the first year we played high school basketball together,” said Hinkle, a junior. “We need to work on our chemistry a little bit, but it helps playing AAU. We’ve played AAU on the same teams our whole lives.”
Byron Center’s Isaac Lee plays against Jenison in the Cornerstone Holiday Tournament on Dec. 20, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).
What kind of basketball player is Lee?
“He’s a good point guard and distributes the ball well,” said Hinkle, who is an outstanding player, too. “He can also put the ball in the hole and he helps us stay organized.”
Another West Michigan athlete had a similar story to Lee. Jake Vermaas, a senior at South Christian, was always a basketball kid, who played football for fun and to stay in shape.
But after a monster performance in the state title game and a huge junior year, Vermaas is now a football player. He has committed to play at Grand Valley State as a receiver.
Coincidentally, Lee and Vermaas are now working out together.
“It’s very similar,” Lee said of Vermaas’ path. “I actually have to go workout with him today (Monday). We’ve trained together for about three weeks. I’ve asked him about his process. We workout at Coachman Strength and Conditioning.”
Lee hasn’t ignored his school work, though. He has a 3.9 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society.
