2016 Football Roster
Lee, Donovan
vs
TCU
Oct 4 (Sat)
5:30 p.m.
Jersey Number 29
Donovan Lee
- Position:
- Tailback
- Height:
- 5-9
- Weight:
- 180
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- West Hills, Calif.
- High School:
- Chaminade College Prep
Bio
AT COLORADO: 2018 (Sr.-RS)—He appeared in four games (no starts); his only stats on offense came on senior day against Utah, when he had two carries for nine yards … He had one kickoff return for 31 yards and returned two punts for minus-1 yard in his limited action … He finished 60th on CU’s all-time receptions list (46), 19th in kickoff return yards (617) and 108th in rushing yards (431).
2017 (Sr.)—Redshirted; he suffered a fractured fibula in spring practice on March 15 … Healed in time to be cleared to rejoin the team for summer workouts and practiced throughout fall camp, but with the running back position well-stocked for the season and losing several seniors, he ended up taking a redshirt year.
2016 (Jr.)—He played in 10 games with one start (UCLA) in addition to appearing in the Alamo Bowl ... After playing both running back and receiver his first two years in the program, he was used solely as a tailback ... Rushed 28 times for 97 yards on the season with a long rush of 21 yards ... Caught seven passes for 38 yards ... In the season opener he rushed 10 times for 41 yards and followed that up in week two against Idaho State with 40 yards on the ground ... He had 15 yards rushing on seven carries and caught one 13-yard pass in a week five win over Oregon State ... He was Colorado’s nomination for the Paul Hornung Award (one of 43 on official watch list), which is presented to the nation’s most versatile player.
2015 (Soph.)—He saw action in 11 games, including three starts (UCLA, Stanford, Washington State); he missed the first two games of the season … Lined up at both tailback and receiver, he finished third on the team in rushing with 49 attempts for 286 yards for a team-best 5.83 yards per carry … Top game came against Nicholls State, when he had 103 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown (a 59-yard scamper) … His other scores came against UCLA, when he gained 62 yards on 13 tries, and versus Stanford (17 yards) … Also caught 26 passes for 128 yards (no TDs) and earned 21 first downs, 14 rushing and seven receiving, one of just two players with at least seven of each … Led the team in kickoff returns with 22 for 540 yards, an average of 24.5 per … He was fifth in the Pac-12 and 32nd in the nation; the 540 yards were the 14th-most in a single season by a Buff … He caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, with two rushes for 13 yards and a score in the four main spring scrimmages.
2014 (Fr.)—He played in the final 10 games of the season after debuting against Arizona State the third week of the year; he also had one start (at Arizona) … Caught 13 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, with eight rushes for 39 yards and one kickoff return for 46 yards (the latter against Utah) … In his first game against ASU, he ran a reverse which gained 45 yards, which occurred just the second time he touched the ball in college … Caught a season-high three passes twice, for 18 yards at California and at Arizona (for 17 yards) … Earned four first downs on the year and earned six special teams points (on the strength of two tackles, a fumble recovery, a knockdown block, a force fair catch and a caused penalty).
HIGH SCHOOL—As a senior, he earned first-team All-State (Division II) honors from both Cal-Hi Sports and MaxPreps, in addition to being named All-CIF Southern Section Western Division and garnering All-Area team accolades from both the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News … He was the Mission League’s Most Valuable Player on defense, and Chaminade’s MVP overall, culminating a career where he was a three-year starter on both offense (running back and wide receiver) and defense (cornerback) … He was also team MVP his junior season, when he garnered honorable mention All-CIF, All-State and first-team All-Mission League honors; he made the All-State Underclassmen Team as a sophomore … As a senior, he rushed for 1,979 yards on 247 attempts with 37 touchdowns, averaging 8.0 per carry, while hauling in 29 catches for 610 yards and four more scores … Had three games with over 200 yards rushing and nine with 100 or more … On defense, he was in on 63 tackles (40 solo, three for losses with a quarterback sack), with five interceptions, returning three of those for TDs, 10 pass deflections, a forced fumble, a recovery and a blocked kick … As a junior, he had 76 carries for 652 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 22 receptions for 299 yards and two TDs … Had 52 tackles (42 solo), with six interceptions (123 return yards), 11 passes broken up, two forced fumbles and two recoveries (for 74 yards in returns) … His sophomore year, he rushed 20 times for 136 yards and three scores, with one reception for 14 yards; he racked up 60 tackles (50) solo with six interceptions and 10 deflections ... For his career, he rushed for 2,770 yards, with 923 receiving yards, 17 interceptions, 31 pass deflections and 65 touchdowns, the latter including seven return scores … He saw spot action on the varsity as a freshman (four rushes, three yards) … Top games as a senior: in a 56-35 win over St. Francis, he rushed 24 times for 274 yards and seven touchdowns (with 74 more yards on three receptions); he had 222 yards and five TDs in a 46-43 win over Notre Dame and 133 yards and four scores in the big win over Serra; and in the state championship game, a 41-9 throttling of Enterprise, he had three interceptions, one for a TD, with a rushing TD on offense … In a 64-11 romp over Pacifica his junior year, he had two kick return touchdowns, two interceptions, 56 yards rushing and a score and a 41-yard reception … Under coach Ed Croson, Chaminade was 14-2 his senior year, claiming the CIF Division II state, Division II regional, Western Division and Mission League titles and finishing with a No. 2 ranking in the state; the team was 12-2 his junior season and 11-3 his sophomore year … He also lettered four times in track (sprints and relays), with career bests of 10.8 in the 100 and 51.0 in the 400-meter dash, though he posted a 50.0 on the third leg in a 4x400.
ACADEMICS—He graduated from Colorado in December 2018 with a degree in both Sociology and Ethnic Studies.
PERSONAL—He was born Jan. 31, 1995 in Beaumont, Texas … A younger brother, Dymond, was a quarterback at UCLA.
2017 (Sr.)—Redshirted; he suffered a fractured fibula in spring practice on March 15 … Healed in time to be cleared to rejoin the team for summer workouts and practiced throughout fall camp, but with the running back position well-stocked for the season and losing several seniors, he ended up taking a redshirt year.
2016 (Jr.)—He played in 10 games with one start (UCLA) in addition to appearing in the Alamo Bowl ... After playing both running back and receiver his first two years in the program, he was used solely as a tailback ... Rushed 28 times for 97 yards on the season with a long rush of 21 yards ... Caught seven passes for 38 yards ... In the season opener he rushed 10 times for 41 yards and followed that up in week two against Idaho State with 40 yards on the ground ... He had 15 yards rushing on seven carries and caught one 13-yard pass in a week five win over Oregon State ... He was Colorado’s nomination for the Paul Hornung Award (one of 43 on official watch list), which is presented to the nation’s most versatile player.
2015 (Soph.)—He saw action in 11 games, including three starts (UCLA, Stanford, Washington State); he missed the first two games of the season … Lined up at both tailback and receiver, he finished third on the team in rushing with 49 attempts for 286 yards for a team-best 5.83 yards per carry … Top game came against Nicholls State, when he had 103 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown (a 59-yard scamper) … His other scores came against UCLA, when he gained 62 yards on 13 tries, and versus Stanford (17 yards) … Also caught 26 passes for 128 yards (no TDs) and earned 21 first downs, 14 rushing and seven receiving, one of just two players with at least seven of each … Led the team in kickoff returns with 22 for 540 yards, an average of 24.5 per … He was fifth in the Pac-12 and 32nd in the nation; the 540 yards were the 14th-most in a single season by a Buff … He caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown, with two rushes for 13 yards and a score in the four main spring scrimmages.
2014 (Fr.)—He played in the final 10 games of the season after debuting against Arizona State the third week of the year; he also had one start (at Arizona) … Caught 13 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown, with eight rushes for 39 yards and one kickoff return for 46 yards (the latter against Utah) … In his first game against ASU, he ran a reverse which gained 45 yards, which occurred just the second time he touched the ball in college … Caught a season-high three passes twice, for 18 yards at California and at Arizona (for 17 yards) … Earned four first downs on the year and earned six special teams points (on the strength of two tackles, a fumble recovery, a knockdown block, a force fair catch and a caused penalty).
HIGH SCHOOL—As a senior, he earned first-team All-State (Division II) honors from both Cal-Hi Sports and MaxPreps, in addition to being named All-CIF Southern Section Western Division and garnering All-Area team accolades from both the Los Angeles Times and Los Angeles Daily News … He was the Mission League’s Most Valuable Player on defense, and Chaminade’s MVP overall, culminating a career where he was a three-year starter on both offense (running back and wide receiver) and defense (cornerback) … He was also team MVP his junior season, when he garnered honorable mention All-CIF, All-State and first-team All-Mission League honors; he made the All-State Underclassmen Team as a sophomore … As a senior, he rushed for 1,979 yards on 247 attempts with 37 touchdowns, averaging 8.0 per carry, while hauling in 29 catches for 610 yards and four more scores … Had three games with over 200 yards rushing and nine with 100 or more … On defense, he was in on 63 tackles (40 solo, three for losses with a quarterback sack), with five interceptions, returning three of those for TDs, 10 pass deflections, a forced fumble, a recovery and a blocked kick … As a junior, he had 76 carries for 652 yards and 12 touchdowns, with 22 receptions for 299 yards and two TDs … Had 52 tackles (42 solo), with six interceptions (123 return yards), 11 passes broken up, two forced fumbles and two recoveries (for 74 yards in returns) … His sophomore year, he rushed 20 times for 136 yards and three scores, with one reception for 14 yards; he racked up 60 tackles (50) solo with six interceptions and 10 deflections ... For his career, he rushed for 2,770 yards, with 923 receiving yards, 17 interceptions, 31 pass deflections and 65 touchdowns, the latter including seven return scores … He saw spot action on the varsity as a freshman (four rushes, three yards) … Top games as a senior: in a 56-35 win over St. Francis, he rushed 24 times for 274 yards and seven touchdowns (with 74 more yards on three receptions); he had 222 yards and five TDs in a 46-43 win over Notre Dame and 133 yards and four scores in the big win over Serra; and in the state championship game, a 41-9 throttling of Enterprise, he had three interceptions, one for a TD, with a rushing TD on offense … In a 64-11 romp over Pacifica his junior year, he had two kick return touchdowns, two interceptions, 56 yards rushing and a score and a 41-yard reception … Under coach Ed Croson, Chaminade was 14-2 his senior year, claiming the CIF Division II state, Division II regional, Western Division and Mission League titles and finishing with a No. 2 ranking in the state; the team was 12-2 his junior season and 11-3 his sophomore year … He also lettered four times in track (sprints and relays), with career bests of 10.8 in the 100 and 51.0 in the 400-meter dash, though he posted a 50.0 on the third leg in a 4x400.
ACADEMICS—He graduated from Colorado in December 2018 with a degree in both Sociology and Ethnic Studies.
PERSONAL—He was born Jan. 31, 1995 in Beaumont, Texas … A younger brother, Dymond, was a quarterback at UCLA.
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