Undersized tight end leads Valdosta State on championship run

VALDOSTA, GA - A 6-foot, 200-pound college football player isn&#39;t your typical picture of a tight end. <br> <br> But for the last three years, Valdosta State&#39;s C.J. Lofton has been anything but a normal tight end. <br> <br> ``I&#39;m not big enough to be a tight end. I&#39;m a slot receiver playing tight end,&#39;&#39; Lofton said. ``It gives me an advantage over linebackers and safeties. It&#39;s created a lot of mismatches.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> On Monday, Lofton became only the 39th player in the Gulf South Conference&#39;s 32 years to be named a three-time all-conference first-team selection. <br> <br> This Saturday, Lofton and his Blazer teammates try to advance for the first time to the national semifinals of the Division II playoffs. The opponent is Carson-Newman, with the kickoff at 1 p.m. at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium. <br> <br> ``We&#39;ve got a team that can take that next step and be a national power,&#39;&#39; Lofton said. ``All the seniors are trying to leave something good for the program.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Lofton will leave his mark on the school and Gulf South record books. This season, he leads the team in catches (62) and has five touchdowns. He&#39;s been in a race with fellow fifth-year senior Reggie Mosley on the career receptions list. Mosley has 216 catches, Lofton 213. While both will finish behind Sean Pender&#39;s 247 career catches, each can catch the Gulf South&#39;s No. 2 all-time pass catcher, William Mackall, who caught 224 passes at UT-Martin in the late 1980s. <br> <br> Lofton&#39;s 2,573 career receiving yards is fourth all-time in Valdosta State history and seventh in Gulf South history. He needs 74 yards to move into sixth on the Gulf South list. His 31 touchdowns is tied for fifth in VSU history. <br> <br> Lofton made a full circle to come back to the Blazer football program. The former Lowndes High School standout originally signed with Kentucky, then attended Hargrave Military for a year before returning to Valdosta State. <br> <br> What he found back at home was a struggling offense on a team that struggled to win games. He caught just 18 passes as the team won a program-low four games. <br> <br> Then came head coach Chris Hatcher and the wide-open Hatch Attack offense. <br> <br> ``They welcomed me with open arms, and I appreciated it,&#39;&#39; said Lofton. ``It&#39;s been a fun ride. This offense has been able to get the ball to me and let me do a lot of things with the football. I appreciate Coach Hatcher coming down here and helping us out.&#39;&#39;