Spurrier wants more team dedication

[MeanGreen61]

Anyone know how many Mean Green players are on campus working out ?

Spurrier wants dedication

USC football coach says players need to make more of a commitment to summer workouts

By JOSEPH PERSON

jperson@thestate.com

For the second consecutive year, Steve Spurrier said attendance at USC’s voluntary summer workouts has left plenty to be desired.

The Gamecocks’ coach cited eight to 10 “so-called players” who have failed to make early-morning conditioning runs and afternoon weightlifting sessions part of their regular summer routine.

“We’ve got some lazy guys here that are not going to make it. It’s just a matter of time before they fall by the wayside,” Spurrier said Thursday during what he called a midsummer media briefing.

“But that happens everywhere, and usually that’s why they don’t make it. They don’t give any effort. They quit. They skip workouts, skip class.”

Spurrier’s words echoed his remarks from July of last year, when he said USC needed to improve its commitment level to become a “big-time football program.”

Unlike last year, however, Spurrier said he could not criticize the poor attitudes of players left behind by former USC coach Lou Holtz.

“A lot of them are guys we signed. You can’t blame the former staff on guys that were signed (by Holtz) all the time,” Spurrier said. “We signed some of these guys. Their commitment level just isn’t there. And if it doesn’t improve, then obviously they don’t have much of a chance of playing.”

Spurrier said about half of the players in question were upperclassmen. Injured receiver Syvelle Newton is the only player Spurrier mentioned by name — and that was in response to a question about Newton’s recovery from Achilles surgery.

“He’s another guy that’s not always here. But he wasn’t always here last year, either,” he said. “So he needs to improve his attendance at these things.”

Spurrier was quick to point out that attendance at the summer workouts is not mandatory. Among the major violations that landed USC on NCAA probation for three years was the finding that Holtz’s staff conducted mandatory workouts during the summers of 1999 through 2002.

“It’s voluntary. There’s no discipline this time of year for these guys,” Spurrier said. “But to show that they care for their team and their teammates, they should be there.”

During the summer of 2005, Spurrier mailed letters to as many as seven players explaining they were in danger of losing their scholarships. But Spurrier said the letters had more to do with scholarship limits and were unrelated to attendance issues.

Under sanctions imposed by the NCAA, this is the second and final season USC will have 83 scholarships, two below the Division I-A standard. Spurrier said the Gamecocks are in good shape in terms of available grants; he again plans to award scholarships to several walk-ons in September.

While Spurrier conceded this year is the worst attendance for summer workouts he could recall among his teams, the 45-pound plates in the Gamecocks’ weight room are not rusting.

“We’ve still got plenty of players that are really busting their tails and trying to get ready to have a big season,” Spurrier said. “We just don’t have the 98 percent.”

The former Duke and Florida coach praised several players for their summer work, including quarterback Blake Mitchell, tailback Mike Davis, senior cornerback Fred Bennett and defensive tackle Marque Hall.

Spurrier hopes he can add to that list by the time preseason practice begins in August.

“Hopefully,” he said, “our guys will pick it up through the rest of the summer.”

[FirefightnRick]

Anyone know how many Mean Green players are on campus working out ?

I'm hearing there has been a very good turnout so far. Nearly all of the skill position guys on offense have been taking part in 7 on 7 drills and putting in extra work for strength and working on speed drills as well. Not as many D skill position guys have turned out as the offense though but overall it appears the Mean Green are very anxious to put last years season behind them and turn it around.

I'm hearing Shawn Early has become an animal in the weight room and has put on considerable weight and strength. So much so that it's being discussed that it could possibly be considered trying him out somewhere on the D line? Evidently Shawn decided long ago to come back from his knee surgery and take back that year he lost and make the absolute most of it.

I also have heard Ajani Banks is massive and has added weight and strength as well. I expect we will see JQ at his top performance level as I'm certain he has added more speed to his game during the track season. It's going to be a lot of fun watching him this fall. If for some reason incoming freshman Nick Foster ends up seeing playing time this fall we will have possibly the largest O line we have ever seen suit up for the Mean Green. In the past we have had massive linemen on the roster but they never panned out to see significant playing time. But after seeing how well he moved laterally in the Oil Bowl game I expect he will contribute more than we have seen from other large O line guys in the past.

Overall this upcoming season has a lot of potential to see some new faces and great talent do some things. My biggest question I have is of course at Defensive Tackle. If we get that question answered we will get back to our winning ways this season. One rumor I am hearing, and maybe it's just wishfull thinking, but I hear that T.J. Raymond is letting it be known that he will be eligible this Fall so we will see. Many feel that if he could ever come back and provide depth at that position it will make all the difference in the world for us? We'll see. We were 4 stops away on third and long situations last year from having at least a 6 win season so it's extremely important that we get the middle D line taken care of.

Needless to say I'm looking forward to training camp for sure.

Rick

Edited June 24, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[MeanGreen61]

Thanks Rick. Greatly appreciated.

[Seminole Indian]

How in the world could anyone call these workouts ‘voluntary’ after reading the comments by Spurrier.