I don’t pretend to be a Philly guy. I grew up in Williamsport, Pa. – birthplace of Little League Baseball and about three hours northwest of Philly.
But my family closely followed Philadelphia’s sports teams and the Person men still get together each year for midsummer trips to see the Phillies and take in the sights, sounds and smells of South Philly.
And while I’m no authority on the infamous Philly sports culture, this much I know: The city likes to hold on to its local sports heroes, especially those who aren’t afraid to get a little dirt under their fingernails.
Phillies’ fans line up every home game to get autographs and buy sandwiches from former slugger Greg “The Bull” Luzinski, who operates a barbecue stand at Citizens Bank Park.
The city’s most famous piece of art is a bronzed statue of a fictional character. There was a story in the Philly papers this week about a supposed plan by Pittsburgh fans to drape a Penguins jersey on the Rocky statue before the Stanley Cup playoff series between the Pens and Flyers.
The jersey caper appears to be a copycat crime: Some devious Canadians threw a Montreal jersey on the Italian Stallion last week during the Flyers’ second-round series.
“Yo, Adrian, get this thing off of me.”
All of this is to say that it was a big deal to many Philadelphians when their own Dawn Staley decided to leave Temple to become South Carolina’s new women’s basketball coach.
Staley is as popular in Philly as Balboa – and she’s not a screenwriter’s creation.
The 38-year-old Staley grew up in Philly, starred at a local high school then made a triumphant return in 2000 following a wildly successful playing career that included three trips to the Final Four with Virginia, three Olympic gold medals with Team USA and five WNBA all-star selections.
Staley didn’t take the Owls to any Final Fours. But she won – something Temple had not done in the 10 seasons before her arrival.
And she took them to the NCAA tournament – something USC did not do during Susan Walvius’ final five seasons. Staley’s Temple tenure included six trips to the NCAAs in eight years.
Beyond basketball, Staley became an icon in her hometown with her charitable work and community involvement. Philly commuters would see Staley smiling at them from billboards along the Schuylkill Expressway.
A story on her departure was slated to run on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer this morning.
Although it ultimately ran on the sports page, the fact that it was even considered for the front page is newsworthy. Usually, The Inquirer only puts sports out front if one of the Philly pro teams wins a championship – in other words, once every 30 years or so.
Columbia has not exactly been a big women’s basketball town in the past. So it will be interesting to see if Staley is embraced by the football populace.
From everything I’ve heard about Staley, her energy and enthusiasm will help sell tickets. And winning will pull some of the fence-sitters into the Colonial Center.
As for finding some Philly staples in Columbia, Staley might have trouble getting a hold of any peanut butter Tandycakes. But there are a couple of places that make good cheesesteaks, and you can catch the Phils on satellite.
It remains to be seen whether Tommy Beecher can beat Florida, Tennessee or the rest of the Beasts of the SEC – or even if he can beat out Chris Smelley for the starting quarterback job in August.
But Beecher, named by Steve Spurrier on Tuesday as the Gamecocks’ starter heading into the summer, showed this spring that he has the physical attributes and leadership skills to at least get the chance.
It was tough to get much of a read on Beecher because he played so sparingly the past two seasons – attempting just 25 passes in six games at quarterback. But the redshirt junior received plenty of work this spring, particularly after Stephen Garcia was suspended again.
What struck me first about Beecher was his arm strength. At one of the night practices the first week or two, Beecher aired out a tight spiral in a drill that must have traveled a good 60 yards.
The pass fell incomplete, but I remember making a note of it because I had never seen Beecher crank out a throw like that. The rest of that night and throughout spring practice, Beecher proved he could make all the passes.
Now, they weren’t always on time or on target, but it was never a question of arm strength – something that remains a concern for Smelley following offseason shoulder surgery.
I also thought Beecher handled himself well after the spring game, in which he threw three interceptions but outplayed Smelley, who had five picks.
When asked whether the quarterbacks missed a chance to put distance between themselves and Garcia, Beecher said this:
“I don’t even know what to expect from Garcia. No one’s really seen him play. … I think Chris and I feel like we can grab the starting spot. I don’t feel like Garcia’s a godsend to get that first spot.”
Beecher was not taking a shot at Garcia or attempting to start a quarterback controversy. He said he understood all the hype surrounding the Garcia, who came to Columbia with more press clippings and recruiting stars than Beecher or Smelley.
But Beecher’s honest assessment sent a clear message that he is confident in his abilities, regardless of which other quarterbacks are in the fight.
Spurrier rewarded Beecher for a solid spring by elevating him to the No. 1 spot, a move Spurrier undoubtedly also hopes light a fire under Smelley.
With three months before the Gamecocks open preseason camp, fans have all summer to debate whether Beecher is the quarterback to take the Gamecocks to Atlanta.
This much is certain: Beecher already has come a long way in three years – and Spurrier can never have enough quarterbacks.
Had things gone as planned, some of you reading this undoubtedly would have been enjoying a Gamecocks’ pep rally or getting ready to jam with the Black Crowes right about now.
Alas, organizers of the Gridiron Bash out-kicked their coverage. The idea of combining spring games with musical performances was not a novel one – Hootie & the Blowfish played the Gamecocks’ Garnet & Black game a year ago.
This one was just a little too ambitious – too many sites, too much money guaranteed to the schools (paging a good contract attorney) and – oops, no one bothered to check with the NCAA whether any of this was kosher.
While the atmosphere at this afternoon’s penultimate practice did not rise to pep-rally level, it was festive nonetheless. A couple of former players stopped by, a few of Steve Spurrier’s buddies were there and Dion Lecorn made a handful of nice catches.
Not much has been written in this space or elsewhere about Lecorn this spring. With Kenny McKinley (toe) out and much of the focus centered on the solid showings by Moe Brown and Larry Freeman, Lecorn has done nothing to suggest a sophomore slump might be forthcoming.
In fact, Spurrier said with McKinley sidelined, Lecorn remains one of the Gamecocks’ top receiving targets. In the next breath, Spurrier said he hopes freshmen Matt Clements and Joe Hills make some plays in Saturday’s spring game.
The offenses better make some plays, considering the restrictions Spurrier has thrown on the defenses, which must count 10 Mississippi’s before they rush. I made that up. In actuality, only four defenders are allowed to rush and several of Ellis Johnson’s top defenders (linebacker Jasper Brinkley and Eric Norwood and tackle Ladi Ajiboye) will play few or no snaps to give the offensive line a fightin’ chance.
(Random blog interruption for Phillies-Mets update: The free-swinging Phils have struck out eight times in the first four innings against Johan Santana.)
Some news following today's practice:
Offensive lineman Gurminder Thind’s career looks to be over. USC will seek a medical hardship waiver for the oft-injured Canadian, whose most recent setback has been a back injury.
Backup linebacker Melvin Ingram underwent surgery today to insert screws in his broken foot, which he injured falling down some steps, Spurrier said. Ingram is expected to miss six weeks to two months – a bad break for a player whom coaches expected to lose weight this summer. Tough to drop pounds when you’re on the mend.
Unless one of the quarterbacks stands on his head Saturday, it sounds as though Spurrier will hold off on naming a starter. He repeated that Chris Smelley and Tommy Beecher have been close all spring.
And don’t be surprised if Brinkley is more of a situational player next year. Johnson said he can’t see Brinkley, who is coming off knee surgery in the fall, being a 70-reps guy.
Scratch Debbie Stroman’s name from the list of possible candidates for the South Carolina’s women’s basketball coaching vacancy.
We’re not suggesting Stroman was on Eric Hyman’s short list. But there has been a lot of buzz about the Lower Richland girls coach – and for good reason.
All the Brooklyn native and former Columbia College athlete has done is pile up more than 350 wins at Lower Richland, including three consecutive Class 4A championships and five state titles overall.
But Stroman said this week there are a couple of reasons she would not pursue the Gamecocks’ gig, the first and foremost being her daughter. Morgan Stroman will be a senior for the Diamond Hornets next year and one of the most sought-after players in the country.
Both mother and daughter want Morgan to realize her dream of becoming a McDonald’s All-American. So, as Debbie Stroman put it, she is “not going to go out on a ledge like that” on the eve of her daughter’s final high school season.
But even if the timing were better, Stroman is not so sure she would be a fit at USC. Stroman, who has been at LR her entire coaching career, believes the Gamecocks need a coach with college experience to turn around a program that has not been to the NCAA tournament in five years.
“I really think anybody getting into that situation is going to have to be a real strong person because I think there’s some things that need to be cleaned up in there,” Stroman said.
If not Stroman, who are the leading candidates to replace Susan Walvius, who resigned under pressure this week after failing to make the NCAAs for the ninth time in her 11 seasons?
Some of the names we’re hearing are Temple’s Dawn Staley, Hartford’s Jennifer Rizzotti and Tennessee assistant Nikki Caldwell. All three are young 30somethings who were successful guards for a few of the country’s premiere women’s programs in the 1990s – Staley at Virginia, Rizzotti at UConn and Caldwell at Tennessee.
(Scratch another from the list: Caldwell was hired Thursday at UCLA.) Link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/04/17/caldwell.ap/
While there are plenty of qualified male coaches overseeing women’s programs, the hunch here is that Hyman would like to hire a woman, and might bring in the first female black head coach in USC history if he finds the right candidate.
But this much is certain: It won’t be Stroman.
(Sorry, folks, I posted this at 1 this morning after the basketball game. I thought I had cut-and-pasted the blog in its entirety, but an astute reader -- thanks Dad -- called me to let me know I had not. Here's the rest of it.)
Like the Democratic presidential primary race, it’s becoming more and more likely that South Carolina’s quarterback competition will stretch into summer.
When Stephen Garcia dropped out of the running following his third run-in with the law, most observers figured Chris Smelley would slide back into the starting job he held for six games in 2007. But with apologies for carrying this sports-politics metaphor a step farther, Tommy Beecher is like Hillary Clinton in a helmet:
The right-hander will not go away.
Beecher continued to keep pressure on Smelley with a solid-if-unspectacular showing in tonight’s scrimmage, completing 13 of 19 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown.
But credit Smelley for not wilting: The redshirt freshman matched Beecher with a 14-for-19 passing performance for 143 yards and a touch.
Spurrier told his quarterbacks in March he hoped to name a starter by the end of spring practice. Monday he told reporters that if the season started now, Smelley and Beecher would both play.
Each brings different cards to the table.
Beecher is a better scrambler who turned a couple of negative-yardage plays into minimal gains in the scrimmage. He probably has a slight edge in arm strength, as well, although he needs to be more consistent with his throws.
Smelley knows the offense and has the edge in experience. The Tuscaloosa, Ala., product won his first four games as a starter last fall before Spurrier inexplicably decided to have Smelley and Blake Mitchell share reps vs. Vanderbilt.
My hunch is Smelley will be the opening-game starter Aug. 28 vs. N.C. State. But he needs to deliver the 25- to 30-yard passes with more authority to hold the spot in September, when the two-man competition could become a four-man scrum if Garcia returns and freshman Aramis Hillary is ready.
For now, Spurrier – USC’s super delegate – will wait to cast his vote.
Other scrimmage sightings …
Freshman Akeem Auguste will be part of the cornerback rotation this fall. The Fork Union Military transfer reminds me of Captain Munnerlyn when he arrived on campus a couple of years ago: Not real big or physical, but fast with a knack for making plays.
Auguste had the play of the scrimmage when he made a one-handed interception in the end zone, picking off Beecher’s throw in the corner for Dion Lecorn.
Tailback Mike Davis looked to have good burst for someone with a gimpy hamstring. Davis ran six times for 16 yards, but I thought his best moment picking up a blitzing Eric Norwood to keep the pocket intact.
Receivers Moe Brown and Larry Freeman combined for nine catches and 102 yards. But Freddie Brown also had a good night, pancaking a defensive back on a crackback block and snatching a third-down pass on a slant route in traffic.
Spurrier called F. Brown the Gamecocks’ “slant specialist,” saying Brown “can catch that slant with guys hanging all over him.”
Defensively, backup linebacker Vandaral Shackleford played with energy – as did Norwood, who seems to be taking on more of a vocal role.
Or maybe it’s just being able to hear Norwood more when there are 300 fans in an 80,250-seat stadium. Either way, he sounded like he meant business.
At USC’s scrimmages, the “media boys,” as Steve Spurrier refers to the press members that cover the Gamecocks, are restricted to the lower-level seats at Williams-Brice Stadium. You need to be a cameraman or Ric Flair to get on the sideline.
But because of tonight’s light fan turnout and where the Gamecocks lined up for team drills, those of us in attendance got an up-close view of what basically turned into a mini-scrimmage. Players seemed to dial the intensity up a notch after a fight between tailback Brian Maddox and safety Chris Culliver.
Spurrier, who in the past has criticized his offense for listlessly going through the motions, had to like what he saw – and heard. There was a lot of offensive energy, not to mention yapping, much of it coming from tight end Jared Cook, who backed it up with several receptions.
Weslye Saunders, the other half of USC’s “Thunder and Lightning” tight end tandem, did a cartwheel after Cook’s touchdown catch on a fade route ended the scrimmage and earned the offense a “Get out of Postpractice Running” card.
Tommy Beecher had an outstanding practice, delivering the ball with authority on all the routes. Most encouraging, there were signs of life up front: Right tackle Justin Sorensen had Maddox’s back when it appeared the fight might escalate, and backup center Pierre Andrews pancaked the man across from him near the end of the night.
In fairness to the defense, Ellis Johnson’s crew really was not supposed to be taking guys to the ground, which might have made it hard to get too jazzed up. Still, it was good to see Spurrier’s offense playing with a little attitude.
A week after their coach jabbed them for getting pushed around, Cook and his offensive teammates pushed back.
Misty night at the Bluff Road practice fields. And typing that sentence somehow reminded me of the Clint Eastwood film, “Play Misty for Me.”
If you were into “Fatal Attraction,” rent “Misty.” You won’t find it in the new releases, but it’s worth tracking down.
Here’s a link:
http://www.filmsite.org/playm.html
Enough randomness, on to grid …
Three players – tight end
Dustin Lindsey, defensive back
Chris Hail and tailback
Bobby Wallace – will practice only on weekends the rest of spring so they can concentrate on academics.
With Wallace gone and
Mike Davis (hamstring) sidelined, that meant a lot of carries for
Eric Baker and
Brian Maddox. Baker, who arrived from Fork Union in January, made the most of it with his best practice. Gamecocks coach
Steve Spurrier praised Baker for his cutbacks.
Defensive backs
Jay Spearman (left shoulder) and
Jamire Williams (left ankle) were in yellow jerseys.
As was the case in Saturday’s scrimmage, the offense got the better of the defense in red-zone drills. Downtown
Freddie Brown made a nice diving catch in the end zone on an out route that
Addison Williams had defended well.
A couple plays later,
Chris Smelley hit
Matt Clements on a crossing route for another score. In the same drill, corner
Carlos Thomas broke up a pass in the corner of the EZ intended for
Jason Barnes.
Spoke to
Ryan Succop, and the Gamecocks’ kicker said he hopes
Spencer Lanning wins the punting job. Succop believes it will be better for everybody if Lanning punts and Succop sticks to field goals.
Of course, as soon as we start writing about Lanning he has a so-so practice, according to Spurrier. The coaches like Lanning, but want to see him get a little more consistent.
Given the number of expected starters standing – or riding the stationary bike, in the case of Mike Davis – on the Williams-Brice sideline, it’s tough to make any definitive calls following today’s scrimmage.
Steve Spurrier said the quarterbacks looked OK, and that’s probably the best description of the entire scrimmage. Some good, some bad – and no one got hurt.
One man’s observations:
Defensive end Travian Robertson looked good rushing the passer.
Tommy Beecher looked good running away from Robertson (and others).
Ryan Succop’s right leg is as strong as ever: His 51-yard field goal had plenty of distance to spare.
Spencer Lanning’s punting might give Succop a chance to save his leg for kickoffs and placements.
Bobby Wallace had the best burst among the backs.
Special teams coach Ray Rychleski, with his enthusiasm and sense of humor, has brought a breath of fresh air to the Gamecocks. The former Maryland assistant jokingly gave USC’s trainer a hard time – loud enough for the fans to hear – for not letting him know about a minor injury to one of his special-teamers.
Tight end Weslye Saunders has USC’s best hands since Sidney Rice left. The sophomore plucks balls -- high, low or otherwise -- with seldom a drop or bobble.
His TE running mate, Jared Cook, is pretty good himself.
There are still some passes that Chris Smelley has to get more zip on. Smelley had two throws today that hung in the air a little too long and should have been intercepted.
It was one practice in helmets and shorts, but Steve Spurrier did not like what he saw tonight out of his offensive line.
Talking about Saturday’s scrimmage, Spurrier said: “We’ll see if the offensive line’s going to get pushed around like they did today. Maybe they’ll take a stand and show a little competitiveness.”
Spurrier scoffed when someone asked him about right tackle Justin Sorensen injuring his finger, as he appeared to do during team drills. Spurrier said the problem wasn’t Sorensen’s finger, but the fact that he kept getting pushed back by assorted defensive linemen.
Uh-oh.
Understand that the Gamecock Nation is a little sensitive about the offensive line, which has been slow to jell during Spurrier’s first three seasons at USC. Spurrier has defended offensive line coach John Hunt, but indicated he might spend more time with the unit this year.
I’m willing to give Sorensen and Co. the benefit of the doubt regarding today’s performance. I think defensive players, particularly on the interior, have the edge when it comes to workouts conducted in less than full pads. They’re quicker and have less surface areas on their chests and shoulders for offensive linemen to hold, er, hit.
Plus, Hunt’s group was minus a couple of bodies with Heath Batchelor and Terrence Campbell sitting due to an unspecified “issue.”
We’re not ready to sound the alarm on a unit that returns four of five starters. But if the O-line looks passive again Saturday, well, Spurrier will be the first one to let them know about it.
Onward …
The most impressive pass of the day was one that overshot the receiver by several yards and fell incomplete. Tommy Beecher, throwing into a strong wind, heaved a tight spiral about 50 yards during 7-on-7 drills. Sidney Rice might have had a shot at it.
In our daily tribute to the Gamecocks’ tight ends, both Jared Cook (from Beecher) and Weslye Saunders (from Chris Smelley) hauled in touchdown passes during the team period. Receiver-turned-safety Chris Culliver was a half-second late breaking to the ball on Saunders’ catch.
Several of USC’s best players are either out or taking it easy this spring recovering from injuries – Kenny McKinley, Captain Munnerlyn, Jasper Brinkley, et al.
Not Emanuel Cook. The junior safety broke up a pass intended for Cook by jumping in front of the tight end and getting his left hand on the ball before falling to the ground.
Whether it’s a shorts-and-helmets practice in March or an SEC clash in November, Cook is going to bring it.
Stephen Garcia has yet to take a snap for the Gamecocks – and might never do so. But Steve Spurrier said the troubled quarterback already is in the USC record books.
“I am sure that Stephen Garcia has set a record for the most publicity for a South Carolina football player that has never played a down. Never played the first down,” Spurrier said tonight. “So maybe we ought to start talking about the guys who played.”
Given the amount of ink The State has spilled on Garcia the past 15 months, none of it having much to do with football, I’ve decided to make tonight’s entry a Garcia-free blog … starting now.
While everyone waits for other members of the Gamecocks’ acclaimed 2007 receiving class to join Dion Lecorn as contributors, a member of the less-heralded ’06 class continues his impressive spring.
Moe Brown, who had a combined 22 catches his first two seasons and seemed to disappear for long stretches of games, continues to create space and catch passes in all corners of the Gamecocks’ secondary.
Brown had another big catch tonight, hauling in a long Chris Smelley pass during team drills.
Elsewhere …
Jamon Meredith, a three-year starter at tackle, took reps at guard. Spurrier said he wants more players to know multiple positions.
Meredith was lined up next to mammoth tackle Justin Sorensen, which would be an imposing right side if the Gamecocks chose to go that route. Of course, they’d have to find a couple of players capable of holding down the other side.
Speaking of Sorensen, the British Columbian got into a scuffle with defensive end Travian Robertson after the two locked up in pass protection. The 6-foot-7 Sorensen had a sizable reach advantage, as well as another important edge: Robertson’s helmet came off in the tussle.
Not surprisingly, most of the postpractice buzz tonight centered on a player who was not there. You can click on my main story for all the particulars of Stephen Garcia’s latest off-the-field issues.
Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Garcia’s “fate is in the hands of the University of South Carolina,” and that he would accept whatever decision is made.
Asked who would make the call on Garcia’s future, Spurrier said: “They’ve got a president. They’ve got an athletic director. They’ve got a dean. They’ve got a whole bunch of people over there.”
One group of people Spurrier did not mention is Garcia’s peers, who ultimately might decide whether No. 5 ever gets to take a snap for the Gamecocks.
Garcia, who has two prior arrests since arriving on campus a little more than a year ago, faces student disciplinary measures for both of the weekend’s incidents: his underage drinking charge and his role in discharging – and perhaps damaging – a fire extinguisher on the third floor of East Quad.
At a minimum, Garcia could be kicked out of campus housing. I would be surprised if Garcia were booted from the university, given that all three of his charges have been misdemeanors.
But after 15 months on campus, Garcia has put himself in a precarious position. If he stays in school, he basically will have to keep his nose clean for the next four years.
Moving on …
Suspended defensive backs Carlos Thomas (violating team rules and team behavior expectations) and Mike Newton (a disorderly conduct arrest) practiced for the first time this spring.
Columbia native Mark Barnes became the latest receiver to switch to the secondary. Barnes, the former Richland Northeast star, began his USC career at safety before moving to receiver. He caught two passes for 12 yards and a touchdown against S.C. State last year – his only receptions of the season.
And give sophomore tight end Weslye Saunders the game ball from the Gamecocks’ first practice in full pads. The Raleigh native made three impressive catches in 7-on-7 drills, highlighting a strong showing by all of the Gamecocks tight ends.
All the speed in the world could not turn Chris Culliver into an SEC receiver.
The rising sophomore with the blazing speed has shifted to safety because, in Steve Spurrier’s words, “it just wasn’t working” for Culliver on the offensive side of the ball.
Spurrier reminded reporters today that Culliver never played much receiver in high school in Garner, N.C., where he starred on defense and as a return specialist. Culliver wanted to give receiver a try, it didn’t work, and now he’ll get a look at a position where the Gamecocks lost Chris Hampton and Brandon Isaac to graduation.
A couple of observations …
Stephen Garcia seemed to throw with more authority today. During team drills, the freshman rifled a ball down the middle of the field to Moe Brown, who split the secondary and went the distance (or would have, anyway, had it been a scrimmage situation).
Though it’s just been two days in shorts-and-helmets, Brown has looked like the most improved receiver. He’s running good routes and catching most everything thrown his way.
Not exactly going out on a limb, but it says here that Eric Norwood will have a big year at outside linebacker. The athletic, 260-pounder, who was an All-SEC defensive end last year, will make plays in space, and create pass-protection problems when he creeps up to the line of scrimmage and blitzes (or fakes a blitz).
And finally …
Former USC quarterback Syvelle Newton stopped by practice today. The Gamecock fan favorite is on the injured list with the Georgia Force in the Arena League. Newton, a receiver/cornerback, is playing alongside his older brother Cam, who starts in the secondary for the Force.
Sounds like Newton likes Arena ball, with one exception.
“The wall hurts,” he said. “It don’t move for nobody.”
Quarterback Chris Smelley took the bulk of the first-team reps today, and said later he actually passed more than he planned following offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder. In January, doctors shaved and removed part of the bone from Smelley’s shoulder, which he injured in the first series of the Louisiana-Lafayette opener last year.
Tommy Beecher got most of the second-team work, with freshman Stephen Garcia firing passes for the third team. USC coach Steve Spurrier said Beecher had the most consistent day passing.
Spurrier praised the two freshmen wearing Cory Boyd’s old jersey No. 3 – receiver C.C. Whitlock and cornerback Akeem Auguste, who had a couple of picks and got his hands on at least one other pass.
As for the suspended players, receivers Dion Lecorn and Matt Clements have been reinstated, while cornerback Carlos Thomas and walk-on defensive back Mike Newton remain under suspension. Spurrier said Thomas likely would return next week.
Garcia and a few other players would sit out a practice to be determined for violating the classroom attendance policy.
A couple of Gamecock football tidbits to get you through a rainy Wednesday evening, which was supposed to be the kickoff to spring football:
Fifth-year senior Dustin Lindsey underwent arthroscopic surgery today to drain fluid from his right knee. For those scoring at home, that’s three surgeries on that knee in 12 months, including a pair of ACL reconstructions.
Lindsey likely will miss the first few practices, but should see some work before the end of spring drills.
But that’s only half the story with Lindsey. When he comes back, it looks like he’ll have a new position at … tight end.
USC coach Steve Spurrier is trying to build depth at tight end to compensate for the losses of Andy Boyd (finally out of eligibility after six seasons) and Nick Prochak (still recovering from the broken leg he sustained in a January scooter wreck).
Coaches already have moved Yvan Banag from linebacker to tight end, and now will look to do the same with the 6-foot-4, 242-pound Lindsey. (Brain freeze addendum: Banag is at fullback, not tight end). Keep in mind that spring position moves often last about as long as a Pamela Anderson marriage (see defensive end Ryan Brown’s cameo at fullback last spring).
There is some thought that playing tight end might be easier on Lindsey’s knee than linebacker. Whatever the rationale, I don’t see Lindsey sticking on offense.
For starters, the guy has a nasty streak that seems to be an inherent trait in most great linebackers. True, USC is deeper at linebacker than before Lindsey’s two-year hiatus – he missed the 2006 season due to academics and was a non-factor last year because of the knee problem.
But as Spurrier pointed out recently: Say this for those Lindsey boys, they’re tough against the run.
Who knows, maybe D. Lindsey will be a natural at tight end. If nothing else, he’ll get a chance to butt heads with his twin brother, defensive end Jordin, for a practice or two. …
Moving along, it appears freshman quarterback Stephen Garcia will have to sit out one practice as a result of missing classes this semester. Nothing has been announced, but that seems to be the consensus.
That should not be a setback for Garcia, who burned his spring last year by getting suspended following two arrests in a two-week span. The right-hander will have 14 practices to stake his claim on the starting job.
Lost in the recruiting season crush of commitments, de-commitments and re-commitments was an interesting story about a father and son competing for the same defensive end.
The son won.
USC assistant coach Shane Beamer said it was a little awkward at times trying to out-maneuver his father, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, for the services of Beaufort defensive end Devin Taylor.
As a graduate assistant at Tennessee and later as a Mississippi State assistant, the younger Beamer would occasionally bump into the Hokies on the recruiting trail. But this was the first time Shane, a former Virginia Tech player, was the lead recruiter for a player his father also coveted.
The two had fun with the situation, which played out without any hurt feelings.
“It was a good experience,” Shane Beamer said. “Whether he chose Virginia Tech or South Carolina, I knew he’d be going to two good places. Obviously, we wanted him here. But if you lose one, you want to lose him to somewhere where you know he’ll be treated right.”
The Beamers missed each other at Beaufort High by about 10 minutes one afternoon two weeks ago. Frank Beamer visited the school first, but left without seeing his son because he had to catch a flight at the Savannah airport for another recruiting stop.
“He knew I was coming and didn’t wait. So I told Devin’s mom she ought to send Devin to a school where the coach treats players the way he treats his own son,” Shane Beamer joked.
“I figured I’d see him, but they had a private plane waiting to fly him somewhere. He was running late. That’s his story.”
When Taylor and his mother, Sylvia Cuyler, went to Blacksburg, Va., for their official visit, they joined the other recruits and their families Saturday night for dessert at the Beamer’s home, where pictures of Shane as a baby and young boy were on display.
“His mom was giving me a hard time about that,” he said.
But the jokes were good-natured; Beamer vs. Beamer never turned ugly.
“I’m not a guy that gets into the negative recruiting and blasting other schools,” Shane Beamer said. “I just sell the positives of South Carolina and stick to that.”
In the end, Frank Beamer pulled off Taylor to take a commitment from a defensive lineman from Virginia, and Taylor signed with the Gamecocks.
All’s well that ends well: Shane Beamer got his man … and is still welcome at his parents’ dinner table.