The problem with this whole situation starts and stops with "The Old Ball Coach". Clowney isn't the first player to have questionable work ethic in this program prior to the draft. (A. Jeffrey anyone?)
When the whole "miscommunication" and subsequent missing of practice occurred, Spurrier goes in front of the media and "defends" his star by saying
"even if he never plays another down of football here, the Univ of South Carolina should be thankful" that he chose to play there in the first place. He creates an atmosphere where there are different rules for the "student-athlete". Do you think for one second if that were some 3rd string CB he would have made that statement?
Can you for even one second, imagine those words coming out of Nick Saban's mouth? I've seen coaches like this in other sports. They are far less concerned with the player, especially when its a perceived "5-Star" recruit. Get as many of them as you can, and just keep regurgitating them. Be thankful for whatever you get out of them, and at least we don't have to worry about playing AGAINST them.
If you were a member of that team and saw that circus play out everyday, how would you be motivated to "put the team first"?
Yep. Media slandered Jeffery's character the same way they have Clowney's.
It's the way things are run at South Carolina...and it starts with Spurrier. He's a great coach but he doesn't run a tight ship and he's not the type of coach that spends his life in the office. The star players in the program don't do that much when Spurrier isn't around which is more often than it should be. And I don't think very highly of our position coaches.
And I know that a lot of football players smoke weed and party hard. But it's college and pretty much everyone does. I think people forget that these guys aren't perfect role models. They didn't ask to be put on a pedestal. They're college kids prone to making dumb decisions.
Clowney has never been arrested for a bar fight or hitting a woman or stealing a car...or any other reason. The media has made it their mission to tear the guy down this year and Spurrier didn't help with what was a miscommunication between him, Clowney and the training staff.
For all those claiming Clowney is dogging it and doesn't care, he could have sat out the year and still been a top 3 pick. He is playing with a foot injury that needs surgery. But the guy doesn't care. He doesn't want to play. He only cares about himself. Yea, right. If that is true...why wouldn't he shut it down as soon as his foot injury happened? And for reference, it happened in the first few weeks of the season. Instead, he's going to get his surgery AFTER the season. Which will hurt his ability to prepare for the combine.
But all you'll hear is how he doesn't care. That sounds like a guy that doesn't care.
As far as this thread goes...are we really making a thread about a SPEEDING TICKET? Why is that even news? I got a speeding ticket for going 75 in a 60 on my way home from South Carolina. Should that be news? Of all you guys posting in this thread, how many of you have never broken the speed limit?
As I said before, don't get fooled here. The media did this same thing to Alshon Jeffery. I said back then that they were full of it. Jeffery was a great talent and clearly had a passion for the game. I'll say it now. I have watched Clowney during his entire career at SC. I have seen many of his games in person. I have met him. I lived in the same dorm as him last year. I have had classes with him. Clowney has his warts as a person...but the guy does not lack passion for football. The guy loves football.
