SEC Media Days: Leaders of the Pack
posted by Scott Hood on Thursday, July 26, 2007
But talent alone doesn’t win games in the SEC. Steve Spurrier has made that statement on multiple occasions, including Wednesday during the opening session of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
Hopes are high for USC in 2007. A few prognosticators are even predicting the Gamecocks will win the SEC Eastern Division.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s one principal reason why USC will be right in the middle of the fight: senior leadership.
You remember senior leadership, don’t you?
QB Phil Petty and the other seniors on the 2001 team that stunned Ohio State in the Outback Bowl for the second straight season displayed the strong leadership qualities a winning team needs.
Unfortunately, senior leadership is something that’s been sorely lacking from the Gamecocks since those days. You could even refer to it as a drought.
A few have tried. Fewer have succeeded.
But it looks like senior leadership about to make a long-awaited comeback.
With Cory Boyd, Jasper Brinkley, Casper Brinkley, Blake Mitchell, Jordin Lindsey, Andy Boyd, Cody Wells and Lanard Stafford, USC could have its best group of senior leaders in six years.
We’ll have to wait and see until the end of the season to pass final judgment but early indications are encouraging.
One of the initial tests of a senior class’s ability as leaders is the summer conditioning program. With USC experiencing close to 100 percent attendance for most workouts, it’s apparent the younger players respect the older guys.
Spurrier has certainly noticed.
“We’ve noticed our summer program has been much better attended,” Spurrier said. “The players we’re really counting on to play have done much better than the first two years. Our commitment level has really improved.”
In Spurrier’s mind, Cory Boyd and Jasper Brinkley have already exhibited superior leadership qualities by deciding to forego the NFL Draft and return to school. Both would likely have been selected in the later rounds of this year’s Draft.
But they decided to return.
Spurrier noted Wednesday that’s not typical for USC over the last few years. Ko Simpson, Jonathan Joseph, Sidney Rice and Stanley Doughty have all departed before their college eligibility was exhausted.
“Usually, most of those guys, if they can make a few bucks here and there, they take off as soon as they can,” Spurrier said. “But Cory and Jasper elected to stay they senior year and hopefully graduate and help us have as big a year as we possible can. I really admire those guys for hanging with us another year.”
When I spoke with Boyd Wednesday, it’s evident he has learned from the mistakes made by USC’s seniors the past few years when it comes to being a leader.
It’s also obvious he’s looking forward to the season, which hasn’t always been the case with USC’s seniors in the past.
Boyd came to USC in 2003. He witnessed up close and personal the devastating dissension that ripped apart the 2003 team and led to a humiliating 46-point home loss to its arch-rival with a bowl berth at stake.
If you were there that night, it was painfully obvious from the opening kickoff the Gamecocks had quit, and were simply going through the motions. In my opinion, such an embarrassing event would have never happened had USC enjoyed strong senior leadership that year.
But they didn’t.
Boyd looked me in the eye Wednesday and basically asserted he doesn’t intend to go through that nightmare. He wants to go out a winner. Here’s what he said:
“We’re definitely trying to change the culture with the senior leadership,” Boyd said. “In the past, some of the seniors were just trying to get their job done and just get out of there. At the beginning of the year, I thought I would just go ahead and let the younger guys find their way. You can’t do that. You have to be out there. You have to get in their face. You stay with the team until it’s over with.
“That’s what Jasper and I are trying to do. During the ride over here, we were talking about things we can install in the younger guys to make this program better and not have it fall back to where it used to be.”
That’s a leader.
Finally.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
Sure, South Carolina has more talent this year. The defense is supposed to be pretty good. The offense, led by fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Mitchell will try to duplicate the success of the last 4-1/2 games last season.
But talent alone doesn’t win games in the SEC. Steve Spurrier has made that statement on multiple occasions, including Wednesday during the opening session of SEC Media Days in Hoover, Ala.
Hopes are high for USC in 2007. A few prognosticators are even predicting the Gamecocks will win the SEC Eastern Division.
As far as I’m concerned, there’s one principal reason why USC will be right in the middle of the fight: senior leadership.
You remember senior leadership, don’t you?
QB Phil Petty and the other seniors on the 2001 team that stunned Ohio State in the Outback Bowl for the second straight season displayed the strong leadership qualities a winning team needs.
Unfortunately, senior leadership is something that’s been sorely lacking from the Gamecocks since those days. You could even refer to it as a drought.
A few have tried. Fewer have succeeded.
But it looks like senior leadership about to make a long-awaited comeback.
With Cory Boyd, Jasper Brinkley, Casper Brinkley, Blake Mitchell, Jordin Lindsey, Andy Boyd, Cody Wells and Lanard Stafford, USC could have its best group of senior leaders in six years.
We’ll have to wait and see until the end of the season to pass final judgment but early indications are encouraging.
One of the initial tests of a senior class’s ability as leaders is the summer conditioning program. With USC experiencing close to 100 percent attendance for most workouts, it’s apparent the younger players respect the older guys.
Spurrier has certainly noticed.
“We’ve noticed our summer program has been much better attended,” Spurrier said. “The players we’re really counting on to play have done much better than the first two years. Our commitment level has really improved.”
In Spurrier’s mind, Cory Boyd and Jasper Brinkley have already exhibited superior leadership qualities by deciding to forego the NFL Draft and return to school. Both would likely have been selected in the later rounds of this year’s Draft.
But they decided to return.
Spurrier noted Wednesday that’s not typical for USC over the last few years. Ko Simpson, Jonathan Joseph, Sidney Rice and Stanley Doughty have all departed before their college eligibility was exhausted.
“Usually, most of those guys, if they can make a few bucks here and there, they take off as soon as they can,” Spurrier said. “But Cory and Jasper elected to stay they senior year and hopefully graduate and help us have as big a year as we possible can. I really admire those guys for hanging with us another year.”
When I spoke with Boyd Wednesday, it’s evident he has learned from the mistakes made by USC’s seniors the past few years when it comes to being a leader.
It’s also obvious he’s looking forward to the season, which hasn’t always been the case with USC’s seniors in the past.
Boyd came to USC in 2003. He witnessed up close and personal the devastating dissension that ripped apart the 2003 team and led to a humiliating 46-point home loss to its arch-rival with a bowl berth at stake.
If you were there that night, it was painfully obvious from the opening kickoff the Gamecocks had quit, and were simply going through the motions. In my opinion, such an embarrassing event would have never happened had USC enjoyed strong senior leadership that year.
But they didn’t.
Boyd looked me in the eye Wednesday and basically asserted he doesn’t intend to go through that nightmare. He wants to go out a winner. Here’s what he said:
“We’re definitely trying to change the culture with the senior leadership,” Boyd said. “In the past, some of the seniors were just trying to get their job done and just get out of there. At the beginning of the year, I thought I would just go ahead and let the younger guys find their way. You can’t do that. You have to be out there. You have to get in their face. You stay with the team until it’s over with.
“That’s what Jasper and I are trying to do. During the ride over here, we were talking about things we can install in the younger guys to make this program better and not have it fall back to where it used to be.”
That’s a leader.
Finally.
- Permalink, Discuss, Blog Home
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Scott Hood. Since February of 2005, Scott has covered the South Carolina football, men's basketball and baseball programs for GamecockCentral. He may be reached by email at scottblog(at)gamecockcentral.com. Replace (at) with @.