Likeness of USC coach stands with those of Wuerrfel, Tebow
While Steve Spurrier's current team played its spring game, his old team unveiled a life-size bronze statue in his honor.
Florida's three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks — Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Tim Tebow (2007) — had personal statues dedicated during halftime of UF's spring game in Gainesville.
Tebow and Wuerffel were both on hand at the ceremony, but Spurrier, who also coached the Gators from 1990-2002, was not able to go due to the Garnet and Black game.
Spurrier, clad in a USC windbreaker and inside a team meeting room, taped a video message that was played on the video board in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and his daughter, Amy Moody, was in attendance to represent him.
"It's kind of hard to put in words," Moody told The Associated Press. "It's not often in life people dedicate a statue to you. It means a great deal."
Spurrier appeared more concerned with discussing the 2010 SEC Eastern Division championship lettering inside Williams-Brice Stadium after the Garnet team's 21-17 victory on Saturday, but eventually echoed that sentiment.
"It was a nice honor down there," Spurrier said.
Lattimore bulks up: Marcus Lattimore had a tremendous freshman season, as evidenced by the glass trophy he received during halftime Saturday as the National Freshman of the Year.
However, Lattimore battled some injuries along the way, missing USC's game against Vanderbilt and significant portions of the Gamecocks' meetings with Kentucky, Arkansas and Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. As a result, Lattimore said his main goal this offseason is to become "more durable."
"I knew I had to put on some pounds, because of the carries I get," Lattimore said. "I just want to last a whole season. To do that, I had to get bigger, I had to get faster, I had to get stronger. That's what I tried to do and what I'm going to continue to try to do."
Already the focal point of the USC offense, Lattimore's importance to the unit seemingly has grown with the uncertainty surrounding senior quarterback Stephen Garcia, who is suspended indefinitely. Lattimore said he doesn't see it that way, adding he is confident USC will succeed this fall no matter who is under center.
"Whoever is at quarterback, they're going to do a good job," Lattimore said. "I think we'll be fine."
Hinch impresses: The fact Josh Hinch is at South Carolina could seem a bit surprising at first. The senior walk-on running back, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., grew up right in Tennessee Volunteer country. He then spent two years at NAIA school MidAmerica Nazarene, in Olathe, Kan., and according to Spurrier, could've gone elsewhere and started at a smaller school.
But, Spurrier said, Hinch wanted to be a Gamecock. On Saturday, he looked like he might find a way onto the field in the fall.
"He's a good little football player," Spurrier said. "We kept dumping off and finding him."
Hinch had six catches for 43 yards and ran for nine yards on three carries in combined action for both teams.
One more to go: USC will end spring practice tomorrow with one final session at the Bluff Road practice fields. The practice is scheduled for 4 p.m., and is open to the public.