Defensive end doesn't mind the hype
Back in the spring, senior defensive end Melvin Ingram was talking to reporters after practice when defensive line coach Brad Lawing pointed and joked Ingram "has more gray hair" than he does.
Lawing's point was Ingram is a veteran who has been around the block. As he goes into his final season at South Carolina, Ingram finds himself in a unique spot — showing the new guy who is supposed to take his job around the block.
Most would assume the constant attention toward freshman Jadeveon Clowney, the nation's top recruit, would irritate Ingram, USC's leading sack man from a season ago. Most would assume Ingram is offended by the hype, seeing it as a lack of respect.
Those assumptions would be wrong.
"Those are my teammates being praised," Ingram said. "It's a team effort. I'm all for it. As long as my teammates are being talked about ... we're all one."
Ingram understands people think Clowney will take his position, but said it doesn't bother him or motivate him.
"That's a person's opinion," Ingram said. "I can't change a person's opinion. I just want to go out and play hard and maximize my potential.
"If they feel like he can do that, if he do that then he's good enough to do that. I'm just going to play hard every day in practice and get ready for the game."
Added Lawing, "Melvin isn't motivated by that stuff. He's motivated because he likes playing football. In high school, they told me that if you gave him a Gatorade, he'd play hard. Now he's got Gatorade all the time, so he's motivated because of football."
Like Clowney, Ingram is a tremendous athlete — a "freak," as defensive lineman Byron Jerideau put it. He played running back and linebacker in high school, not making the move to defensive line until he arrived at USC. In the beginning, it was a position change he didn't enjoy.
"He fought putting his hand on the ground for a couple years," Lawing said. "But when he finally said, 'That's what I am,' he's gotten better and he's bought into it. He's a tremendous player for us."
Ingram said it took until a year ago for him to finally buy into what Lawing was preaching to him and embrace what had been a "hard transition."
Now that he has, he feels it is his role as a senior to pass on what he has learned to his fellow linemen, including Clowney, who he said he "loves to death."
"I would never try to limit him by not showing him stuff," said Ingram of Clowney. "I'm going to show him everything I know — everything everybody has shown me."
Ingram said he has focused most on helping Clowney be "mentally ready" for success, and that "whatever happens happens on game day" in regard to who will be the starting defensive end.
"Just show him it ain't high school no more," said Ingram of what he is trying to impress upon Clowney.