Senior tailback takes starting reigns after Lattimore’s knee ligament injury
South Carolina senior tailback Kenny Miles admits he is different from most of his other teammates. He calls himself an “old soul.”
“I listen to old music, and everyone goes to parties. I do sometimes, but most of the time I’m just at home watching Netflix,” Miles said. “I guess I am different, in a way.”
Taste in music and entertainment isn’t the only thing that separates Miles from everyone else. He saw his carries diminish when star tailback Marcus Lattimore came to campus, falling to the No. 3 running back on the depth chart at one point because of injuries. While many in Miles’ position would have transferred to another school to be the star, Miles is different, so he decided to stay.
After rushing for a team-high 626 yards his freshman year, the Georgia native saw his starting role disappear the following year with the arrival of Lattimore, a top prospect in the country coming out of high school.
Miles saw his yards total drop from 626 in 2009 to 152 in 2010. He almost transferred after last season, participating in Senior Day activities against Clemson.
“I wouldn’t say it was easy,” Miles said. “When Marcus came in, he was a great guy, and he worked hard, and I really admired the way he stepped up as a leader and really took on the team. Of course, yeah, you want to be the starter, but sometimes you have to think about what’s best for the team, and at the time, that was the best thing for the team.”
With the season-ending knee injury to Lattimore, Miles now will likely finish his career the same way he started it, as the No. 1 option in the rushing attack.
Running backs coach Everette Sands said Wednesday Lattimore would only require one surgery, which he had on Friday in Birmingham, Ala. Among the doctors who worked on Lattimore’s knee were USC team physician Jeffrey Guy and USC team consultant James Andrews.
“I have to make sure I am prepared and ready to go, both on offense and special teams, because I will still be doing that,” Miles said. “Just go out there and make sure the offense keeps rolling and not miss a beat and get ready to get a win.”
Miles and true freshman Mike Davis will share the workload against the Razorbacks. Sands said it will be a 60-40 split in carries in favor of the more experienced Miles.
USC coach Steve Spurrier called Miles the “ultimate team player” and is confident in his ability to lead the team.
“He’s more mature, probably, than most of (his teammates),” Spurrier said. “He’s been here five years and, gosh, he’s played very well. He’s played well in the past, and of course when Marcus came, he didn’t get many opportunities until the end of last year. He enjoys it here, and he’s a super Gamecock. I think our fans and all the Gamecocks appreciate that he has stayed for five years.”
Miles says he runs 3 to 5 miles after almost every game to either punish himself for a mistake he made in the game, or to clear his head and body from all of the adrenaline accumulated during the game.
Spurrier said he wasn’t surprised when he found out about Miles’ habit, calling him one of the more fit players on the team.
Miles and company will hope to end their struggles against an Arkansas team that has beaten USC three years in a row. The last time the Razorbacks came to Columbia, they left with a 41-20 victory.
While Arkansas has struggled this season, its run defense has been one of its strong points, and Miles says it is a result of the Razorbacks’ down lineman.
“They have struggled this year, but they are still a really tough team,” Miles said. “They are still an SEC team, so it’s still going to be a competitive game. The last three years they have beaten us, so our main goal is to go out there and really get the job done and play hard and play tough.”