Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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.sports Running Running back Kent Hagood t football game. lAlk:U 4 ... VVBBBBC I By Kevin Sullivan The normal path for athlete school to college and then to th Rick Sofield, however, took route. He headed to the pros ri school and is now back in colle The 26-year-old native of N.J., left professional base USC and has signed a grant football. IN HIGH SCHOOL, Sofiel football and baseball. As qi led his prep team to two unde and two state championship: at shortstop, his team placec state. Sofield was drafted in 197 nesota Twins baseball orgai first round and began his pr graduating from high school. In 1979, Sofield made Mini league team, and he hit .30 playing in the outfield. The Sofield started. He batted .2games with nine home runs ai Sofield spent most of 1981 i Twins AAA team and later Rangers AAA club. "With baseball, I worked h my goal by making it in the b there are more things in life t Sofield said. "I was upset, pa the business side of that spoi education." JOHN SHIKRONA, Sofielc coach, told USC Head Footfc Morrison that Sofield was college football career. Af Columbia, and meeting w Sofield signed with Carolina. Although Sofield hasn't football, he said he's ready to y + _ "You have to be in good i I back ha urns the corner on a power sweep, former pro (s is from high ' With baseball e pros. . : an alternate real,Zed mV 90: ight after hieh Ippniioc hut th ? C-> IVMUUUUf UUl 111 ge. . . Morristown, than baj ball to attend particularly wil -m-aid to play . , of the sport. I d played both education. iartprha/?lr ho feated seasons 5. With Sofield i second in the professional athle "You can't be fa 5 by the Min- lifting weights an lization in the 0 career after ?i'M a good help the Gameco lesota's major my decision," he 1 in 35 games quarterbacks her i next season, Sofield is one 47, playing 131 Morrison has brc id 49 RBIs. the country. )laying for the "To be success for the Texas best talent in th "We've got grc lard. J realized Carolina, North ( >ie leaaiip* hut from all over the < -o "/1-* han baseball," rticularly with SOFIELD HAS 1. I wanted an vertising/public i school. "School is majoring in Ad/F Ps high school semesters I may 1 all Coach Joe "I am familiar considering a worked in that fi ter a trip to could do much b< ith Morrison, coaching basebal Sofield said he been playing so far. "I love C >lay. treated me reall: ?hape to be a . spectacular," he i I ppy to i mmmmm - -- " --?b <-v- > |g|g ^ -;-T 3 4~^~- mT ^BDI^^^Bhb^S Photo by Tim Dominick heading upfield in a 1981 outfielde , I worked hard. I al by making the big ere are more things seball. I was upset, th the business side wanted an ? USC quarterback Rick Sofield, ;te for nine years," he said, t playing center field. I'm d throwing a little. athlete, and I think I can cks, but of course, it's not said. "We have some great eat Carolina." ui many new recruits >ught to USC from around ?ful and win, we need the le country," Sofield said. ;at athletes from South Carolina, Georgia and now country." > decided to major in adulations in the journalism very important to me. I'm *R, but who knows, in two >ein prelaw. with PR, having already XA/ifh f? * 'iu. Tfiun u ucf^t (X, 1 III1I1H, 1 jtter. I'm also considering 1 or football," he said. is enjoying the college life Carolina. The people have y well, and campus life is said. return to Cai By Dennis Switier The look in his eyes and the smile on his face tell it all. Kent Hagood is glad to be back at USC playing football. In his freshman year as a Carolina running back during the 1981 football season, HqOaaH rfoinoH QIC nnn/4r< nn no ?~ ? r * gumvu u<ju yai*JU? uii OO Cell ues IUI" a 4.0 average. Hagood quit during the season, claiming personal reasons and homesickness. He came back but quit again at the end of the season. But now that he is back, Hagood said it wasn't homesickness that caused him to return home, but a conflict with a member of the coaching staff. HAGOOD'S OLDER brother Ricky, a starting middle guard for the Gamecocks last season, was the first to tell Kent when Richard Bell was fired as head coach at the end of the season. It influenced his younger brother's return. "iticKy cauea me ana told me the coaching staff was going to change, and I said, 'Is the whole coaching staff going to change?' and he said, 'Yeah, why don't you give it another try.'" If the staff had not changed, Kent Hagood would be at Newberry this semester. "I was going to go to Newberry; it would have been the first of January. I had everything set up, but, after they changed coaching staffs, I decided I'd wait and see what the coach said. So after that, I never did get back in touch with Newberry," Hagood said. During his time away from school, Hagood said he lifted weights at a gym near his hometown of Easley and played basketball almost every day. He also said he worked for about five months. Hagood doesn't expect to start next season because of the other running backs who have been playing longer than he has. "RIGHT NOW, they've got other guys that have been working a lot harder. I haven't been doing much work. They got a different coaching staff, and Morrison's going to be looking at different players. Hagood said the coaches told him they would like to see him and Tom Dendy, a running back who broke George Rogers' ir adapts to col * ifliji MS ' V-:^ ", ';. S? WMm90 W& "' H?;?-' '. 11 w?j^wk flS^H Rick Sofield, a former outfielder for the Minn start for USC as quarterback, a position he hasn' % \ mmmmmmm win imiwimi rolina... If I net mv nhanr.fi. I want tn -- - (J- - -"1 ' *" start. But the rest of the team, they're doing a lot better than I am/ - USC running back Kent Hagood freshman rushing record last season, in the same backfield. "If I get my chance, I want to start. But the rest of team, they're doing a lot better than I am," he said. "Coach (Frank) Sadler said something to me about it at home," Hagood said. He said he would like to put me and Dendy in the i same backfield, but there are other backs that have been here, and they're going to give us competition too.'' Hagood will not lose a year of eligibility j for the year of school he sat out and will still have three years to play football. "I'LL BE A sophomore when fall comes around. If I get all my grades this time, I'll be eligible to play when fall comes," he said. im " xmgwu saiu iie iiK.es me new veer offense Head Football Coach Joe Morrison is going to install. "With the veer, sometimes on a play you might get three yards, and the next time four yards and the next time you might get 50 and just surprise them," he said. "If we get that working right, we'll be able to beat some of these big-time teams, especially North Carolina and Clemson," he added. j 1 Like many young football players, Hagood's dream is to play professional football, but that is not the only goal he has set for himself. "HOPEFULLY, I'D like to play pro football, but if that doesn't happen, then I'd go out into the field and finH o -?"V4 V* JVM. / Hopefully, though, it will be a football career," he said. * Hagood said the new United States Football League gives him a better shot at a i pro career. "I would rather like to play for \ the NFL, but you've got two chances now. And what comes next for Hagood? "Then get married," he said, "I'm pre-engaged right now." lege football WmmmmXWzmSRm* | &M%$mW$igE^. 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