The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 06, 1993, NEW STUDENT EDITION, Page 15, Image 15
? nmuun
Woods c
By ANDREW BORGERT and
NANCY SALOMONSKY
Staff Writers
For most people summer vacation
is a time to rest and relax, but
for head football coach Sparky
r Woods it has been business as usual
as he prepares for the upcoming
season.
Last season's player revolt
caused Woods to re-evaluate his
coaching strategy.
"We have set aside time for conversation
with the players and to
get the input of the players. It
seems like last year, when we were
losing, everyone was trying harder
and harder to try and come up with
a way to win, and less time talking,"
Woods said.
| The coaching staff has also set
up a player committee to give team
input to the decision-making
process. The players select the
member of the committee, and they
meet with the coaches every so
often.
"We meet to talk about policy,
gripes and things that they are concerned
about," Woods said.
Talking with and listening to the
players seems to be a key in keep
ing the relationship strong between
coach and athlete.
^ "I think that I have always been
honest and straight forward,"
W/aaHp n <4 a KniTrt nl..>/\nn
vv uuus aaiu. yy t nave aiwiip
- allowed the players to give input.
Players decide on the uniforms and
. lots of things that they are probably
not able to do at other schools.
"We have an open-door policy.
We require the players to come in
once a semester, we actually set up
a 15- to 20-minute meeting with
the player one on one. During that
, time, I ask them what can I do to
help them, and I ask them what
they can tell me to be a better
| coach. They are pretty honest, so
that is helpful."
During the off-season, Woods
, likes to remain in contact with his
. players, making sure they stick to
their fitness program.
"We give them a written program,
and we ask them to fill out
, progress cards that we send to
them. We also communicate week)
ly with a letter in terms of what is
Ni
J&HE
Ml
PR(
>
jrL
.( 1
''
PURPOSI
THE U.S.
GOOD SSCHOLA
autious, <
going on," Woods said.
Ending last season 5-1 created a
sense of enthusiasm Woods hopes
will carry over to this season.
"There's a lull in there, but I
tninK tne anticipation tor me rail is
good," Woods said. "It's going to
be fun and like everything else, it's
at a higher pitch this time of year
than it has been since I've been
here, but it will continue to raise as
it gets closer to August."
"I think the anticipation
for the fall is
good. It's going to be
fun and like everything
else, it's at a
higher pitch this time
of year than it has
been since I've been
here."
Sparky Woods
USC Head Football Coach
TV.^ U? U? J
nit vjainttutivs uavc nau ictciii
academic problems resulting in the
loss of Lawrence Mitchell, Tony
Law and Kyle Cloyd. "I think
that the only thing worse than losing
a game is losing an athlete,"
Woods said."I think that they need
to be in school and need to graduate.
That is most disappointing
overall. I think that apparently
there was a wake-up call from first
semester to second semester
because, although we lost those,
AW
10TC
junnivi
E: TO PRODUCE
NAVY OR MARK
rARTING SALAR
RSHIPS AVAILAE
-ALL TUITIO
?PLUS $ 10C
N^j
3ptimisti<
overall the team did much better in
school."
A major bonus for Carolina this
fall is the return of senior fullback
Rob DeBoer, who was drafted by
the Toronto Blue Jays earlier this
summer. A smile appeared on
Woods' face as he talked about
Deboer.
"Rob is a real special young
man," Woods said. He is a very
unselfish young man who is devoted
to cause and to his team. "He is
probably the ultimate team player."
With Brandon Bennett, DeBoer
and Steve Taneyhill returning in
the backfield, the Gamecocks'
main concern will be their protection
on the offensive line.
"I think that is the biggest challenge
we have," Woods said. "We
were depleted more there through
graduation than any other area. The
Southeastern Conference is a physical
league that is played on the line
of scrimmage."
Taneyhill, the spark plug of the
Gamecock offense, will have to
overcome the pressure of living up
to high expectations.
"Steve grew up in a coach's'
home," Woods said. "He should
probably be more aware, or have
an understanding, of how things
like that happen. I think what happens
with the sophomore jinx, it's
not that the players do worse, it's
that the expectations are higher.
"t think that Steve's challenge is
going to be that a lot is going to be
expected of him from the outside,
and that the team is expecting him
to be a really fine quarterback."
Woods remains cautious when
discussing his team's potential.
High preseason rankings can easily
be offset by a difficult schedule.
"We set our goals high," Woods
said. "I believe that we are going to
go to Georgia, and we will be an
obvious underdog. But if something
happens, and we don't win in
Georgia, then the most disappointed
neonle of all will be the nlavers.
We have all the intentions of winning
in Georgia. If we beat Georgia,
then we can become a challenger
for the conference."
7M
1!
WELL-TRAINFn
slE CORPS. GUAF
Y.
5LE, PAYS:
N -ALL BO<
1.00 A MONTH
CZZH
- -1 L
: apour upc
**< Ilf
. ^?t'*!T**** my
^00000!m*
saSK' ...
! ^ Jli^111 JSI Jfl
1993 Gamecocl
Sent. 4 at ("renrcri
Sept. 11 ! at Arkans
Sept. 18 ! LOUISA
Sept. 23 t KENTUC
Oct. 2 \ ALABAP
xHomecon
Oct. 8 Cockiest
Oct. 9 EAST C/
Oct. 16 at Missis.'
Oct. 23 VANDEF
Oct. 30 at Tennes
Nov. 13 FLORID,
Nov. 20 CLEMSC
ARfih
jp^^oflHjJpir. fmg&s
iyS. w L LJP^HkNLBWR HC9
EDUCATED OFFICEF
WNTEED EXCITING .
3KS -ALL FEE
SUBSISTENCE PA
CONTACT:
LT. McKINNEY
203 FLINN HALL
777-4124
oming season
m
MJ
^W ^ L* ? ^8
.^H
BT\ '7 ; . .jfowy^w ^>v> ^ *0JKr /j fl
ilBHRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHBHHHHHHHHHHHHHI
Williams-Brice Stadium, home of the USC Gamecocks
: Football Schedule
a 1 p.m.
as 3 p.m.
^.NA TECH 7 p.m.
:KY|||^ 8 p.m.
HA \ 7 p.m.
ling 1993\
\ 7:30 p.m.
U*OI IN A \ 1 n m
>ippi St. I 7 p.m.
tBILT 1 p.m.
See Kllfel 1 p.m.
1 p.m.
)N 1 p.m.
iESc
pp < N pM p >y <v | " pp^p ' '% pp
.. *%&.
?S TO SERVE IN
JOBS WITH A
:s
Y
i