University of South Carolina Libraries
* * An update on injured Dolphin and former Gamecock Randy Wheeler. A profile on USC track coach Uday Shah. Page 6 Story by \vQ | , .IH Achim Hunt, ) | Senior Writer * I Most of the South Carolina football and 181< players already have their biggest game terceptio of the year circled on their calendar. His i] For some, it's sure to be Clemson proven c or Florida. But for the biggest play mak- the begin er on offense, senior quarterback An- the Game thony Wright, the game of the year is of the ye; Ball State. One ( And why would Wright, the Game- lossagair cocks' X factor for the 1998 season, be was whei so pumped up for a jobber game like or after i Ball State? The answer lies in what out of Wi happened last year at Tennessee. led as ^ Wright was writhing on the turf of ??? Neyland Stadium last November after a tackle by Tennessee linebacker A1 Wilson. The hit left him with torn lig- " T~3plf" aments in his right knee. The injury t|i 1*5not only ended his season, but also ll 11 threatened to end his career as the j* Gamecocks' starting quarterback. Ifl But on Wednesday, Wright said he grf^HRjj was ready to take the reigns again less than a year after surgery. "I'm just ready to go out there JFWW and see what my knee can do," he said, With the Sept. 5 opener against Ball State approaching quickly, Wright predicted he would be in top form when 1 jadi he runs onto the field to the "2001" theme to kick off his senior season. "I'm pretty sure I'll get to 98, 99 percent by the time the season starts," Wright easily could be considered Quarter! the Gamecocks' most important play- blew oui er last year. He threw for 1,685 yards Carolina Si \ If 1 | : -?* f iuchdowns with only five in- Eig ns. surger ijury left the team without a room u ollege quarterback and was scarrec ningofa downward spiral for lifting: ;cocks in their last three games "It's ar. a game )f those defeats was the 22-7 tie bit i ist Tennessee, in which Wright Wright eled off the field on a stretch- But insuccessfully trying to spin until B ilson's grasp. His knee buck- "Or ie linebacker fell over him. alize th >ack Anthony Wright has worked t last November at Tennessee. Wrig i's opener on Sept. 5 against Ball St PORTJ The Gamecock w v ^ 5 k Vv ^ W ** ; *' * ' w. : % *~m r f %ss^? * \ I ' -jU ^ * ' $ 'I i ? el i ' - i : ' 4 I ht months after re-constructive y, Wright wandered the weight nder the stadium. He flexed his [ knee for TV cameras by squatmore than 300 pounds. 5 good enough for me to play in i right now, but I still have a litnore strength to get in my leg," ; said. ; ne saia trie rear test won t come all State. ice I get that first hit and I relat my knee is OK, everything's ni f v jm hard to rehab the knee he ht said he will be ready for ate. BJ says ^ will be ^ Phillips _S mingCh going to be fine," Wright said. "There's nothing like live action." Wright said he's made on-field cuts to see how his knee reacts. "It's no doubt in my mind that I'm going to be back, but I just want to be 100 percent," he said. Head Athletic Trainer, Dr. Rod Walters whn will fit Wrioht with a knee brace for all football games this fall, is optimistic about Wright's ability to return to the Gamecocks. "Anthony is doing well," Walters said. "Everything looks good." Wright said coach Brad Scott will make sure he goes untouched when practice begins next month. To insure this, Wright will practice in a black jersey-meaning no player can touch him-while all of the other players will wear the white and garnet practice jerseys. But Wright jokingly says that it might not do much good. "Anything's possible," Wright said. "You know how those defensive guys are. Them boys are color blind." Sounds almost like Wright doesn't want to wear that jersey. But when asked, Wright is quick to say he wants that jersey. "No, no," Wright said. "I want to keep the black jersey. I talked to Coach Scott and he told me that he wanted me to have that black jersey. He wasn't going to let me get hit." But Wright says he still will be reacting when those players come towards him, even though they aren't allowed to touch him. "He [Scott] still wants me to react if nr?iOAmnc frnn " Wmrrkf o oi/"} ii aiiyu\j\Aj tunica ncc, TTiignt oaiu. "That's the main concern, that I continue to react to what's happening around me and not just get comfortable knowing I'm not getting hit." Wright is ready for Ball State and ready to return to action, as the first practice and the first game get closer and closer. "I know I'll be back," he said. "There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be back. I just want to make sure I'm 100 percent. They [his teammates] believe in me. They have no doubt I'll be back. I tell them I'll be back. That's all they need to hear." Wright and the coaching staff are confident he will be ready for the open er, in what could be the biggest game of the year. How can so much be riding on a game against a team that no one around here is familiar with? With an entire team and program riding on the ligaments of one man's right knee, Ball State will be the first test of that knee, that quarterback, that man. Will Wright be back to full speed like he claims? Only time and the Ball State defense will tell. former USC swimmer Dan Phillips competing in the Goodwill Games, captured Carolina's first SEC Swimampionship in 1995 in the 200 freestyle. Wednesday, July 22,1998 Car crash paralyzes JL J former Gamecock staff writerlOHY ISAAC Miami Dolphins guard Randy Wheeler, a former tackle at South Carolina, was paralyzed in a onecar accident Monday while driving from South Carolina to Miami for the start of training camp. His car overturned when it wrecked near Stuart, Fla., and he was listed in critical, but stable condition in intensive care at Martin Memorial Hospital. Doctors said Tuesday Wheeler is paralyzed from the neck down and he has "very little chance of playing again." Wheeler, who lives in Hartsville and graduated from Hartsville High in 1992, was due to report for training camp Friday. He was on the Dolphins' practice squad last season. The 6-foot-2,300-pound Wheeler, 23, played for the Gamecocks from 1993-96 and started at right tackle for Carolina in the 1995 Carquest Bowl. Men's soccer team 8th in preseason poll staff writerlOHY ISAAC The USC men's soccer team was voted No. 8 by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) preseason poll with 179 points. Carolina's No. 8 ranking will be put to the test as the Gamecocks face seven teams ranked in the top 25, including 1998 NCAA National Champion UCLA, who battle Carolina on Sept. 6 at Stone Sta dium. UCLA enters the pre-season ranked No. 1. USC will also face No. 5 American and No. 9 St. John's at the Old Republic Soccer Classic in New York. The Gamecocks return eight starters from last season's 16-3-1 team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Carolina will open the 1998 season i i A rs \ ii o x ai nome agamsi uoKer oepu 1 at 7 p.m.