The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 01, 2006, Page 13, Image 13
BROom • conTinuED FRom 12
But even with all that
good stuff surrounding
Bettis and the Steelers,
what really caught my
attention was when the
Steelers team made their
way off the plane at the
airport in Detroit.
More than 20 t players
came down the steps donned
in green jerseys with the
No. 6 on them. They were
throwback jerseys from
Bettis’ days as a running
back at Notre Dame.
To say that I was
stunned might be the
understatement of the
year. Fans had on shirts
with “The Bus’, last stop
— Super Bowl XL”
printed on them. No. 36
Steeler jerseys filled the
city streets. But it was
that showing from Bettis’
teammates that really
stunned me.
All week, the players
from Pittsburgh have
talked about nothing but
winning this game for their
legendary running back.
While other teams have
focused on winning the
game, the Steelers have
focused on a victory for
their spiritual leader.
Some teams want to win
for the fans, the franchise,
or to cap a stunning season.
Sure the Steelers want to
do that, too, but they don’t
say a word about it. It’s all
about The Bus and that’s
pretty special.
Media hounded his booth
at media day. Countless
interviews have been done
with him. And still The Bus
just smiled and said that it
would be nice to win one
before he retires, but if it’s
not meant to be then it’s
not meant to be.
Guys like Hines Ward and
Willie Parker were all smiles
as they talked about the
possibility of sending Bettis
out on a high note. They all
want to make The Bus’ last
ride one to remember.
Super Bowl XL or the
Jerome Bettis Show. Either
way, lets hope the last
ride on The Bus is one to
remember.
Sports •>
Briefs
Track and field
teams put 39
on President's,
|
Dean's lists
iThe men’s and women’s
track and field squads
posted high GPA’s across
j the board, as the men’s
team had 23 athletes and
the women had 39 athletes
with 3.0 GPA’s or better.
IThe women’s track and
field team averaged a 3.2
GPA last fall, while the
{men’s team averaged a
3.15 GPA. ThrCe women,
_ 1 Monica King, Laura
Regenburg, and Karen
Wigal, each made the
I I President’s List, while five
men, Alan Houck, Curt
McGill, DanielMcKenzie,
Jason Richardson, and
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* I
Daniel Williams, made the j
President’s List.
Another 31 athletes !
made the Dean’s List.
“We had an excellent s
fall. I am so proud of them j
all,” Coach Curtis Frye ;
said. “That teams set the
bar high academically in
the fall and we expect no
less of them in the spring. ” ,
Baseball picked
to finish second
in SEC East
The USC baseball team
has been picked to finish
second in the SEC East
by the SEC Preseason
Coaches poll. The
Gamecocks were given
one first place vote and
finished behind the overall
SEC favorite Florida.
The Gamecocks
finished third in the East ^
last season behind Florida
and Tennessee. Mississippi
State was picked to win the
SEC Western division.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis laughs
with reporters at Super Bowl Media Day in Detroit.
IMOWGLL • COmtnUED fRom 12
who really know me see a
different side of me, but
most people just know the
relaxed guy.”
McDowell dreams of
running a basketball-based
youth camp, and would
also like to do motivational
speaking. “My great
grandparents own a youth
camp back in Indiana,”
McDowell said. “It’s a
Christian-based camp where
they take inner-city youths
out into the country. So I
want to incorporate some of
the same ideas, but just put
basketball in there.”
When asked about his
personal goals for the last two
years of his college career,
McDowell emphasized the
team aspect. “I have some
individual goals, but I’d like
to really just focus on the
team, and really just keep
that first,” McDowell said.
“I have some goals of my
own, but keep the team first
and I’ll work on improving
myself after those.”
Gamecock fans will be
seeing more of McDowell
in the next two seasons. The
sophomore guard credits
his shooting and defense as
the greatest attribute of his
game. “My ability to knock
the shot down. I think that’s
gonna be something that
can really help this team.
That’s my biggest strength.
That and my defense.”
McDowell looks forward
to helping the team win
championships, and he
values the time he has spent
with USC basketball thus
far. “The thing that means
the most to me are the
relationships I build between
myself and the coaches, and
myself and the teammates,”
McDowell said. “That really
means a lot to me.”
Growing up in Indiana,
McDowell idolized Michael
Jordan. His father is an avid
Indiana Pacers fan, so the
Pacers-Bulls rivalry was an
opportunity for McDowell
and his father to give each
other a hard time.
McDowell spent his
childhood in Indiana
before finishing his high
school career at Cedar
Grove in Georgia. The
day McDowell graduated
ranks as one of his most
memorable events. “Just to
see my family come from
Indiana,” McDowell said.
“I had my grandparents.
I had people there, family
from Indiana come all the
way down there just to
support me. That meant a
lot to me.”
McDowell looks forward
to reliving that experience
in May 2008 when he will
walk across the stage to get
his diploma from USC.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu
RECRUIT • COITTinUED FROIT112
“I’m going to bring them
’ something they haven’t seen
before at defensive tackle,”
he said. “They’re going
to have a predator on the
defensive line now.”
USC has six four-star
commitments according to
rivals.com, including Ellis;
offensive lineman Garrett
Anderson from Irmo;
quarterback Chris Smelley
from Tuscaloosa, Ala.;
offensive lineman Kevin
Young from Clearwater, Fla.;
offensive lineman Hutch
Eckerson from Lumberton,
N.C.; and offensive lineman
Clarence Bailey from
Trenton, N.J.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gurm.sc. edu
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It is hardly a surprise to anyone closely related to the state of South Carolina that our
public educational institutions are in the lower quartile of our nation. As a member of a
transient family, I have had the opportunity to experience the school systems in various
states such as; Virginia, North Carolina,California, and also including South Carolina. I moved
to Greenville, South Carolina during the summer before my freshmen year of high-school
and enrolled in one of the most academically prestigious high-schools in the state, Riverside
High-School. I feel, as many South Carolina residents do, that I was not disadvantaged by the
public school system of our state. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everyone.
A well publicized documentary entitled, "The Corridor of Shame," highlighted a
certain area of South Carolina that most directly feels the impacts of inadequate funding
that result in a lack of educational resources. The city of Dillon resides inside of that corridor.
In response to the public embarrassment that our state suffered with this nationally publi
cized documentary, the University of South Carolina has set up a community outreach
program that will attempt to alleviate some of the problems that this city's students face on
a daily basis. On February 11 a group of fifty USC students will travel to Dillon to enhance the
public facilities of their public school students. As a fraternal group, fraternity council is
proud to be sending a good number of Greek-Men to help with this project. Participation
including fifteen Alpha Tau Omega's and three Sigma Alpha Epsilon's, along with other repre
sentatives from the Greek Community, make up a representative number of fraternity men
that are concerned and willing to help with this project.
While this particular outreach project is full, the continued concerns for issues such
as these are in the forefront of the Greek Community's thought process. Anyone who has
new ideas on expanding the participation of USC students in activities such as these is more
than welcome to send me an e-mail, and I promise that the Greek's at Carolina will pursue,
with your aid, any endeavor that you wish to take on.
James T. Laura Jr.
wmsmam