WTF: Steve Spurrier
Slow News Day
What has seemed to become a yearly ritual South Carolina Gamecocks head football coach Steve Spurrier went shirtless at spring practice.
South Carolina warns visitors of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney
Been Warned
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been the most popular player in college football thanks to a punishing hit against Michigan running back Vincent Smith, which vaulted Smith off the ground and flaying a few feet with Clowney on top of him.
And now, apparently, the State of South Carolina is doing the rest of the nation a public service and warning it of Clowney’s presence in its state.
South Carolina paper runs ad looking for missing Vincent Smith helmet
HILARIOUS
Unfortunately for Michigan running back Vincent Smith, South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is one of the best players in college football. Otherwise, the Wolverines may have won the Outback Bowl rather than Smith feeling the wrath of Clowney and essentially fumbling the game away. That, and there wouldn’t still be South Carolina newspapers making jokes at Smith’s expense.
Steve Spurrier’s Confuses Voting Age & Only Lets Players 21 Vote
Did I Just Say That
Asked on Tuesday whether he’d allow his players time to vote between class, practice and game preparation, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier replied, “Our players that are 21?”
The national voting age is 18, of course. Spurrier is obviously confusing the 26th Amendment, which declared that the voting age shall not be set higher than 18, with the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which set the drinking age at 21.
Every player on South Carolina’s roster is allowed to vote.
Marcus Lattimore Suffers Gruesome Knee Injury
South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore suffered a gruesome knee injury during the second quarter of the Gamecocks game against Southeastern Conference East rival Tennessee. Lattimore hyperextended his right knee against Tennessee, causing injury to several ligaments. There were no fractures or additional injuries, according to team physician Jeffrey Guy.
Alfonzo Dennard Arrested For Punching Police Officer
Paycut
Nebraska’s outgoing star cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was arrested of assaulting a police officer, possibly hurting his status in next weekend’s NFL draft.
Dennard, 22, has been projected to be as high as a second-round pick. But Dennard’s arrest could drop him from the third to fourth round, a difference that could cost him about $300,000 in salary over a standard four-year rookie contract.
Dennard is known for his aggressive play. He and South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery were ejected from the Capital One Bowl for taking swings at each other.
Lincoln Police Capt. Jason Stille said officers tried to break up a fight between Dennard and a 22-year-old man outside a Lincoln bar shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday. Dennard hit the man before punching an officer who tried to intervene in the head, Stille said.
He was arrested after a brief struggle with four officers, police said. The officer hit in the head did not seek medical treatment.
Dennard was jailed on assault of a police officer, third-degree assault and resisting arrest.
He was the senior leader of Nebraska’s receiving corps last season, earned All-Big Ten honors and won the conference’s inaugural Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Award.
South Carolina Gamecocks Athletes Got Illegal Benefits
Who's Next Up
The NCAA has accused South Carolina Gamecock athletes of receiving $55,000 worth of impermissible benefits and recruiting inducements for getting reduced hotel rates and for their involvement with a Delaware-based mentoring organization. Gamecocks football coach Steve Spurrier is among those asked to meet with the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in Los Angeles on Feb. 17-18 as well as track coach Curtis Frye.
The NCAA began its investigation at South Carolina in the summer of 2010, talking to former tight end Weslye Saunders about potential contact with agents during a trip to Miami. Instead, the NCAA found Saunders was among several athletes who lived at the Whitney Hotel for a reduced rate. The NCAA said 10 football players stayed at the hotel at a rate of $14.59 a day.
The NCAA’s allegations also included dealings with the Student Athlete Mentoring Foundation, its president Steve Gordon and its treasurer Kevin Lahn both of whom are South Carolina graduates. The NCAA said Gordon and Lahn contacted South Carolina staffers in football, basketball and track about prospective student athletes and funded unofficial visits to campus for those prospects. The benefits from Gordon and Lahn totaled $8,000, the NCAA said.
South Carolina has disassociated itself from both Lahn and Gordon as university boosters.
South Carolina Repeats As College World Series Champs
Now What
South Carolina clinched its second straight national championship at this year’s College World Series. Michael Roth pitched 7 2-3 innings on three days rest and the Gamecocks were in control throughout a 5-2 victory over Florida that completed a two-game sweep in the College World Series finals. South Carolina (55-14) became the first team to ever go 10-0 in an NCAA tournament and the first since Oregon State in 2007 to go unbeaten in a College World Series. The Gamecocks streaks of 16 NCAA tournament wins and 11 straight in the College World Series are both the longest all-time.
South Carolina has the distinction of winning the last College World Series played at Rosenblatt Stadium and the first at TD Ameritrade Park. They became the sixth team to win consecutive national titles and first since Oregon State in 2006-07.
After giving up four runs in the first inning of their opener against Texas A&M, the Gamecocks allowed just six in their other 50 innings. Three of the Gamecocks first four wins came in their last at-bat and included incredible pitching and defensive performances in the late innings.
South Carolina second baseman Scott Wingo was named Most Outstanding Player and sported a back-to-back championship belt after the victory. He had the winning hit in the bottom of the ninth against Texas A&M and made two great plays at second base to keep Florida from scoring late in the game Monday.
Roth made news earlier in the College World Series, when news went public that his father at quit his job to watch him pitch in Ohama. He rewarded his father by pitching holding Florida without a run after it got leadoff men on base in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Aluminum Bat Breaks At College World Series
I watch a ton of baseball but I’ve never seen an aluminum bat break, that was until yesterday when Florida Gators Mike Zunino broke off Vanderbilt pitcher Mark Lamm at the College World Series. I’m sure most people wouldn’t believe it unless seeing it so here’s the proof.
Florida eventually beat the Vanderbilt 6-4 to reach the finals against South Carolina on Monday.
By the way Zunino is the same guy who knocked out his own pitcher Brian Johnson when he tried to gun down an Alabama player that was trying to steal second, you can watch it HERE.
South Carolina Pitcher’s Father Quits Job To Be With Him At College World Series
The Father-Son Sport
University of South Carolina pitcher Michael Roth gave his dad a great present for Father’s Day by pitching the Gamecocks to an opening round victory over Texas A&M on Sunday night in the College World Series. His father David Roth did something special for his son when he quit his job as a car salesman so so he could travel to Omaha to watch his son pitch.
When he was told by his employer he could not take time off David decided seeing Michael on college baseballs biggest stage was more important to him. David was in Omaha last year to see the Gamecocks first two games of the College World Series but missed his sons next start against Clemson and his in the national title game against UCLA. He said he was not going to miss another start this year.
“My mom mentioned something after Super Regionals,” he said. “She was like, ‘I think dad’s going to come.’ I said, ‘Really? He’s going to get off work? She was like, ‘He’s either going to get off work or he’s going to quit.”
Michael didn’t know his dad had sacrificed his job for the College World Series until he had dinner with his family on Saturday.
New York Knicks Renaldo Balkman Joins Lemonade Stand For Cancer Research
Stand Up 2 Cancer
New York Knicks forward Renaldo Balkman helped turn lemons into lemonade Wednesday as part of a little Tommy’s efforts to help those afflicted with cancer. Balkman helped seventh grader Anthony Frederick’s fundraiser for cancer research after hearing about the boy and his family through one of his old University of South Carolina classmates and wanted to help take part. The 6-foot-8 Balkman handed out cold cups of lemonade, posed for pictures and shook hands with those stopping by at Dent Middle School.
The Frederick’s have had a history of cancer as Anthony’s mother, Dru Frederick, was diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago and now his father, Tony, is currently undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia.
“I figured I could come down and help them raise money,” Balkman said.
Frederick’s father is a colonel stationed at nearby Fort Jackson and Army personnel were also on hand, as did some members of the South Carolina women’s basketball team.
Anthony Frederick has raised more than $17,000 through his lemonade sales, T-shirt and toys sales the past five years. He has even begun the group, “Kids Inspired by Cancer Kampaign” (KICK) to help other families besides his own in raising money
Lane Kiffin’s Visor Wants You To Buy Season Tickets
University of Southern California Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin is back for his second year as the man on the sidelines and that means hitting the fund raising trail. Kiffin and his visor want fans to invest in season tickets but not sure that this sparks much of a fire for me. In fact when I think of the college football visor I think of Bob Stoops or Steve Spurrier not even Kiffin.
WTF: Steve Spurrier
SportsbyBrooks
That’s right that’s University of South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier basking in the Florida sun while he enjoys him some NASCAR. Public display of old man boobs probably won’t win over any future recruits.
Primetime College Football: Chick-fil-A Bowl
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features the University of South Carolina Gamecocks taking on Florida State University Seminoles in the 43rd annual Chick-fil-A Bowl at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
South Carolina, 9-4, 5-3 SEC, head coach Steve Spurrier is enjoying his best season for the Gamecocks. They began the season with three straight victories but followed that by a loss to Auburn. The rest of the way saw the Gamecocks play on an inconsistent level until they took the last three games of the year. That found them in a rematch against Auburn in the SEC title game which they where roasted 56-17.
Offensively the Gamecocks are producing 32 ppg behind freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, who has rushed for 1,198 yards and 17 touchdowns. Lattimore, who earned Freshman of the Year honors in the SEC, and also landed on the All-SEC First Team.
Finally the Gamecocks got the most productive year out of quarterback Stephen Garcia who helped keep defenses honest and not lock into the Lattimore. Garcia completed 65.1 percent of his passes and finished with 2,816 yards and 20 touchdowns along with 11 interceptions. Garcia’s favorite target down field was sophomore Alshon Jeffery as he caught 79 passes for 1,387 yards and 9 touchdowns.
Florida State, 9-4, 6-2 ACC, is under the direction of first year head coach Jimbo Fisher who guided his team to an ACC championship game, however they lost to Virginia Tech 44-33. The Seminoles ival Florida. Unfortunately, the Seminoles were unable to remain in the win column as they fell to Virginia Tech, 44-33 in the ACC title matchup.
The Seminoles have a very balanced attack led by senior quarterback Christian Ponder, who threw for 2,038 yards and 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions in only 11 games. Ponder doesn’t really signal out a single receiver but does look for Bert Reed to come through at critical times. Reed led the team with 56 catches and 589 yards while Taiwan Easterling followed in second with 41 catches and Willie Haulstead scored 6 touchdowns.
The running game has rumbled on the season of 167.8 ypg with Chris Thompson and his 698 yards 5 touchdowns is the main option. The Seminoles like it’s passing attack doesn’t focus in on one runner as Ty Jones helped the team with 5 touchdowns and Jermaine Thomas 6 touchdowns.
PICK: Florida State University Seminoles
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: Cam Newton
Cam Newton
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to Auburn University Tigers quarterback Cam Newton. The Tigers quarterback accounted for six touchdowns in the Southeastern Conference championship game to lead Auburn to a 56-17 rout of South Carolina. Newton threw for four touchdowns and ran for another two. His six touchdowns tied the SEC Championship Game record set by Florida’s Danny Wuerffel in 1996. With his two rushing touchdowns, Newton joined Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick and former teammate Tim Tebow as the only players in Divison I history with 20 passing and 20 rushing TDs in a single season.
The 56 points put up by Auburn is the most in an SEC title game and the 39-point margin of victory is the largest in the history of the game. The Tigers set an SEC championship game record for points and piled up 589 yards however Newton had a hand in 408 of them.
Congratulations Cam Newton you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
Tracy Wolfson Gets A Mouthful Of Cammy Cam Juice
CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson took a mouthful of Auburn’s quarterback Cam Newton special sauce during their blowout win over South Carolina in the SEC Championship game, something he entitled Cammy Cam Juice. We all know what that is code word for.
I got a good feeling that Tracy will be a viral queen come Monday.
Denver Broncos Kenny McKinley Deep In Gambling Debt Before Suicide
R.I.P.
Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley had a gambling problem and was deep in debt when he committed suicide on Sept. 21, friends and family told authorities during a probe into his death.
McKinley committed suicide with a gun he had purchased months before from teammate Jabar Gaffney, who told investigators McKinley wanted the weapon for his own protection, according to an investigative report obtained by The Associated Press.
Detectives also determined that McKinley had spoken about suicide with at least three of his friends, including former Broncos backup quarterback Tom Brandstater. Brandstater told investigators he had lent McKinley $65,000 and that McKinley owed $40,000 in casino markers in Las Vegas.
McKinley, 23, suffered a season-ending left knee injury during the first week of Broncos training camp. McKinley had injured the same knee in the Broncos next-to-last game in 2009.
The 131-page report, which states the investigation has closed, quoted witnesses as saying McKinley was depressed over his second knee surgery in eight months and was worried about how he would care for his toddler son when his football career was over.
Days before his death, McKinley had been ordered to pay $3,000 a month in child support by a South Carolina court. He had told friends he was being threatened with a paternity suit by another woman who said she was pregnant with his baby, according to the sheriff’s report.
McKinley, who signed a four-year, $1.95 million contract with the Broncos in 2009 after they drafted him in the fifth round out of South Carolina. The deal included a $200,200 signing bonus, and he made the rookie minimum salary of $310,000 last year. However, he had a split contract, meaning that because he was to spend all of 2010 on injured reserve, he would receive $240,000, instead of $395,000.
Primetime College Football: Cocks vs Gators
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features University of South Carolina Gamecocks taking on the University of Florida Gators in Gainesville.
Head coach Steve Spurrier returns to the town where he became a legend and became a champion both as a player and a coach during his time in Gainesville, but has yet to achieve that level of success during his tenure at South Carolina. This season the Gamecocks are 6-3 overall, and they are coming off a 41-20 loss to Arkansas at home last weekend.
South Carolina is a productive offensive team with standout players at the skill positions. Marcus Lattimore leads the backfield with 752 yards and 11 touchdowns, and the freshman is willing to put his head down and take on linebackers to pick up an extra yard or two. Alshon Jeffery is one of the top receivers in the nation. Through nine games, he has recorded 59 catches for 1,034 yards and seven touchdowns. The man in charge of getting the ball to Jeffery is Stephen Garcia, who has played well for the most part. He has completed 67.7 percent of his passes for 2,065 yards and 14 touchdowns with nine interceptions. South Carolina is generating 29 ppg while posting 395.3 total ypg.
Opponents are scoring 21 ppg against South Carolina, which is giving up 369.2 total ypg. The Gamecocks are tough against the run, permitting a mere 3.1 yards per carry and 104.6 yards per game. South Carolina has posted a stellar total of 32 sacks, including a team-high 6.5 by Devin Taylor.
After a 4-0 start to the season, head coach Urban Meyer has suffered through an unthinkable three-game losing streak. Narrow losses to LSU and Mississippi State during that slide seemed to crush any hope that the Gators had of making another trip to the conference title game. However, a thrilling overtime win over Georgia two weeks ago and a romp over Vanderbilt last weekend has the Gators on the cusp of sweeping their SEC East slate for the third consecutive season and 11th time since divisional play began in 1992.
The Gators have scored 32 offensive touchdowns this season, 23 of which have been rushing scores. Tre Burton has run for 10 touchdowns despite the fact that he has only 278 rushing yards to his credit. Clearly, the Gators feature a running back-by-committee approach, with Jeff Demps leading the charge. John Brantley is the starting quarterback for coach Meyer, and he has had the unenviable job of replacing Tim Tebow. Brantley has completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,616 yards and eight touchdowns against six interceptions. While the team lacks an elite receiver, there are some talented pass-catchers in the fold.
Opponents are posting just 19 ppg and 292.6 total ypg against Florida, and defense is clearly the strength of the team. The Gators are yielding a mere 121.2 rushing ypg at a clip of 3.5 yards per carry, and a mere seven rushing scores have been allowed. Ahmad Black has recorded a team-high 77 tackles for the Gators, and he has intercepted three passes while forcing three fumbles.
Florida owns a commanding 23-4-3 series advantage over South Carolina.
PICK: University of Florida Gators
Kentucky Wildcats Have Their Very Own Cigar Guy
Is That A Butterfly On Your Chest?
I gotta admit on Saturday I didn’t see everything like normal in the world of college football as my time was focused in on the MLB postseason. Sensing that was the case one of our fans, Samuel, sent this email with a Kentucky Wildcat fan attending Saturdays game against South Carolina as the world famous cigar guy.
If your not all that familiar with the cigar guy, he became an Internet sensation after the famous Mark Pain photo that captured Tiger Woods hitting a golf ball right at his camera. We posted the photo back on October 3rd and you can view it HERE. The image suddenly took on a life of it’s own and the cigar guy was instantly photoshopped everywhere and now has ended up in the stands of Lexington, Kentucky.
Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player: Cam Newton
Cameron Newton
Every Tuesday Sports Grind Entertainment presents you with the Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player of the Week. This week the recipient of this prestigious honor goes to Auburn University Tigers quarterback Cameron Newton. The Tigers quarterback rushed for 176 yards and three touchdowns and passed for two more scores. Auburn forced a couple of four fourth-quarter turnovers to pull off another come-from-behind victory after Newton set the Tigers for a 35-27 against South Carolina on Saturday night.
Newton was 16-of-21 passing for 158 yards and also logged 25 runs, including a 54-yard touchdown scamper after a nice fake handoff in the first quarter. He helped Auburn to rack up 334 yards rushing against a defense that came in giving up a league-low 60 yards on the ground and best in the SEC.
Congratulations Cameron Newton you are this weeks Buffalo Wild Wings Blazin Player.
Primetime College Football: Cocks vs Tigers
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features the University of South Carolina Gamecocks taking on Auburn University Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier takes his Gamecocks down to Auburn 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC. The South Carolina offense is led by junior quarterback Stephen Garcia, 508 yards 2 touchdowns and 2 INTs, who has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes. Garcia though hasn’t been nearly impressive on the road as he’s just 2-7 in games he starts outside of Williams-Brice Stadium and had thrown 5 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.
The Gamecocks have gotten a spark on offense out of freshman running back Marcus Lattimore, 333 yards 5 touchdowns. Lattimore has fueled the attack, but others have stepped up like sophomore wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, 19 catches 306 yards, to help the Gamecocks to average 32 ppg.
South Carolina’s defense has been the real surprise for the Gamecocks as they are limiting opponents to just 2.2 ypc and 12 ppg. The pass defense for South Carolina has been a little more generous with 267.7 ypg but has recorded 11 sacks and 3 interceptions. The top play-maker on the defensive side is safety sophomore DeVonte Holloman who has a team-high 20 tackles, one interception and one forced fumble. Sophomore defensive end Devin Taylor, 11 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and junior tackle Travian Robertson, 9 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, have created the havoc on the line.
Auburn’s head coach Gene Chizik has his Tigers also 3-0 and 1-0 in the SEC after outlasting Clemson in a 27-24 brawl in overtime. The Tigers are lead by junior quarterback Cameron Newton, 525 passing yards 7 touchdowns with 3 INTs and 309 rushing yards 2 touchdowns, has the ability to move the ball both on the ground and through the air.
Like Lattimore in Columbia, the Tigers have a freshman running back who is just as dynamic in Michael Dyer, 212 yards one touchdown, who has averaged 5.4 ypc. He’s joined in the backfield with sophomore Onterio McCalebb, 225 yards one touchdown, and his 7.3 ypc. Newton has thrown touchdown passes to five different players thus far, with junior wide receiver Darvin Adams, 214 yards 2 touchdowns, leads the team.
The Auburn defense has allowed a rather generous 21 ppg but has also had 25 tackles for a loss and 8 sacks. Senior middle linebacker Josh Bynes leads the squad with 23 tackles but it’s on the line that most of the production that counts has come from. Junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley, 16 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, and senior defensive end Antoine Carter, 14 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, have done well beyond their part for the Tigers.
This is the ninth all-time meeting, with Auburn holding a 6-1-1 advantage and the Tigers have won four straight, including a 24-17 victory in the last meeting in Columbia in 2006.
PICK: Auburn University Tigers
Denver Broncos Kenny McKinley Found Dead
R.I.P.
According to FOX 31 in Denver, Broncos second-year wide receiver Kenny McKinley was found dead in his home on Monday. The death is apparently being ruled a suicide.
McKinley enjoyed a stellar college career at South Carolina where he had 207 receptions, third most in SEC history, and over 2700 yards receiving. The Broncos drafted him in the fifth round of the 2009 draft but had had struggled to remain healthy, being placed on IR during the 2009 season and before the 2010 season.
Deputies discovered McKinley dead in the second floor master bedroom of the home from an apparent self inflicted gunshot.
Primetime College Football: Jayhawks vs Golden Eagles
TALENT
This game goes down on the ESPN network and it features the University of Kansas Jayhawks taking on Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg.
Kansas has had clearly a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde start to their season after opening at home in new head coach Turner Gill’s debut with a 6-3 loss to Division II North Dakota State then rebounding with an 28-25 upset win over Georgia Tech.
After struggling to get anything going on the ground against North Dakota State, the Jayhawks were more consistent against the Yellow Jackets and the success was due to the play of true freshman James Sims. Sims, who did not see action in the opener, rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown, became the first running back in school history to surpass 100 yards in his freshman debut. The Georgia Tech game also saw the starting debut of freshman quarterback Jordan Webb, 18-29 179 yards 3 touchdowns 1 INT, who played well but was sacked 4 times.
The defense for Kansas allowed only 6 points in the opener but still managed to lose. Then Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde reared it’s ugly head as the Jayhawks allowed 25 points and 291 rushing yards but came up with a victory against Georgia Tech.
The Golden Eagles have too been riding a roller coaster to begin their season as they pushed all around the field in a 41-13 loss to South Carolina then turned around and did the same thing to Prairie View A&M in their 34-7 victory. The Golden Eagles tallied just 13 points in their opener but woke up in the team’s second contest.
Larry Fedora Golden Eagles are a team of a well balanced offense attack while resting their shoulders mainly on the run. The rushing attack is a mixture of freshman Kendrick Hardy, 86 yards, senior V.J. Floyd, 80 yards one touchdown, sophomore Desmond Johnson, 65 yards 2 touchdowns. With the rushing attack a three headed monster there was no real need last week to rely on junior quarterback Austin Davis,11-18 178 yards and one touchdown.
Southern Miss defense was clobbered by South Carolina but surrendered just 7 points against Prairie View A&M. In the victory, the Golden Eagles surrendered just 211 total yards and forced two turnovers. However, against South Carolina the defense was punished for 224 yards on the ground alone.
These two schools have only faced once before in their history and that came last season with a Jayhawks 35-28 victory.
PICK: Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles
A.J. Greens Game Used Jersey Buyer Is Facing Felony Drug Charges
Sold $1,000
The man who is accused of buying University of Georgia receiver A.J. Green’s game used jersey that spawned a four game suspension is facing felony drug charges in Georgia. Chris Hawkins, who played at North Carolina from 2001-03 before finishing his college career at Marshall, was arrested by Georgia State Patrol officers on April 23, 2009 on felony charges of trafficking cocaine and misdemeanor charges of possession of marijuana.
Hawkins was pulled over by a Georgia State Patrol officer while driving a U-haul moving truck for not wearing a seat belt and after officers discovered a small amount of marijuana in his pocket later, they brought out the drug-detecting dog. The dog discovered a paper sack containing a baseball-sized amount of base cocaine, which weighed about three ounces and was covered in peanut butter and pepper.
Hawkins, from Kinston, N.C., spent 20 days in the Morgan County (Ga.) Detention Center until he was released on $50,000 bail. Hawkins is scheduled to appear in Morgan County Superior Court on Oct. 18.
Page Pate, Hawkins’ Atlanta-based attorney says that the U-haul truck was rented by former North Carolina and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Willie Parker. Pate said Hawkins, who is Parker’s roommate, was delivering furniture from Miami to North Carolina for Parker.
Pate said Parker purchased the furniture from a penthouse in the Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, which was the site of at least two agent-related parties this past spring. The NCAA is investigating whether North Carolina defensive lineman Marvin Austin and receiver Greg Little violated its rules by attending the parties. Alabama defensive lineman Marcel Dareus also attended a party at Fontainebleau and was suspended two games by the NCAA. South Carolina tight end Weslye Saunders, who was dismissed from the Gamecocks, is also being investigated by NCAA officials for attending the parties.
Last week, the NCAA suspended Green for four games after he sold his Independence Bowl jersey to Hawkins for $1,000.
