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Spurrier laments loss of Geathers
Brother's path may have swayed Geathers; USC coach says Kiffin is back where he belongs
USC Defensive End Clifton Geathers laughs with teammates during practice.
C. Aluka Berry/caberry@thestate.com /C. Aluka Berry
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Steve Spurrier cannot say for certain because he never received a farewell phone call.
But the USC coach believes one of the reasons junior defensive end Clifton Geathers left early for the NFL draft was to follow the lead of his older brother.
Geathers still has not publicly announced his NFL intentions. But Spurrier said Thursday the 6-foot-8, 281-pound Georgetown native turned off his cell phone and left town without attending any classes or workouts this week.
The NFL's underclassmen advisory committee projected Geathers as a fourth- to seventh-round pick.
After Robert Geathers Jr. left Georgia after his junior year, Cincinnati selected him in the fourth round of the 2004 draft. Three years later, the Bengals gave Geathers Jr. a six-year contract extension worth $33.7 million.
"His brother was not projected real high. And (he) got drafted, made the team and has made a lot of money. So when he looks at that, Clifton's going to say, 'That's me right there,' " Spurrier said.
"I still think he should have stayed. But if he's gone, he's gone."
Spurrier said no other juniors were leaving. Defensive end Cliff Matthews was the Gamecocks' highest-rated junior but recently underwent shoulder surgery, according to Spurrier.
Spurrier said Matthews would be ready for the start of next season.
California dreaming. Spurrier gigged Lane Kiffin when he was hired at Tennessee, asking whether Kiffin had passed the NCAA rules test before contacting recruits. But Spurrier took no parting shots a day after Kiffin left for Southern Cal following one season at UT.
"The guy's a California guy. He really is. He's a Southern Cal guy. He was there six years as an assistant. And lo and behold, Pete Carroll left, and they offered him the job," Spurrier said.
"I'm not saying it was right or wrong. But when you look at it, that's where he's most comfortable and his family's most comfortable. You can sort of understand that's the way it happened."
Love of the game. Freshman quarterback Connor Shaw, who enrolled this week after graduating from high school early, is a coach's son and a "football junkie," according to Spurrier.
"He loves everything about football and loves learning everything about it," said Spurrier, who had similar praise for quarterback Aramis Hillary a couple of years ago. "(Shaw) enjoys working out. Enjoys throwing the ball every day. He really loves football. You hope to have about 70 like that."
Shaw passed for 3,100 yards with 30 touchdowns and six interceptions as a senior at Flowery Branch High near Gainesville, Ga.
Extra points. After two consecutive lopsided bowl losses, Spurrier said USC would prepare differently for its next bowl game but would not elaborate because he said he did not want it to be perceived as excuse-making. ... Spurrier has mentioned he might have quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus call the offensive plays next season. But Spurrier said Thursday he would announce play-calling plans later, if he announces them at all. ... Walk-on tailback/kick returner Bryce Sherman, a former sprinter on USC's track team, has been placed on scholarship. ... Freshman fullback Matt Coffee enrolled this week after greyshirting in the fall to rehab a knee injury. Spurrier said Coffee is healthy.
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