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Will Munnerlyn's mom know draft best?
Gamecock corner considers staying for senior season to finish degree
USC punt returner Captain Munnerlyn (1) celebrates a long return with USC special teams player Moe Brown (9) and USC special teams player Antonio Allen (26) during the second quarter as USC leads Alabama-Birmingham 17-6 Saturday at Williams Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., Sept. 27, 2008.
Gerry Melendez/gmelendez@thestate.com /The State
CommentsTAMPA, Fla. — If mother knows best, Captain Munnerlyn will be back at South Carolina for his senior season.
But the members of the NFL’s advisory committee might have a bigger say on whether the Gamecocks’ junior cornerback becomes the latest in a line of USC defensive backs who turned pro early.
Munnerlyn is one of five USC juniors who asked the committee to evaluate their draft prospects. The others are linebacker Eric Norwood, tight end Jared Cook and safeties Darian Stewart and Emanuel Cook, who is ineligible for the Outback Bowl and expected to enter the draft.
Most people around the Gamecocks’ program believe Munnerlyn will leave after the bowl game.
“I love South Carolina. I’m really considering staying,” Munnerlyn said Saturday. “I’m not thinking about the NFL right now. I’m just going to sit down at the end of the game, talk to my mom and see her situation and (do) whatever’s best for my family.”
Munnerlyn said his 50-year-old, single mother, Evelyn, missed some work this year due to a blood condition. Evelyn Munnerlyn wants her son to finish the 30 hours he needs for his degree.
Munnerlyn, who ran a 40-yard dash in 4.35 seconds in the spring of 2007, said he would return to school if his evaluation comes back “crazy” in terms of his draft positioning.
Munnerlyn, a first-team, All-SEC selection last year, has no interceptions this season and 14 fewer solo tackles than 2007 — a drop-off he attributes to the increase in zone coverage employed by first-year defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
“People don’t notice, but they don’t throw the ball my way like they did last year,” he said.
New addition. USC is trying to create an administrative role for former Gamecocks and NFL running back Duce Staley, the sideline reporter for USC’s radio broadcasts and a co-host of a local sports talk show.
School officials want Staley to return to school and finish his degree while on staff. Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier envisions a player development role for Staley, who addressed the team after a bowl practice in Columbia.
“We’re all fond of Duce Staley, and we think he’s an excellent representative of the University of South Carolina,” Spurrier said. “Hopefully, we can get him a little bit more associated with our team.”
Lanning’s life lesson. Spencer Lanning carried a 2.9 GPA into this semester, but the USC punter said he needs to be more attentive to his coursework after nearly missing the bowl game.
Lanning filed a successful appeal to have his eligibility restored after passing three of the six hours in his economics major required of upperclassmen to be eligible for a bowl.
“It was a shame this all happened, but I’m glad we got it taken care of,” said Lanning, a redshirt sophomore from Rock Hill. “I will admit that I haven’t given it my all in the classroom. It’s something that I guess needed to happen so I’d straighten up.”
He said it. “Think my head would turn after playing Florida and all those guys? Nah, man, I’m not worried about it.”
— USC defensive end Jordin Lindsey when told teammates had done a double take after spotting Iowa’s beefy offensive linemen at a welcome dinner
Extra points. Spurrier said everyone made curfew Friday during USC’s first night in Tampa. ... Reserve receiver Matt Clements injured his hamstring during the Gamecocks’ minicamp in Columbia and will arrive in Tampa with the team’s other injured players later in the week.
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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