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Reaves pushes Giles to USC
Tennessee assistant’s negative recruiting tactic backfires with high-profile tailback
Gaither (Fla.) running back Jarvis Giles rushes against the Jefferson Dragons during a game in September.
Michael C. Weimar/Special to the St. Petersburg Times
CommentsTAMPA, Fla. — According to Jarvis Giles, former USC assistant David Reaves told him the ring was the thing that prompted him to leave Steve Spurrier’s staff to join brother-in-law Lane Kiffin at Tennessee.
And it was that statement during Reaves’ home visit with Giles that further persuaded the Tampa tailback to go with the Gamecocks.
Giles, who picked USC over Tennessee and Nebraska, visited the Gamecocks’ practice Saturday at Jefferson High with his father, sister and brother, Devin, a defensive back at Washington State.
Giles, who lives about 15 minutes away from the Gamecocks’ practice site, talked about hosting Reaves and Kiffin at his home shortly after Reaves left USC. According to Giles, Reaves pointed to a brochure photo of Tennessee’s championship rings and said: “That’s what I want. I want one of those right there. That’s something you can’t get at South Carolina.”
Giles reaction?
“That’s bull. It was kind of like negative recruiting,” he said. “So I was like that’s not for me.”
Billy Giles, the player’s father, also was present for Reaves’ visit.
“I was surprised he said that,” he said. “I said, ‘Hmm. OK. He’s counting them out already.’”
Giles, rated by Rivals.com as the country’s No. 4 tailback prospect, graduated early and will enroll at USC next month. He said his maturity will help him avoid the problems experienced by previous midyear enrollees, including USC quarterback Stephen Garcia.
“Truthfully, I’ve always been the one that matured faster than people,” he said. “I’m going to surround myself with good guys — guys that want to be better, do good things (and) that got goals for themselves. And trouble, it will cease.”
Because it is a so-called NCAA “dead period,” USC coaches were not allowed to speak to Giles. But he said watching the workout gave him a good idea of what to expect in spring practice, when he intends to try to win a starting spot.
“It ain’t going to be easy for (the returning tailbacks) because I’m a competitor,” he said. “I’m looking for big things. I’m looking to start or at least get second string.”
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