Elliott brings passion, roots to USC job

On a state championship Camden High team featuring several major-college prospects, Shawn Elliott was a self-described "blue collar guy" who figured he had to outwork everyone else to stay on the field.

Elliott expects the same from his players.

If South Carolina's new offensive line coach and run game coordinator is to revive the Gamecocks' rushing attack, he will do so without any shortcuts or free passes.

There is no bailout plan.

"Look, these guys want to be worked," Elliott said last week. "That's what this country's lacking today. Everything's got an option. 'Hey, you're not paying your mortgage - don't worry about it, we're going to take care of it for you.' Well, I'm not going to give 'em that."

The 36-year-old Elliott was not sure he saw a lot of passion from USC's linemen in the Gamecocks' 20-7 loss to Connecticut in the Papajohns.com Bowl. Elliott, a former Appalachian State player who spent his entire coaching career at his alma mater, had interviewed with Steve Spurrier before the team left for Birmingham, Ala.

After the game, Elliott sent Spurrier a text message saying he could help USC.

Forget technique. He was talking morale.

"It didn't seem like they were having a lot of fun," Elliott said. "When I was sitting on that couch and they were struggling to move the football, I just said, 'Those guys have got to look toward somebody to lead them.' And ultimately, I wanted that to be me.

"I want them to look at me - not just the offensive line, I want this football team - I want to generate some excitement for all individuals on this team. And I just felt that I could bring that passion and heart to Columbia."

Elliott was introduced to hard work and Gamecock football by his father, Charles, who grew up on an Horry County tobacco farm with eight siblings and spent nearly 20 years with the state highway patrol.

Charles Elliott brought along his two sons when he would direct traffic outside Williams-Brice Stadium. Elliott would climb to the top row in the north stands and wave to his father, who would join his sons when the game started to watch George Rogers, Sterling Sharpe and others.

Charles Elliott would work Clemson games on occasion, but his was a USC family.

"We were Gamecock fans 100 percent. We never were Clemson fans. Not today, neither," said Charles Elliott, whose oldest son Mitch graduated from USC and has season tickets.

Elliott ended his high school career at Williams-Brice when his 1990 Camden team, led by future NFL stars Bobby Engram and Vonnie Holliday, defeated Hilton Head 13-3 to cap a 15-0 season. Elliott was a starting defensive end with an SEC motor but Southern Conference size.

Charles Elliott said former Clemson coach Ken Hatfield noticed his son while scouting other players at a Camden-Daniel playoff game that season.

"He made a statement that if he had a place on the Clemson team for heart, it'd be No. 10 (Elliott) out there," he said.

Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore noticed Elliott, too, and offered him a scholarship. Elliott arrived as Moore was turning the Mountaineers into a perennial FCS (formerly I-AA) power.

In Elliott's 19 years at App State as a player and coach, the Mountaineers had one losing season, made the playoffs 14 times and won three consecutive national titles from 2005-07.

"Those guys up at App State, they know how to win. They know how to do it the right way," Spurrier said. "We're bringing Shawn in hopefully to rub a lot of that Appalachian State stuff on us here."

Appalachian's run included the Shock Heard 'Round the World - a 34-32 win at Michigan to open the 2007 season.

If USC's players did not watch the Mountaineers' upset of Michigan in Ann Arbor, they will soon.

"They're going to see that first-hand," Elliott said. "They're going to see that on the first day or practice."

What they will see is a spread offense that chewed up the Wolverines - not to mention most of App's other opponents. Using a zone-blocking scheme and some of the read option plays the Gamecocks used this season, the Mountaineers averaged at least 206 rushing yards per game every season since 2005.

Meanwhile, USC has been last in the SEC in rushing three years in a row.

"It's going to be a challenge to see if a similar scheme works that we had incorporated at Appalachian State," Elliott said. "I've seen it work throughout the country."

Jon Gruden is a believer. The Monday Night Football analyst encouraged Spurrier to consider Elliott for his offensive line vacancy after meeting him when the former Tampa Bay Bucs' coach visited Appalachian's campus in Boone, N.C., to study the spread.

"So I got his resume and called him up," Spurrier said. "He said, 'Heck, yeah, I'm interested.'"

Elliott, who had received offers from other FBS programs in the past, did not bother to ask about his salary, although Spurrier assured him his two-year deal would be more than he made at App.

The USC football office is 40 miles from Elliott's parents' home in Camden and overlooks the street where his father directed game-day traffic nearly 30 years ago.

And though there are no mountains like those he left behind in Boone, for Elliott the view is spectacular.

This story was originally published January 17, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Elliott brings passion, roots to USC job."