Notebook: Spurrier defends discipline measures

After Saturday’s scrimmage in Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier was asked about the opinion of some that he does not discipline players with alcohol-related offenses seriously enough.

“Soft?” Spurrier replied. “Well, I don’t know. I have been doing this a long time and there is something that they can always pick at you about if they like, so if they want to pick at me about that, that’s their privilege I guess. If the president and A.D. say, ‘Man, you are too soft on that,’ then they will get another coach here.”

Former reserve quarterback Tanner McEvoy, 19, was arrested last week for driving after consuming and speeding, and Spurrier chose not to suspend him from a game. (McEvoy a fifth-string quarterback, has since left the team.)

“He got arrested for speeding, but he wasn’t a drunk driver,” Spurrier said. “They took him in because he was underage, and he had had a beer earlier. He was not a drunk driver by any means. At the time, his offense was not what I thought was critical. It’s against the law, we don’t advocate it, but that’s what happened.”

McEvoy was arrested near Charlotte because it is illegal for anyone underage to drive after consuming alcohol in the state.

“Sometimes I have a — well, I’m legal to do that — I can have a beer here in the office and then drive home. Yeah, that’s legal. Anyway, I was sort of comparing it to that,” Spurrier said.

Aiding and abetting

Tennessee was set to hold an off-campus preseason training camp at Milligan College two hours from its Knoxville campus, but heavy rain washed out its football fields. That sent the Vols to a nearby high school to practice.

The school? Science Hill in Johnson City, Tenn., where Steve Spurrier was a standout football, baseball and basketball player. Science Hill’s football field is named after Spurrier, who gave a large donation to help pay for its artificial surface.

“I’m glad we could help out the Vols,” he said. “Hopefully, they will beat Georgia and a whole bunch of people. Not us, but a bunch of people.”

Spurrier has a photo of the Volunteers with the sign bearing his name in the background, he said.

“I think it’s kind of neat,” he said, adding with a laugh that the school did not call him to ask his permission.

“You know they should have called me, they didn’t even call,” he said. “They knew I would certainly approve it.”

Injury update

Sophomore running back Brandon Wilds, who led all rushers with 40 yards, suffered a slightly sprained ankle during the scrimmage. Freshman tight end Kelvin Rainey suffered a concussion during warm-ups, Spurrier said.

Several players missed the scrimmage, including freshman running back Mike Davis (bruised knee), cornerback Vic Hampton (bruised quad), cornerback Akeem Auguste (groin) and tight end Drew Owens (knee).

Freshman wide receiver Shamier Jeffery missed Saturday’s practice due to a family funeral, Spurrier said.

This story was originally published August 11, 2012 at 12:00 AM.