Video:Spurrier Shifts Stance On Clowney

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — At his weekly press conference Tuesday, Steve Spurrier shifted his stance on Jadeveon Clowney’s decision to sit out the Kentucky game with an injury.

Spurrier, at times reading from a prepared statement, opened his press conference with almost three minutes of comments on the Clowney situation and answered several follow-up questions.

“Jadeveon has a muscle strain near his rib area that caused him to miss the game last week against Kentucky,” Spurrier said.  “He was in pain, and it was diagnosed later.  And, uh, obviously we all handled it poorly.  All of us did”

“The proper procedure and protocol when a player’s hurt he tells the trainer or the team doctor, ‘Hey, I can’t go.  This thing is hurting.  I can’t, there’s too much pain,’ or whatever.  And the trainer tells me, the head coach, ‘He’s out.  He’s not playing.’  And I say, ‘OK. He’s out.  He’s not playing, simple as that.’  But we all didn’t do that, and it caused some confusion.  We didn’t know he wasn’t suiting up and this, that and the other.  So we didn’t handle it well I think the whole group of us.”

“But let me say this about Jadeveon.  If he never plays another snap here we all should be thankful and appreciative that he came to South Carolina.  We’ve won 26 games, two 11-2 years, the greatest seasons we’ve had in the history of this school, 120 years.  So none of us need to be upset at Jadeveon, none of us.”

“He’s played his part tremendously.  I think we’re 26-5 since he suited up for South Carolina.  And, uh, I’m all for Jadeveon and his future.  And, uh, when he’s ready to play we’re going to put him out there.”

“He’s been coming to treatment twice a day (the trainer) told me, doing everything he can to try to get ready to play.  And uh, I just want to clear the air that Jadeveon, all those #7 jerseys and all the money he’s made for our school, he’s been a tremendous important player, and we all, every Gamecock including me and coaches and everybody out there, we need to be appreciative that he chose South Carolina.  He could have gone anywhere in the country, and he’s a big reason that we’ve had those seasons.  And, uh, he’s trying to do all he can to get ready to play.”

“So, we all handled it poorly, all of us.  And, uh, when I make a comment about a player doesn’t have to play if he doesn’t want to that really goes to any player, any player.  Connor Shaw, Bruce Ellington, if for some reason any player doesn’t want to play then as coaches we don’t say you have to play.  That’s something coaches don’t do.  And this was a situation that he had something really bothering him, and hopefully it will be taken care of real soon.”

“OK.  Hopefully we can all move on about our business and be thankful and appreciative that Jadeveon Clowney is a South Carolina Gamecock.”

Click to watch his comments.