University of South Carolina's Brinkley looks ready to roll
University of South Carolina senior middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley is ready to “rock and roll in 2008”
after missing the last two-thirds of last season because of a knee injury.
“I’m anxious,”
the 6-foot-2, 275-pound Brinkley said. “I’m real anxious.”
Brinkley hasn’t hit anyone since a ligament in his right knee tore from the bone during USC’s loss Sept. 22 at eventual national champ LSU.
As USC continues preseason camp this week, Brinkley, who sat out spring drills, said his knee was doing fine.
“I’ve just got to get back in game shape right now,”
he said. “I’ve been away from the field for 10 months. It’s a big change for me.”
Ten months is a long time, especially for someone who’s never been away from football that long.
“And it went slow,”
Brinkley said. “I was counting each and every day.”
When Brinkley went down, the Gamecocks lost the player who led them in tackles with 107 in 2006. They also lost the heart and soul of the team, the unquestioned leader of the defense.
So it was no surprise the defense struggled, especially given USC had already lost another key player in the middle to injury in tackle Nathan Pepper of Greenville.
“So when you lost those leaders and it started downhill, nobody turned it around,&rdquo
; first-year defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said, “nobody stepped up.”
Brinkley knows all eyes are on him defensively. He knows he’s supposed to lead, and he said he isn’t about to back down.
“I feel like a lot of guys look up to me. I try to lead them in the right direction,”
he said. “But being a leader, you can’t lead unless you’re doing the right thing at all times, when no one’s watching.”
Leadership is an intangible. Coach Steve Spurrier pointed to a tangible in the return of Brinkley.
“He’ll help us with our tackling,”
Spurrier said. “As you know, we needed help with tackling last year. He’s ready to go.”
