Boyd facing heat
GREENVILLE -- One way or another, on the field or off, South Carolina's players and its head coach are always in the news.
That means Steve Spurrier always has issues, situations and scenarios to discuss.
He ran down a few before speaking at an Upstate Gamecock Club meeting Tuesday at the Palmetto Expo Center. The off-field material centered on Cory Boyd's recent run-in with the law, the reinstatement of Stephen Garcia and his own anti-Confederate flag comments.
First, there was Boyd.
The Gamecocks' shifty tailback was reportedly involved in an altercation -- where gunshots were fired -- at an off-campus party last Saturday, following the Garnet and Black spring game.
"Cory and Brandon Isaac and some other players have talked to the investigators," Spurrier said. "I've learned that I got to wait until it all comes out."
The Richland County Sheriff's Department has interviewed Boyd and several other players whom a witness said attended Omega Psi Phi's Mardi Gras party, the State newspaper reported. One witness told deputies that Boyd fired the first gunshot into the air after an altercation between "a lot of (known) gang members and USC football players."
Again, Spurrier said he'll wait on deciding a course of action -- if there is any -- until all the facts come in.
The USC coach learned his lesson after Stephen Garcia's second arrest, when the freshman quarterback was accused of keying a professor's car. Stephen Garcia initially denied the allegations but later admitted to it and apologized in court.
"I listened to a player a while back saying he didn't do something and I said he didn't," Spurrier said. "I was wrong. So I'm just going to wait (about Boyd). I'll let the police tell you because I wasn't there.
"Sometimes stuff happens that none of your players are at fault … sometimes they are. You got to wait until it all comes out and figure it out from there."
And speaking of Stephen Garcia, Spurrier announced Monday that he had reinstated the highly touted recruit, who was suspended for all of spring practice following his two arrests.
"(The suspension) was over after spring practice so he's back on the team," Spurrier said. "He knew he was finished at the end of the game, and he called me. We were going to call him, but he called first."
Spurrier said Stephen Garcia could have benefited greatly from participating in spring practice. After all, the Tampa, Fla., native graduated high school in December and enrolled early in January for that sole purpose -- until his legal problems got in the way.
"If (Stephen Garcia) were to play next year, it would have been beneficial," Spurrier said. "If he's not then who knows? We'll see what he can do in the preseason for us."
Lastly, Spurrier re-addressed his stand on the flying of the Confederate battle flag at the State House grounds. He initially brought up his opposition at a public speaking event last Friday in Columbia, drawing plenty of attention, and has since been asked -- mostly by the media -- to justify his thoughts.
"I haven't really gotten any feedback yet. I've been wanting to ask people if they're in favor of it," Spurrier said. "I haven't found anybody yet that's in favor of it. I just mentioned that I'm not for it.
"I guess there are a lot of people that are."
Spurrier said there hasn't been any negative reaction thus far to his comments. Even if some hateful letters or threats started coming in, it wouldn't matter -- because he doesn't look at them.
"I just thought it'd make us look better in the eyes of the nation if (the Confederate flag) wasn't there," he said.
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