Checking in with C.J. Spiller (sort of)
posted by LW, Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Called C.J. Spiller's agent and put in an interview request oh, about three weeks ago.
Still waiting on the request to be filled. And no, we're not bitter at all.
We know you folks are interested to hear what the guy is up to. So instead of calling his agent and leaving threats on his voice mail, we transcribed a good bit of this interview Spiller had with 790 The Zone in Atlanta.
In California training with Jimmy Clausen, Taylor Mays, Everson Griffin and Arrelious Benn.
"Nothing but freaks. That's our slogan."
Typical routine: Wakes up and eats breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
Heads to football field at 9 and begins working on his 40.
After that, hits the weight room.
Gets a massage "to get the kinks that you have in your body rubbed out and stuff."
Goes back to his room and watches film, much of which is composed of his runs at Clemson. "Things that'll make me better and allow me to explain to coaches when I'm at the combine, how things work from the quarterback, what he's looking at to what you're looking at to the way your offensive line is working."
The toughest part of training: Chain pushups. After the guys have wrapped up their weight-training session and are drained, large chains are placed on their back and they try to do as many push-ups as possible. Spiller estimates the chains weigh 90 pounds.
"The most I did was 25. Your body wants to shut down, but it's all about taking your body to another level."
On coming back to Clemson for his senior year: "I walked away with my degree, which was my main focus in going back to school. No one can ever take that away. Now if I go back, it'll be to work on my master's."
"I came pretty close to leaving. But if I go out and speak to a younger person, I can't go out and sell something I don't have. I wanted to be an example to my sister, who is graduating from high school next year. I also wanted to be an example to my daughter."
Hasn't heard anything on where he might end up, but figures he'll start getting a good feel after the combine.
This article says there's a big drop-off after Spiller at running back in the draft pool.
Barry Jacobs of The ACC Sports Journal wonders if the ACC is really down, and questions the metrics used to come to that conclusion.
Some interesting perspective here:
Frankly, what difference it makes if this is an up year or a down year for the ACC if the quality of competition is good, the results do not feel preordained, and the teams that rise to the top seem in fact to be the best the conference has to offer? The ACC had the top cumulative RPI prior to the NCAAs in five of the last six seasons (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009), yet was not hailed as the nation’s best in all of those years. In two of those seasons, 2005 and 2008, the league did not even get a majority of its teams in the NCAA tournament.
In fact, the ACC was deemed down when it got four in the NCAA field in ‘08.
The ACC is not the top RPI conference this season. But seven of its teams may get NCAA bids this March, as CBS commentator Seth Davis predicted the other day. That would be the third time in four years the conference was so heavily represented.
If the 2010 contingent is large, and if it fares well in NCAA play, does that mean anything?
Was the ACC better in 2005 and 2009 because North Carolina won the national title? Was it better in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009 because it had squads advance to the Final Four?
If an ACC club reaches the 2010 Final Four will that reflect the conference is strong, after all? Is that a valid metric for success?
I think the "ACC is down" notion has been a bit overblown this year. The conference might lack its normal complement of elite teams, but it's still pretty darn deep.
But fair or not, the conference is going to be measured -- and probably will measure itself -- by how it fares in the NCAAs. If no one advances to the Round of 16, it's going to be hard to make the case that it wasn't a down year.
And here's a fairly damning stat: The ACC has just one team in the AP poll for the first time since 1977.
Then again, it looks as if seven of the ACC's teams could earn bids. And eight of the 12 teams have been ranked at some point this season.
As I wrote recently, the "ACC is down" perception might be fueled mostly by the lack of star power after the departure of so many top-flight guys after last season. That contributes to the awful offensive showings that have been so commonplace, and lack of artistry certainly affects how you're viewed.
In Travis Sawchik's weekly ACC notes, Clemson seeks a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.
Also, coaches wring their hands about the unfairness of a 65-team NCAA field.
"It's an unfair barometer. Consider the number of schools that actually make the tournament and compare it to football. It doesn't work favorably for coaches, and right now that's what they get judged on," Boston College coach Al Skinner
Earth to Skinner and everyone else who's on the expansion bandwagon: Expand the field to 96 teams or 296 teams, and coaches are still going to get fired at the same rate.
Wake Forest was playing so well not long ago, but there's no mystery as to why the Deacs have regressed heading down the stretch. Freshmen Ari Stewart and C.J. Harris appear to have hit a wall.
Harris, a candidate for ACC rookie of the year in mid-January, has averaged 4.5 points over his last four games and has made just 5 of 30 shots from the floor and 2 of 15 from 3-point range.
Stewart had 10 points in 15 minutes as recently as a 75-64 home victory against Georgia Tech on Feb. 13. In the two games since, he has averaged two points and has hit 2 of 13 shots from the floor and 0 of 8 from 3-point range.
North Carolina's injury woes continue.
Here's a Maryland update heading into tomorrow's game in College Park.
Florida State's offense is catching up to its defense.
Good story from Greg Wallace on Dan Pepicelli's good deeds being rewarded.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
Called C.J. Spiller's agent and put in an interview request oh, about three weeks ago.
Still waiting on the request to be filled. And no, we're not bitter at all.
We know you folks are interested to hear what the guy is up to. So instead of calling his agent and leaving threats on his voice mail, we transcribed a good bit of this interview Spiller had with 790 The Zone in Atlanta.
In California training with Jimmy Clausen, Taylor Mays, Everson Griffin and Arrelious Benn.
"Nothing but freaks. That's our slogan."
Typical routine: Wakes up and eats breakfast at 7:30 a.m.
Heads to football field at 9 and begins working on his 40.
After that, hits the weight room.
Gets a massage "to get the kinks that you have in your body rubbed out and stuff."
Goes back to his room and watches film, much of which is composed of his runs at Clemson. "Things that'll make me better and allow me to explain to coaches when I'm at the combine, how things work from the quarterback, what he's looking at to what you're looking at to the way your offensive line is working."
The toughest part of training: Chain pushups. After the guys have wrapped up their weight-training session and are drained, large chains are placed on their back and they try to do as many push-ups as possible. Spiller estimates the chains weigh 90 pounds.
"The most I did was 25. Your body wants to shut down, but it's all about taking your body to another level."
On coming back to Clemson for his senior year: "I walked away with my degree, which was my main focus in going back to school. No one can ever take that away. Now if I go back, it'll be to work on my master's."
"I came pretty close to leaving. But if I go out and speak to a younger person, I can't go out and sell something I don't have. I wanted to be an example to my sister, who is graduating from high school next year. I also wanted to be an example to my daughter."
Hasn't heard anything on where he might end up, but figures he'll start getting a good feel after the combine.
This article says there's a big drop-off after Spiller at running back in the draft pool.
Barry Jacobs of The ACC Sports Journal wonders if the ACC is really down, and questions the metrics used to come to that conclusion.
Some interesting perspective here:
Frankly, what difference it makes if this is an up year or a down year for the ACC if the quality of competition is good, the results do not feel preordained, and the teams that rise to the top seem in fact to be the best the conference has to offer? The ACC had the top cumulative RPI prior to the NCAAs in five of the last six seasons (2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009), yet was not hailed as the nation’s best in all of those years. In two of those seasons, 2005 and 2008, the league did not even get a majority of its teams in the NCAA tournament.
In fact, the ACC was deemed down when it got four in the NCAA field in ‘08.
The ACC is not the top RPI conference this season. But seven of its teams may get NCAA bids this March, as CBS commentator Seth Davis predicted the other day. That would be the third time in four years the conference was so heavily represented.
If the 2010 contingent is large, and if it fares well in NCAA play, does that mean anything?
Was the ACC better in 2005 and 2009 because North Carolina won the national title? Was it better in 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009 because it had squads advance to the Final Four?
If an ACC club reaches the 2010 Final Four will that reflect the conference is strong, after all? Is that a valid metric for success?
I think the "ACC is down" notion has been a bit overblown this year. The conference might lack its normal complement of elite teams, but it's still pretty darn deep.
But fair or not, the conference is going to be measured -- and probably will measure itself -- by how it fares in the NCAAs. If no one advances to the Round of 16, it's going to be hard to make the case that it wasn't a down year.
And here's a fairly damning stat: The ACC has just one team in the AP poll for the first time since 1977.
Then again, it looks as if seven of the ACC's teams could earn bids. And eight of the 12 teams have been ranked at some point this season.
As I wrote recently, the "ACC is down" perception might be fueled mostly by the lack of star power after the departure of so many top-flight guys after last season. That contributes to the awful offensive showings that have been so commonplace, and lack of artistry certainly affects how you're viewed.
In Travis Sawchik's weekly ACC notes, Clemson seeks a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.
Also, coaches wring their hands about the unfairness of a 65-team NCAA field.
"It's an unfair barometer. Consider the number of schools that actually make the tournament and compare it to football. It doesn't work favorably for coaches, and right now that's what they get judged on," Boston College coach Al Skinner
Earth to Skinner and everyone else who's on the expansion bandwagon: Expand the field to 96 teams or 296 teams, and coaches are still going to get fired at the same rate.
Wake Forest was playing so well not long ago, but there's no mystery as to why the Deacs have regressed heading down the stretch. Freshmen Ari Stewart and C.J. Harris appear to have hit a wall.
Harris, a candidate for ACC rookie of the year in mid-January, has averaged 4.5 points over his last four games and has made just 5 of 30 shots from the floor and 2 of 15 from 3-point range.
Stewart had 10 points in 15 minutes as recently as a 75-64 home victory against Georgia Tech on Feb. 13. In the two games since, he has averaged two points and has hit 2 of 13 shots from the floor and 0 of 8 from 3-point range.
North Carolina's injury woes continue.
Here's a Maryland update heading into tomorrow's game in College Park.
Florida State's offense is catching up to its defense.
Good story from Greg Wallace on Dan Pepicelli's good deeds being rewarded.
LW
Click here for the "Eye On The Tigers" blog archive.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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