We are counting down the days we have until we play Plant. I have never seen the team so anxious before. It’s almost scary. I am very excited, because that’s the kind of attitude we have to have week in and week out. We have worked very hard this whole week, and a lot of the other players have really been opening up scouts’ eyes! It’s a beautiful thing when you see your teammates getting a lot of attention and recognition. To be completely honest, they are even surprising me!
On Monday night, I had to leave practice early to attend the annual Tampa Tribune Parade of Athletes. It was a very good banquet. Well organized. I talked with Jarred Fayson and a couple other football players for a little bit, and some of my other friends that play different sports and go to different schools. I was very shocked to learn that I won the Offensive Player of the Year. I thought that only seniors won the award. I was thrilled and honored to win that award. Throughout the entire deal, people came over to me and asked where I was going to go next year. I have to admit, this whole process is pretty fun. I’m enjoying every day of it, because not only am I getting recognized, but I also get to put my teammates’ names out there and this whole little blog thing is a pretty cool deal.
There were some more coaches at practice and school today. Florida State, Northwestern, UCF and Akron were here today. They will all be there in Gainesville for the Nike combine. I really can’t wait!
Well, my next blog entry will contain how the spring game against Plant went. The outcome better favor us, and if we stay focused, I believe it will be. We can only lose to ourselves, we’ve just got to play smart!
I also want to take time and say thank you to all who have posted comments, including my grandfather Ag, and my aunt, Laura! Also my
family members in South Carolina. Thank you to all who have been following and keeping up with me, it means a lot! Thank you!
Posted by brian nodine, north sc on 10/04 at 11:14 AM
good luck this year hope to see you as a gamecock.i also pull for clemson. willy korn is the qb at my old h.s. i go to every game up there in duncan sc. i understand you two became good freinds in cali. it will be exciting watching the two of you go head to head here in s.c. byrnes rebels fan!go cocks!
Posted by Freddy Insua, Tampa FL on 08/25 at 07:42 PM
Stephen,Good luck to you this season and all of your accomplishments.As a Jefferson alumni im rootin for ya all the way brother.Some University is gonna be very lucky to have you.Stay healthy, keep your head on your shoulders, and always be a leader.Once again good luck to you and your family..
GO DRAGONS
Posted by danderson, on 05/22 at 11:43 AM
You got to love that Clemson fans are
even posting here ...they have no
business posting because you are not even considering going there.
Don’t you love the fact they are apparently “scared” of you.
GO COCKS
Posted by TigerFan, Augusta, GA on 05/21 at 03:03 PM
To answer the poster below(Peter), you see USC has never had much to be happy about, hence the wide array of USC posters. They need a good fundamental/moral leader because there last one(s) (Newton, Watson, Summers, etc. etc.) just didn’t pan out. You can see the pattern here. We refer to it as “the curse,” they simply call it a stroke of bad luck! ...100 yrs of bad luck. I hope this paints a better picture of what we are dealing with.
Posted by Duke Taylor, Columbia, SC on 05/21 at 10:33 AM
Hey Stephen, good luck against Plant--I hope you kick butt and take names! Rivalry games are always fun and heated, and I’m sure you know about the Carolina-Clemson rivalry not to mention the rivalries we are developing with UT and UF with Spurrier here. From reading your entries you seem like an intelligent and motivated person. Having you here in Columbia would help us become a dominant force in the SEC in the years to come, you could really be part of something special. Good luck your senior year and hopefully we’ll see you in garnet and black in the near future!
Posted by Jason Doss, Fairbanks, ALASKA on 05/21 at 10:31 AM
You will be a GOD in SC.
Good luck this year. Follow your heart.
Posted by Gwendolyn Henderson, JHS Teacher, Tampa, FL (Dragon's Den) on 05/20 at 04:41 PM
Stephen I am so excited for “us” and the upcoming season. I may just visit the “hot” practices just to get my hype up about the the great games to be played in the fall. Remember, every school we play wants a piece of our tails so take all of ‘em seriously. Every game! As you walk the halls your final year at JHS I am sure you’ll be a busy young man. Stay focused on school first--beating our opponents second. Keep working hard and enjoy summer! As for the game against Plant...Thank YOU! 
Posted by lee herndon, bennettsville, sc on 05/20 at 07:57 AM
congrats on POY....can’t wait to see you win the heisman. Be a part of something big and join SOS and bring it home.
Posted by Aleksander Ferguson, Clinton, SC on 05/19 at 11:21 PM
All I have to say is: good luck with wherever you choose to go, and I hope that you succeed wherever life takes you. But if your path should lead you to USC, you will be a part of:
1) the best entrance in college football
2) a team with several potential All Americans on offense
3) the only team with Steve Spurrier, who is now 92-17 in the SEC. HOW MANY COACHES IN TODAY’S GAME CAN SAY THAT THEY WIN 84% OF SEC GAMES THEY PLAY IN?
On that note after a long wall of text, thanks for taking time out of your daily life to post this blog and to read the comments you get back. Keep up the great work in Florida, and I truly hope that we will meet on campus at USC one day as you seem like a great character tpye of person.
Posted by adam turner, charleston, sc on 05/19 at 05:09 PM
you see the way usc works is, if you are successfull and stay mildly humble, you will get it better in columbia than you can get it in the pros. cocks never forget those who took a chance on us as a school. you think in 10 years people will be saying “sidney...ross? rust?” nope, people will mention sidney rice (assuming his performance is consistant) and steve spurrier in the same sentence as the pair that really got USC off the ground year one (also assuming our program rises to new heights).
those who want to be heros goto other schools. those who want to be legends come to columbia. afterall…
heros get remembered, but legends never die. follow your heart kid, and you’ll never go wrong. 
Posted by Tracy L. Price, Aiken, SC on 05/19 at 03:26 PM
See you in Columbia. Go Gamecocks!!!!!!
Posted by Howard Craven, Columbia, SC on 05/19 at 03:15 PM
For Peter, we love our football in SC and are looking for someone to take us to the promised land. Go Cocks!
Posted by Peter Hobson, NOT South Caralina on 05/19 at 01:46 PM
Stephen: What is with the South Carolina fan presence? I never realized that if a fan base sends comments to a site or fans to a high school game in such great numbers that the candidate follows! Beware, there are 1200 ready to mobilize Villanova grads in the Bay Area. What do you think about being a part of the Atlantic 10 powerhouse program?
Posted by Randy C Garcia, Tamps, Fl on 05/19 at 11:31 AM
Stephan, great game last night. The offensive line came together nicely & I thought the defensive coverage was much tighter then in most of last year’s games. A good sign at this early stage. Additionaly, the running backs ran smart & with determination. The TD pass into the wind was a thing of beauty...’Coach Deac’ set it up perfectly by pounding the run, and your playfake & pass executltion was ‘on the moolah’. Congrats to the whole team. Keep it up my brother, you make us proud. RG
Posted by john almisght, tampa florida on 05/19 at 11:20 AM
Jay Chisholm it looks like ur plant that was going to dominate got dominated sorry man beter luck next year
Posted by IdahoCock, Boise, Idaho on 05/19 at 10:44 AM
Stephen, it’s been fun reading your blog over the last few weeks. As you probably know, it doesn’t get any more “big time” than playing in the SEC. If it’s the best fit for you, I hope to see you playing for Coach Spurrier in the future, helping us shoot for the SEC championship. Best of luck. Also, try to make it to Columbia for one of the big SEC games this year (UGA, Tenn, Auburn) to see and feel Williams Brice Stadium on gameday. Take Care, IdahoCock
Posted by Tom Medlock, Columbia, SC on 05/19 at 10:28 AM
Congratulations, Stephen! Good to get a win against Plant. Have fun at the Nike Combine in Gainesville this weekend. I hope you, Gary, Quinton, Barnes, Inman, Matthews, Antolic (junior OL from my alma mater..Richland Northeast)test well and learn some things that might help you in the upcoming season. Will be in Tampa in two weeks for my wife’s high school reunion (Academy of the Holy Names). Can’t wait to get down there! Go Cocks!!
Posted by Howard Craven, Columbia, SC on 05/19 at 09:27 AM
Congrats on beating Plant 16-0 and for Offensive Player of Year Award. Best wishes to you and family.
Go Gamecocks!
Posted by Lee P Baylor, Charlotte, NC on 05/19 at 07:53 AM
Great job in the spring game.
Congrats on being named Offensive Player!! It is going to be nice seeing you in the Garnet and Black one day in the near future..
Best of health to you and Be blessed..
I never say best of luck because when you have skill and drive and determination luck is not a necessity!!
Another one of your Gamecock Family!!
Posted by Bobby Carver, North Carolina on 05/19 at 02:04 AM
Hello Steven
Just wanted to say congrats on the POY, in the state of Florida. Good luck this season, and I hope you become one of us the Gamecocks. We’d love to have you hear, and would welcome you with open arms.You seem like a very intelligent young man, and someone like you could turn a program like South Carolina to the top.Anyways enjoy your recruiting process, but I sure hope we land you fairly soon, that would be nice, and I respect you for giving your teamates the props. Hope to see you in Garnet and Black
Posted by Tom Wannamaker, Mt Plesant, SC on 05/18 at 11:58 PM
Stephen,
Take a listen to the grandest entrance in college football. Wouldn’t it be just awesome if you lead the troops out to 2001?! Click on the ‘01 USC-Fla game 2001 entrance. It’s the highest quality video of the three choices…
http://www.gamecocksportsplus.com/videoroom2001theme.html
Go Cocks! and best of luck in your decision.
Posted by 2tone, Myrtle Beach on 05/18 at 09:53 PM
Best of luck to you Stephen… Hope to have you here at the University of South Carolina… You have already got the little town of Clemson worried about your interest in becoming a Gamecock. TC
Posted by Tiger Fan, Augusta, Ga on 05/18 at 07:53 PM
If you can’t get into Clemson then USC is a good contingency plan! Be prepared for the orange crush in November.
Posted by Robert Harrison, Abbeville SC on 05/18 at 04:09 PM
Stephen,
I was another one of the crazy fans in the stands at the South Carolina spring game. Sorry there was such bad weather but it is always great to watch some football regardless of the weather. I just wanted to thank you for considering South Carolina and let you know how excited I am about the upcoming years for this program. I feel that you are the ideal quarterback that Spurrier needs to run his system. I would love to see you in garnet and black running a high profile offense in the SEC. Once again, thanks for the consideration and I wish you well in your scrimage against Plant. GO COCKS!!
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Posted by Ashley Green, Columbia on 01/11 at 10:01 PM
I am 21 yrs old and go to college in Columbia! My family is HUGE gamecock fans!!! We love the fact you are coming to SC and goodluck although you don’t need it!!!! From the small town girl of St. George, SC we look forward to you and you better kick ass!!! GO COCKS!!!!! GO SPURRIER!!!