Staley, USC figuring out his role with the Gamecocks

TAMPA, Fla. — South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier confirmed Saturday that the Gamecocks are ironing out details to have former USC and NFL running back Duce Staley join the staff.

"Yeah, we're working on that," Spurrier said after the completion of USC's first Outback Bowl practice in Florida. "There's some things that have to happen before that, but we'd love to have Duce as a member of the athletic department."

Sources told The Post and Courier earlier this week that Staley is expected to come on board just after the first of the year.

Among the "things" Spurrier referred to, sources have said USC administrators would like to see Staley work toward his degree while employed by the school.

He didn't complete his classwork before heading to the NFL. And since it's been a decade or so since he was at USC, it's been sort of tricky to get all the paperwork rounded up.

Staley took some classes at South Carolina State at one point, also.

Staley's exact title with the Gamecocks still is up in the air.

"It'll be a player development-type position," Spurrier said.

Staley will likely interact and serve as a go-between for recruits and their families and current players and their families. He'll also help USC to reach out to former players — something that's been a knock on the program for years.

If things go well, the position could lead to a coaching position for Staley, whether at USC or elsewhere. He's expressed several times that he'd like to become a coach.

Staley had three 1,000-yard rushing seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and won a Super Bowl with the Pittsburgh Steelers before returning home to Columbia.

He's worked in radio the past two years.

"We're all fond of Duce Staley," Spurrier said. "We think he's an excellent representative of the university. Hopefully we can get him a little bit more associated with our team."

Captain speaks

Junior cornerback Captain Munnerlyn responded Saturday to chatter that he's leaning toward making the jump to the NFL.

"I love South Carolina," Munnerlyn said. "I'm really considering staying. I'm not thinking about the NFL right now. At the end of (the bowl), I'll see what's going on and talk to my mom and see what's best for my family."

Munnerlyn said if his paperwork from the draft advisory board "comes back all crazy, of course I'm going to stay."

Most think the board will have Munnerlyn projected in the latter rounds, if he's even drafted at all. His coaches think he needs another year in school.

But Munnerlyn said his single mother, Evelyn, battled an illness this fall and it changed his perspective some.

"She wants me to stay," he said. "She really wants me to stay and get my degree. But, in the same way, I've got to do what's best for my family."

Prior to Saturday, Munnerlyn hadn't been made available by Spurrier during the bowl preparations.

Despite the preseason All-SEC accolades, Munnerlyn acknowledged that his junior season wasn't his best. But he thinks playing less man-to-man and more zone coverage in first-year coordinator Ellis Johnson's defense led to fewer play-making opportunities.

Munnerlyn didn't have an interception this year.

"Nobody threw the ball my way," he said. "Nobody noticed I didn't get any action this year. People kind of shied away from me this year. I guess that was a good thing. It kind of hurt me statistically."

Dragon's Den

The Gamecocks are practicing at Jefferson High in the shadows of the Westshore area's office buildings, shopping malls and hotels.

And it's the high school home of quarterback Stephen Garcia, who said it's "very weird" to be back on his prep playing field.

"We had a chance to go here or all the way out to South Florida," Spurrier said of the USF campus, about 20 minutes north of USC's downtown hotel. "We just thought we'd save a little time on the bus by practicing here. ... This field's nice although it needs some mowing."

Someone was on a riding mower about 10 minutes later.

Safe and sound

All the Gamecocks were present and accounted for Friday night, despite the fact that about half the team drove to Tampa independently.

In sort of a rare move, players were allowed to drive from their hometowns — even those who live beyond Florida's borders. That had some USC officials somewhat anxious, but everyone made it OK.

"Everybody's here and everybody made curfew last night," Spurrier said. "Everybody's in good shape."