Spurrier Comes To Defense of Kenny Irons

Auburn running back Kenny Iron's public divorce with South Carolina has again become front and center news this week. The Tigers take on South Carolina Thursday night, where Irons will return to Williams-Brice Stadium wearing orange and blue. Irons led the SEC in rushing last season after sitting out the 2004 campaign as required by the NCAA, while transferring to Auburn from Carolina.

The reasons for Irons move to the Plains is well documented. He was the Gamecocks leading returning rusher heading into his sophomore season. Irons had run with the first team through Spring and preseason practices. The night before the season opener, Irons was told by then head coach Lou Holtz that he would not be starting. Instead, the Gamecocks went with freshman Parade All-American Demetris Summers.

What Irons didn't know at the time was that Holtz had promised Summers the starting job if he signed with South Carolina. Summers was one of the top running backs in the country coming out of high school and Irons quickly found out why he signed with the Gamecocks. The remainder of Irons sophomore season was forgettable. Holtz further humiliated Irons by making him play in a JV game that season.

It's easy to see why Holtz's tenure at South Carolina, especially at the end, was a disaster.

Current Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier came to Irons defense this week saying he understood why Irons transferred to Auburn. "If all the stories are true, I can understand why he left, to tell you the truth," Spurrier said. "He's a fine running back, a good player and from everything I hear, he's a wonderful person, also."

Irons has moved past those dark days and is now widely considered the top runner in the SEC. He'll be nursing a sprained ankle coming into Thursday night's contest. My guess is, he won't feel a thing.

Link: Football Saturday In The South

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

9-27-2006 @ 1:17PM

Newspaper Hack said...

Spurrier can talk out his ass all he wants, but I covered USC during the Irons years and he was a bad running back that didn't show the commitment of other backs, like Daccus Turman. He wasn't playing well, got benched, got his panties in a wad and left. If he acted like he gave a damn and managed to run better than Summers, he could have kept his job. But he didn't.

9-27-2006 @ 2:52PM

Mark said...

I agree with both of you on this. the Demetris Summers story is true, and from many sources all saying the same thing. "Crazy Lou" would have said anything to get that kid to USC(where has Summers gone???? Flunked out??). I also believe what I heard from a friend who played last year with Irons at AU. Kenny before the season was arrogant and not really interested in the playbook (Particularly blocking assignments....key to the "Gulf Coast" attack). Word was Borges gave him every chance to take the lead, and he just didn't do it. Fact is Tubs/Borges just couldn't go with him against Tech, and Trey wasn't healthy enough to go 100% (he tried). He finally decided to take blocking more seriously, but is STILL not a really unselfish player(argument is... does a feature tailback need to BE unselfish?). I will tell you he was NOT Auburn's most popular locker room player. He ain't T.O., but it was more respect of skill than "like".The private hope was that with another year, and Heisman chances, Kenny would be a more complete player, and want to excel at ALL phases. If for no other reason than to enhance draft potential($$$). We will see. I can totally see the immature, pouting Kenny talked about above. Hopefully the maturation process will have kicked in. The good news is that Irons may NOT be our best back....Auburn's next Heisman will say "TATE" on it.Every source I know down at AU says it will happen.Believe it, they mention him as "Bo-like", and that hasn't been said lightly.