Spiller, Tigers Resume Spring Practice

by TigerNet Staff - Tue Mar 27 07:21:27 GMT-04:00 2007

CLEMSON --- Tommy Bowden wasn?t worried. But C.J. Spiller was.

Given the last time Spiller went home to Lake Butler, Fla., and the controversy that ensued, being late for check-in time on Sunday had Spiller on edge. As it was, it just had him on the run for being late following the end of spring break.

?I had to do two laps (around the field) because I didn?t check in yesterday for our meeting because I got in pretty late last night,? he said. ?I should have called so I had to do two laps for my consequences.

?It felt great to go home, but it was still kind of hard for me to comeback, but sooner or later I will get over it. It felt good to be home, but now it is time to start working on spring ball.?

Spiller, who flirted with the idea of transferring to Florida in January to be closer to his 11-month old daughter Shania, missed the team meeting because church ran longer than he expected. It takes just over six hours to drive from Lake Butler to Clemson.

?I don?t get out of church until noon and our check in time was about 5:30 and by the time I got out of church there was no way I was going to make it back in time,? he said.

Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden wasn?t worried.

?I didn?t even think about Spiller,? Bowden said.

Spiller said his only focus right now is getting used to working with new running backs coach Andre? Powell and trying to become a more complete back.

The rising sophomore has also learned how to improve his speed. During the winter months he ran track for Clemson?s indoor team and after spring practice he will join wide receiver Jacoby Ford on the outdoor track team.

?I feel faster,? Spiller said --- a scary thought for Clemson?s upcoming opponents since he rushed for more than 950 yards and 12 touchdowns as a true freshman.

?I guess it can be scary for our opponents,? he said. ?But it is helping me stay in shape and it has been a great experience so far.

?Going out there and getting around new guys and seeing how their personalities are have also been a great experience for me.?

- Spiller says he has no favorite as far as the Clemson quarterback race goes, but he was impressed with the way freshman Willy

Korn ran the second-team offense in the situational scrimmage the day before the Tigers took off for spring break.

?He was making great throws. Was putting throws on the money,? Spiller said. ?He was making great reads. He didn?t relax because we were getting ready to go on spring break.?

The only thing Bowden said about Korn?s performance through the first five practices is that he has cemented there is a four-man race to be Clemson?s new quarterback.

?It is back to a four-man race,? he said. ?It was three with a question mark?You can go throw him on the field in the scrimmage on (Wednesday) or Saturday and he can make the checks and get the balls close to the right area and make the reads and the progression he should have.?

- Offensive guard Jamarcus Grant will miss all of this week?s practice after losing everything he and his family owned in a house fire last week in Mullins. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound guard was granted the week off by Bowden, while the NCAA has an immediate assistance fund he can use to buy cloths.

Grant?s grandmother is still in the hospital recovering, while Grant suffered a burn on his right leg by his knee. No one was seriously hurt.

- Offensive guard Chris McDuffie, linebackers Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie, and receiver Rendrick Taylor missed practice Monday to attend classes. Clemson will practice again Wednesday, Friday and Saturday this week.