Nice little piece by Todd Ellis about Marcus Lattimore
I have professed many times my admiration for anyone who plays quarterback for the Gamecocks, for that matter, anyone who plays the position. No matter their flaws and shortcomings, I pull for signal callers. Yes, quarterbacks are near and dear to me, but I admit, I love Marcus Lattimore.
I have been exposed to athletes at all levels my entire life, and Marcus Lattimore is the most talented and selfless athlete I have had the pleasure to watch and know. He possesses the incredible rare gift of being a ruthless, gritty competitor on the field and a southern gentleman guided by his faith off the field. This is an enormous rarity.
Ten months ago, the consummate teammate, leader and student-athlete proved to us again the painful phrase we all know to be true, "bad things happen to good people." He tore most of everything that can be found in a knee playing for the Gamecocks. When he went down, Marcus had carried the ball 412 times and scored 30 touchdowns for Carolina. Although he had been banged up and bruised on occasion, anyone will tell you that he was the one doing the punishing most of the time. Just like that, he could not run.
There was just Marcus. The top recruit that took a risk in signing with Carolina and who became a spokesperson for the Gamecocks and everything that is good about college athletics. He has rushed for almost five yards per carry in the toughest conference in America. All while he was quietly visiting admiring sick children, going to youth gatherings at churches and simply being a remarkable citizen. In 2010, after running over Florida in “The Swamp” as a freshman to help lead the team to its first SEC East crown and arriving back in Columbia at 4 a.m., Marcus got teammate T.J. Johnson and went to church, the early service just three or four hours later. Now he was alone with his faith and desire to recover and run again.
I know what it is like to be injured and rehabbing a knee. The time crawls, you are isolated, lonely and in pain. In what is the culture and superstition of fine-tuned athletes, it is hard for your teammates to be around you when you are hurt. Marcus' character is so strong that his teammates actually had him travel with them on the road while on his crutches and sought out his counsel. He is one special person.
The Gamecocks take on Vanderbilt Thursday. I want to win, but I really just want to see Marcus run again. He was born to run, graceful and violent at the same time. Thursday, before kick-off, wish him luck, pray for him or do what you do when you are thankful for something. Not because you want Marcus to lead the Gamecocks to a win but for Marcus personally, because you love him.
Now just run Marcus.
http://t.co/x9y8DeYB
I have professed many times my admiration for anyone who plays quarterback for the Gamecocks, for that matter, anyone who plays the position. No matter their flaws and shortcomings, I pull for signal callers. Yes, quarterbacks are near and dear to me, but I admit, I love Marcus Lattimore.
I have been exposed to athletes at all levels my entire life, and Marcus Lattimore is the most talented and selfless athlete I have had the pleasure to watch and know. He possesses the incredible rare gift of being a ruthless, gritty competitor on the field and a southern gentleman guided by his faith off the field. This is an enormous rarity.
Ten months ago, the consummate teammate, leader and student-athlete proved to us again the painful phrase we all know to be true, "bad things happen to good people." He tore most of everything that can be found in a knee playing for the Gamecocks. When he went down, Marcus had carried the ball 412 times and scored 30 touchdowns for Carolina. Although he had been banged up and bruised on occasion, anyone will tell you that he was the one doing the punishing most of the time. Just like that, he could not run.
There was just Marcus. The top recruit that took a risk in signing with Carolina and who became a spokesperson for the Gamecocks and everything that is good about college athletics. He has rushed for almost five yards per carry in the toughest conference in America. All while he was quietly visiting admiring sick children, going to youth gatherings at churches and simply being a remarkable citizen. In 2010, after running over Florida in “The Swamp” as a freshman to help lead the team to its first SEC East crown and arriving back in Columbia at 4 a.m., Marcus got teammate T.J. Johnson and went to church, the early service just three or four hours later. Now he was alone with his faith and desire to recover and run again.
I know what it is like to be injured and rehabbing a knee. The time crawls, you are isolated, lonely and in pain. In what is the culture and superstition of fine-tuned athletes, it is hard for your teammates to be around you when you are hurt. Marcus' character is so strong that his teammates actually had him travel with them on the road while on his crutches and sought out his counsel. He is one special person.
The Gamecocks take on Vanderbilt Thursday. I want to win, but I really just want to see Marcus run again. He was born to run, graceful and violent at the same time. Thursday, before kick-off, wish him luck, pray for him or do what you do when you are thankful for something. Not because you want Marcus to lead the Gamecocks to a win but for Marcus personally, because you love him.
Now just run Marcus.
http://t.co/x9y8DeYB
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