With an eye on adding flexibility to South Carolina OL, Eric Douglas takes up yoga
Jan. 17, 2017
Three-star offensive tackle commitment Eric Douglas was measured at 6-foot-5, 297 pounds during his official visit to South Carolina.
Thanks to a piece of advice he picked up from Joshua Lawson, the Gamecocks new assistant strength and conditioning coach, Douglas has decided to add a new step to his workout regimen.
The No. 59-ranked offensive tackle in the class of 2017 will attend yoga classes every Sunday and Monday before moving to South Carolina in May.
“(Lawson) was just telling me how important yoga was. He said that’s what most of the NFL scouts look for, flexibility and versatility amongst the line,” Douglas told SEC Country before class on Monday night.
“It’s not about how strong you are and how fast you move. It’s about how flexible and versatile you can be to their program.”
That’s exactly what Douglas hopes to bring from Mallard Creek High School (Charlotte, N.C.).
“It doesn’t really matter where I play or where they put me the first day I get on campus, whether it’s left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle,” Douglas said. “I just want to go out there and try to produce, try to help the team, try to get on the field as early as possible.”
This past weekend, he got a little taste of life at South Carolina.
“The visit was great,” Douglas said. “Just talking to the coaches and getting down there on campus, talking to a bunch of the players and getting a feel about how they interact with each other, what I need to do before I get down there, just making a bond with coach (Eric Wolford).”
The Gamecocks new offensive line coach reached out shortly after Will Muschamp tapped him to replace Shawn Elliott, but the official visit weekend provided Douglas with an opportunity to have his first face-to-face interaction with Wolford, who spent last season as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.
“(Wolford) told me no promises would be made, but he sees me as a person who can come in and help turn this thing around at South Carolina over the next couple of years. … I’m working this offseason, right now, trying to go in there and start,” Douglas said.
Douglas is one of four offensive linemen in South Carolina’s 2017 haul. The newest addition, 3-star Jordan Rhodes, committed on Sunday, before the end of the official visit weekend.
“I told him that he was raw talent,” Douglas said. “This was his first year playing, and I didn’t know that. I was like, ‘That’s special that you’ve got all these looks and all these offers as a first-year player, so you’re special. You’re a raw talent.’”
Douglas added, “He’ll pan out to be one of the great ones, I believe. I told him that. It’s real. If you’re doing this right now as a first-year player, the sky’s the limit for you.”
And he looks forward to Wednesday, Feb. 1, the day he and Rhodes make their commitments to South Carolina official.
RELATED: Former UNC CB to visit South Carolina | Gamecocks coaches see Jamyest Williams | Details on Gamecocks’ kicker, punter targets
“Signing, that’s what you look forward to when you start playing youth ball,” Douglas said. “You see all these dudes signing, playing on ESPN, playing in college. Obviously, it’s going to be a dream come true. I can’t wait for that day.
“I should be on campus around, sometime shortly after May 20th. Whenever I do get down there, whenever I do enroll, I’m just going to come in ready to work
SECCOUNTRY
Jan. 17, 2017
Three-star offensive tackle commitment Eric Douglas was measured at 6-foot-5, 297 pounds during his official visit to South Carolina.
Thanks to a piece of advice he picked up from Joshua Lawson, the Gamecocks new assistant strength and conditioning coach, Douglas has decided to add a new step to his workout regimen.
The No. 59-ranked offensive tackle in the class of 2017 will attend yoga classes every Sunday and Monday before moving to South Carolina in May.
“(Lawson) was just telling me how important yoga was. He said that’s what most of the NFL scouts look for, flexibility and versatility amongst the line,” Douglas told SEC Country before class on Monday night.
“It’s not about how strong you are and how fast you move. It’s about how flexible and versatile you can be to their program.”
That’s exactly what Douglas hopes to bring from Mallard Creek High School (Charlotte, N.C.).
“It doesn’t really matter where I play or where they put me the first day I get on campus, whether it’s left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle,” Douglas said. “I just want to go out there and try to produce, try to help the team, try to get on the field as early as possible.”
This past weekend, he got a little taste of life at South Carolina.
“The visit was great,” Douglas said. “Just talking to the coaches and getting down there on campus, talking to a bunch of the players and getting a feel about how they interact with each other, what I need to do before I get down there, just making a bond with coach (Eric Wolford).”
The Gamecocks new offensive line coach reached out shortly after Will Muschamp tapped him to replace Shawn Elliott, but the official visit weekend provided Douglas with an opportunity to have his first face-to-face interaction with Wolford, who spent last season as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers.
“(Wolford) told me no promises would be made, but he sees me as a person who can come in and help turn this thing around at South Carolina over the next couple of years. … I’m working this offseason, right now, trying to go in there and start,” Douglas said.
Douglas is one of four offensive linemen in South Carolina’s 2017 haul. The newest addition, 3-star Jordan Rhodes, committed on Sunday, before the end of the official visit weekend.
“I told him that he was raw talent,” Douglas said. “This was his first year playing, and I didn’t know that. I was like, ‘That’s special that you’ve got all these looks and all these offers as a first-year player, so you’re special. You’re a raw talent.’”
Douglas added, “He’ll pan out to be one of the great ones, I believe. I told him that. It’s real. If you’re doing this right now as a first-year player, the sky’s the limit for you.”
And he looks forward to Wednesday, Feb. 1, the day he and Rhodes make their commitments to South Carolina official.
RELATED: Former UNC CB to visit South Carolina | Gamecocks coaches see Jamyest Williams | Details on Gamecocks’ kicker, punter targets
“Signing, that’s what you look forward to when you start playing youth ball,” Douglas said. “You see all these dudes signing, playing on ESPN, playing in college. Obviously, it’s going to be a dream come true. I can’t wait for that day.
“I should be on campus around, sometime shortly after May 20th. Whenever I do get down there, whenever I do enroll, I’m just going to come in ready to work
SECCOUNTRY
