A total of 114 of South Carolina's student-athletes were named to the 2009 Southeastern Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll, the most among the 12 member institutions.

Former University of South Carolina Gamecock football players Justin Sorensen and Jonathan Williams have made the 46-man Opening Day roster of the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League.

USC athletics director Eric Hyman recently met with suspended cornerback C.C. Whitlock, but Whitlock’s status has not changed.
Whitlock, who was under academic suspension during the spring, was briefly reinstated before a May arrest on a trespassing charge at a nightclub near his hometown of Chester earned him an automatic suspension, per athletics department policy.
Hyman said little about Whitlock’s situation, only that officials are “processing it all.”
As has been pointed out in this space previously, Whitlock still has a lot of work to do academically this summer to be eligible in the fall. It seems reasonable to wonder if Hyman might be keeping the suspension in place until Whitlock proves he is committed in the classroom.
Stay tuned.
On another matter, my colleague Steve Wiseman just spoke to Columbia High safety and USC signee Chris Payne, who is Canton, Ohio, preparing to play in an all-star football tournament.
Though details have not been finalized, Payne said he expects to attend Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy in the fall.
Last week, Columbia High coach Kemper Amick said concerns about Payne’s transcript – he has taken classes at three different schools – led USC’s compliance office to recommend a semester at prep school for Payne.
“That’s my mistake. I should have done better in the classroom,” Payne said. “I’ll face the consequences. But I will be ready when it’s my time.”
If all goes according to plan, Payne would enroll at USC in January and have all four years of eligibility remaining.

USC’s weight room has a wall where coaches post the top marks by position in lifts such as the bench, squat and power clean. (FYI, defensive tackle Melvin Ingram had the top bench in the spring at 440 pounds.)
There is not yet a category for “most flips of a ridiculously large, 800-pound tire.” But give Craig Fitzgerald time.
The Gamecocks’ first-year strength and conditioning coach is going medieval in the USC’s bright, 5-year-old training facility. Machines are out – tires and sledgehammers are in.
There is too much natural light in the weight room for it to have a true dungeon effect, but visitors get the impression that’s the theme Fitzgerald is shooting for.
The Gamecocks are not the only team using the Strongman methods.
As assistant strength coach Dan Austin put it, “East Carolina’s been flipping tires for years.”
Anyway, there were a few leftovers that didn’t make the story I figured I’d share.
Fitzgerald and his staff members are each responsible for a different position group. Fitzgerald has the offensive line, in addition to his overall responsibilities.
“So blame me if things don’t go well,” he said.
Fitzgerald praised the efforts this summer of several upperclassmen, including OL Lem Jeanpierre, LB Eric Norwood, WR Moe Brown, DE Cliff Matthews and DE Clifton Geathers.
The 6-foot-7 Geathers has always had a monster frame, now he’s beginning to fill it out.
“His potential is huge,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s really stepped up his training. If he keeps going like this, he’s going to be a great player this year.”
Fitzgerald said Norwood “brings a ton of intensity to every workout,” and said it’s “no surprise” that the team captained by Matthews is winning the summer lifting/conditioning competition.
Another note: The strength staff has not seen CB C.C. Whitlock, who has yet to be reinstated since being found not guilty on a trespassing charge last week in Fairfield County.

<p>A day in the life of Matt Thomas, the assistant strength coach for the South Carolina football...