Spurrier: Embarrass the Gamecocks, pack your bags

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier has a message for his team: Embarrass the program and you will no longer be part of it.

Spurrier held a brief news conference Thursday to address the Gamecocks' recent string of disciplinary problems.

Just this week, Spurrier kicked leading rusher Demetris Summers off the team and suspended two players police have charged with a campus burglary. Spurrier has told defensive end Moe Thompson and tackle Kevin Mainord that they will not be reinstated if they are found guilty.

And the same goes for offensive lineman Woodly Telfort, who is facing felony charges in the theft of computer equipment from Williams-Brice Stadium.

"I have a policy that says any person who brings complete embarrassment to our football program is subject to not being with us," Spurrier said.

The Gamecocks' new coach called this week "sort of a slap in the face to our football program." But, he said, the players should take the blame, not the school or former coach Lou Holtz.

"These things happen everywhere. Unfortunately, it has happened to us," Spurrier said. "I don't think it will affect our team one bit next year."

Spurrier's hiring in November provided a surge of positive energy for South Carolina, but it's been mostly bad news coming out of the program since.

In the season finale against Clemson -- Holtz's final game as coach -- the Gamecocks and Tigers got into a huge brawl, which led both universities to withdraw their bowl eligible teams from postseason consideration as punishment.

In January, six players were charged after a total of $18,000 worth of computer and video equipment and framed photographs were taken from South Carolina's stadium Nov. 22.

Then came Summers' dismissal Tuesday and the burglary charges Wednesday. The school won't say what athletic department rule Summers broke, but two newspapers cited anonymous sources saying Summers failed more than one drug test.

Spurrier said he always figured he would lose some players.

"I thought it would be just because of not going to class, not going to study halls and not going to winter conditioning, weightlifting and so forth," he said. "I didn't expect it to be in this manner. But that's the way it happened."