| Spurrier tells Bucs' Graham to get back to work
By Rick Brown
The (Lakeland) Ledger
Published: Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 9:12 p.m.
TAMPA Steve Spurrier had a simple message for Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Earnest Graham get back to work.
The South Carolina coach and former Buc, who coached Graham while the back was at the University of Florida, was on the sidelines Thursday watching the Bucs' final day of organized team workouts. Spurrier is in town for a reunion of Florida football players of the 1960s at Innisbrook.
He talked about one of his former players former South Carolina running back and Tampa Bay seventh-round draft choice Cory Boyd before sending a message out to Graham.
Certainly we hope Cory makes the team here, Spurrier started. And I hope Earnest Graham will get his butt back out to practice in a little bit. I guess he'll be back next week.
Graham missed all 14 of the workouts because he wants a contract extension. He is in the final year of his contract. It's not known whether he will attend next week's mandatory mini-camp, although Spurrier thought he might.
I hadn't called Earnest, he said, but I'm sure he would expect me to say what I said.
In addition to Boyd, Spurrier had three other former players on the field Thursday.
It was good to see Ike Hilliard, Kevin Carter, Benny Troupe, my former guys, Spurrier said. So this is homecoming day for me.
Spurrier, who is known to be hard on his quarterbacks, said he didn't know who was tougher, him or Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden. But he gave Gruden kudos.
I understand why his voice is hoarse, Spurrier said. He yells and screams. I admire the passion he has for this game. He does it year round.
I'm a little different from him. In the offseason, I need to get away from football. I think he can do football 12 months a year, I really do. He never gets tired of it.
Spurrier also said Tampa native Stephen Garcia, who was kicked off the South Carolina football team for getting into trouble with police for underaged drinking, may be reinstated in July if he fulfills some requirements. He didn't elaborate.
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