Freshman linebacker Quavon Taylor, mysteriously absent from Monday night's practice, is fine. Relatively speaking, anyway. USF coach Jim Leavitt said Tuesday that Taylor wasn't at practice or in meetings Monday because he didn't realize USF was practicing, five days before the season opener.
"He didn't know we were practicing. How could he not know we were practicing? That seems impossible to me. So I'm suspending him from the team for a week," Leavitt said. "My rule is you miss a practice, you miss a week; you miss two, you're off the team. He can come back next week if that's what he wants to do. He's not a bad kid, he's just trying to get things figured out. I'm just glad he's safe."
Taylor, from Miami Northwestern, had been held out of practice much of last week because he hasn't been cleared by the NCAA Clearinghouse; even before that, he was headed for a redshirt this season because of USF's returning depth at linebacker.
Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
Class attendance is overrated. Enough said.
Posted by: Terry Lucas | August 26, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Practice? We're talking about practice. C'mon man, it's practice. Practice, we're talking about practice.
Posted by: BA | August 26, 2008 at 10:13 PM
"My rule is you miss a practice, you miss a week; you miss two, you're off the team." Interesting rule. I wonder whether the faculty might adopt it related to class attendance?
Posted by: Ken | August 26, 2008 at 09:14 PM
USF recruits the thugs and they can't remember when practice is.
Posted by: tebow | August 26, 2008 at 02:36 PM
CJL - firm, yet fair.
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | August 26, 2008 at 01:13 PM
Put the bong down buddy and stop hanging out with Herman. Guy is a bad influence.
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | August 26, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Kind of hard to imagine he just didn't realize. There are 85 guys on the who all reside relatively close to each other. I think he just needed a mental health day. We've all been there b/f. Not sick but sick of work. Hopefully he works everything out.
Posted by: SMH | August 26, 2008 at 12:27 PM
That is by far the worst excuse I've heard in a while. It's actually funny he would use that. At least say you were sick or were at Busch Gardens.
Posted by: TJ | August 26, 2008 at 11:36 AM
Yikes!!!
Sounds to me like he's not handling his role very well. He went from being 'the man' in high school to most likely redshirting. There's no room for him at the "U" so he better get his head out of his rear.
BTW, I thought he was one of the best 'gets' last year, let's hope all ends well.
Posted by: | August 26, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Man, I hope he doesn't miss that 2nd practice...
Posted by: Windbane | August 26, 2008 at 09:51 AM