PANTHERS-DAVIS
Panthers LB Davis looks to bounce back from snub
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) β Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis says it isn’t enough that he had the most productive season of his nine-year NFL career in 2013 after tearing the ACL in his right knee three times.
He wants more.
The 31-year-old Davis is still stinging from being passed over for his first Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 123 tackles, four sacks, two interceptions and a fumble recovery for the league’s No. 2-ranked defense in 2013.
Davis, entering his ninth season, says he’s using the perceived snub as motivation, saying “Obviously the league doesn’t know about me yet. So my goal going into this season is to earn the respect of the league. I know that I have to be better than I was last year because obviously last year wasn’t good enough.”
EAST CAROLINA-MEDIA DAY
Pirates turn attention to replenishing defense
GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) β East Carolina’s improved defense was a big reason why the Pirates won 10 games for the first time in 22 years last season. The Pirates’ success in Ruffin McNeill’s fifth season will depend largely on how that unit regroups after losing eight starters.
Inside linebacker Zeek Bigger said Tuesday during the team’s preseason media day that this year’s defense “can’t wait” to show it can be better than last year.
East Carolina allowed 24.8 points and 369.2 yards per game while finishing with 24 takeaways, the best totals under McNeill.
McNeill says many of the new starters have enough playing experience to ease their transition into bigger roles.
ACC PREVIEW
ACC football looking for even more respect
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) β The Atlantic Coast Conference owns a few prized possessions that once were property of the Southeastern Conference.
Among them: A national championship trophy, a Heisman Trophy, and a measure of respect.
That’s mostly because of Florida State’s big 2013 season, and now it’s up to the ACC to continue the momentum.
Heisman winner Jameis Winston says being the national champs is “important to me because people do need to respect the ACC more.”
The Seminoles are the league’s standard-bearing program after they captured the last national title of the BCS era seven months ago behind Winston and a big-play defense.
Now the challenge for the league is to produce another team worthy of challenging Florida State.
SCAROLINA-NCAA
NCAA tells South Carolina icing no violation
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β The NCAA will allow South Carolina to ice away on future cookie cakes.
The school says Tuesday that the football program’s self-reported violation for having decorative icing on prospects’ cookie cakes will no longer count as an infraction.
NCAA spokeswoman Emily James tweets that her organization had talked with South Carolina and the Southeastern Conference and all parties “agree it’s not a concern & will not be processed as a violation.”
The sweet treat transgression was part of 22 violations South Carolina tuned into the NCAA from July 1st, 2013, through this past July 31st. The report was released to The Associated Press last week through an open records request.
The school said there were no penalties other than talking to football staffers involved.
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON-WOJCIK
College of Charleston fires hoop coach Doug Wojcik
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β College of Charleston President Glenn McConnell has fired men’s basketball coach Doug Wojcik.
The move Tuesday comes more than a month after the school said it was investigating Wojcik, who players, assistant coaches and staffers in the athletic department said had verbally abused them.
McConnell said in a statement that Wojcik’s dismissal was immediate and for cause. He did not detail reasons for the move and said he and the school would have no further comments about it.
Wojcik came over from Tulsa two years ago. He led the Cougars to the Southern Conference tournament finals in his first year, but fell to 14-18 this past winter in College of Charleston’s first in the Colonial Athletic Conference.
Messages left with Wojcik’s attorney, Scott Tompsett, were not immediately returned.
