Report: Marcus Lattimore can't have paid position at South Carolina
Marcus Lattimore's ambassador position with South Carolina reportedly can't be a paid position.
According to The State, the sanctioning body ruled that South Carolina could not hire Lattimore in a non-coaching capacity when he graduates in May. Why? We'll let the State explain:
The NCAA has stated that Lattimore cannot join Will Muschamp’s staff at USC due to Lattimore’s status as a former player and his presence through football camps and foundation. The NCAA considers it an unfair recruiting advantage.
Yes, you're reading that correctly. Because he's a former great football player, his influence could be deemed to be an unfair advantage. However, per the report, Lattimore can still speak to the team and be on the "periphery." So the NCAA isn't barring Lattimore from associating with the program and its players. It's just preventing him from getting paid by the school.
Lattimore ran for 2,677 yards and 38 touchdowns in his injury-shortened three-year career with the Gamecocks. He was drafted by San Francisco in the 4th round of the 2013 draft and retired in November of 2014.
A possible non-coaching position for Lattimore had been discussed for quite some time. Lattimore returned to the school to finish his degree last year and the school had said it was trying to work him into the fold both while he was finishing classes and beyond. Maybe a high-profile South Carolina alum has a position Lattimore can have now that he can't work for the school.
"If he wants to come back and work for the University of South Carolina, certainly the president, athletic director or myself, whatever we can find job-wise for him here, we would certainly do that," former coach Steve Spurrier said in December of 2014. "I'm sure between the three of us, we'll find something for him to help out here with the athletic program, not only football but all athletes."
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
