Clemson Player Defends His Actions

Clemson senior tailback Yusef Kelly, who was photographed kicking a South Carolina player in the head during Saturday’s brawl, said he had no regrets about his actions.

Kelly was caught kicking an unidentified Gamecock player who lay face-down with his helmet off and hands covering his head.

“If I hadn’t done it to him, he would have done it to me if he had the chance,” Kelly was quoted as saying in an interview with the Charleston Post and Courier that was published Thursday.

The brawl led to the teams agreeing to decline bowl invitations as punishment.

Kelly said he was now being miscast as a thug.

“It’s not like I’m out there shooting people, selling drugs or anything like that,” he said.

After kicking the player, Kelly grabbed a Gamecock helmet and paraded in the end zone before tossing it into the student section.

“I know the die-hard Clemson fans, they are going to love it,” he said after the Tigers’ 29-7 victory. “I think I kind of left an impression.” *

Tennessee freshman quarterback Brent Schaeffer threw on the side at practice this week for the first time since he suffered a broken collarbone in an Oct. 30 game against South Carolina. Coach Phillip Fulmer is optimistic that Schaeffer will be able to play in the Southeastern Conference title game against Auburn on Dec. 4.... Mississippi State Coach Sylvester Croom has been reprimanded by the SEC for criticizing the officiating in Saturday’s loss to Arkansas.

The Palm Beach Post reported that Butch Davis, who is on shaky ground as coach of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, was not interested in succeeding Ron Zook as Florida coach. The paper, citing a source speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Davis, who formerly coached at Miami, would sit out a year from coaching if he was fired by the Browns.