South Carolina safety out, played with injured shoulder against Vols

Associated Press
Updated Tuesday, November 3, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina safety Chris Culliver will miss Saturday’s game against Arkansas.

Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier said Tuesday that Culliver’s left shoulder is still bothering him. But the coach also said he is angry the junior didn’t report how sore his shoulder was before last Saturday’s game against Tennessee.

“We had a little talk with our team that if you have an injury and you can’t perform, you need to tell the coaches,” Spurrier said. “If that was the biggest problems, and we think it was, it was certainly embarrassing for all of us. We don’t like it and I don’t like it. Hopefully, that will not happen again.”

Culliver missed some tackles against the Vols because he didn’t want to hurt the shoulder more. It’s the same shoulder he had surgery on during the offseason.

Culliver is third on the team in tackles and has started every game this season.

Spurrier also says the Gamecocks may not have left tackle Jarriel King against Arkansas. King is still trying to shake off the effects of a blow to the head last week. King has started all but one game.

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