Off Topic » Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said on Tuesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Injured All-American Jadeveon Clowney is working hard so he can play against Arkansas on Saturday, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said on Tuesday. Spurrier said hell know later in the week if Clowney has recovered enough from a strained muscle near his ribcage to get back on the field. Since the 6-foot-6, 274-pound defensive end said shortly before kickoff last Saturday against Kentucky that he was in too much pain to play, there have been questions about whether the potential No. 1 pick in next years NFL draft was shutting it down for the season. Spurrier doesnt believe Clowney is done but didnt rule out the possibility. "Let me say this about Jadeveon, if he never plays another snap, we all should be thankful and appreciative that he came to South Carolina," Spurrier said. "Weve won 26 games, two 11-2 years, the greatest seasons weve had in 120 years. "So none of us need to be upset at Jadeveon. None of us." Spurrier certainly sounded upset Saturday night, saying that if the defensive end didnt want to play for the Gamecocks, he didnt have to and the program would "move on." The coach said since then, he has spoken with Clowney and is confident the junior is committed to finishing the season on the field. "Im all for Jadeveon and his future," Spurier said. " When he is ready to play were going to put him out there. He has been coming to treatment, I think, twice a day and told me he is doing everything he can to try to get ready to play." The eighth-year coach said he was more upset Saturday with how he learned of Clowneys status. Spurrier said he was more frustrated that proper protocol wasnt followed and that word of Clowneys absence in the 35-28 win over Kentucky didnt come from trainers or team doctors. Instead, Spurrier learned about it when he saw Clowney without pads on prior to kickoff. "Obviously, we all handled it poorly. All of us did," Spurrier said. Clowney is expected to talk with the media later Tuesday. It has not been the season expected out of the SECs reigning defensive player of the year. He has just two sacks and 12 tackles. After setting a school mark of 23 1/2 tackles for loss last season, Clowneys got just three stops behind the line of scrimmage this year. Clowney was one of the most talked about player in college football after finishing last season with his helmet-popping hit on Michigans Vincent Smith in the Outback Bowl. Some analysts projected that Clowney would have been the top pick in last years NFL draft as a sophomore, prompting talk he should sit out this year instead of risking on field injury. Clowney eventually purchased $5 million worth of NCAA-allowed insurance. Clowney spent a summer in the spotlight. "The Hit" won the ESPY Award for best play while Clowney met with LeBron James and other celebrities. Spurrier cut off access to Clowney once fall camp began, but the issues continued. When the season began, Clowney looked winded and was bothered by the flu in the opener against North Carolina. He needed IV fluids the day before the Gamecocks played UCF because of illness. Hes been bothered by a flare-up of bone spurs in his right foot and now has the muscle strain that kept him from a practice last Thursday and again on Monday. Clowneys also been frustrated that South Carolinas defence is not playing as well as it had his first two seasons. He said after a 41-30 loss at Georgia that coaches should move him around more, then said the guys on defence had to improve after giving up most of an 18-point lead in a 28-25 win at UCF. Arkansas coach Bart Bielema hopes Clowneys ready to go for his offence. "As is the case any time that youre in this type of situation, Im sure hes going to play, Bielema said. "I think its competitive nature. Its kind of like when we were getting ready to play A&M. At the beginning of this season, people were taking about him (Manziel) being suspended or not." Gamecocks quarterback Connor Shaw said Clowneys situation has not created a problem in the locker room. "All I know is Clowneys helped us win a lot of games," he said. "Its more of a big deal to everyone else instead of us." Cheap Nike Free Nz Sale . In the days leading up to the draft, TSN.ca and TSN Radio basketball analyst Duane Watson looks at some of the names that will be headlining the event. Tonight, Michigans Nik Stauskas of Mississauga, Ontario. Nike Free Nz Cheap .com) - Joe Pavelski scored twice to lead the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers to split a home-and-home set. http://www.cheapnikefreenz.com/ .Y. - Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby captured his second career Art Ross trophy on Sunday after leading the NHL in scoring this season. Clearance Nike Free Nz . Case in point: LeBron James vs. Ben McLemore. James was driving to the rim in the first quarter and McLemore decided to try to take the charge, which was quite admirable and predictably futile. Wholesale Nike Free Nz . -- Get a flow chart ready to follow the Packers quarterback situation.NEWARK, N.J. -- Jaromir Jagr has decided to remain with the New Jersey Devils for another year. "I was happy being here," the 42-year-old Jagr said Thursday in a conference call from Belarus, where he is playing for the Czech Republic in the world championships. "There was no reason to change. There was no reason to test free agency. What would happen? Someone might give me more money, but nobody can guarantee me that Id be happy someplace else. If Im happy, then theres no reason to go anywhere else. I play my best hockey when Im happy." The Devils did not release terms of the contract. Jagr said it was a one-year deal. The contract is believed to be worth $6 million with incentives. "I like having one-year deals," Jagr said. "If something goes wrong, you never know if you have a long contract and say have three years left. One year is good for everybody. I think both sides wanted to get this done quickly. Lou (Lamoriello, the teams president and general manager) wanted to do it, because he wanted to see the direction where hes going with the team." Jagr was the Devils leading scorer this, finishing with 24 goals and 43 assists for 67 points. "Id truly like to score more goals," Jagr said. "I feel like I can play with the guys we have. We have a better chance to play better. We have a good group of guys and thats very important. I like to play a lot, because I dont get tired." Jagr will turn 43 in February of next season, his 21st year in the NHL. A two-time winner of the Stanley Cup when he played for the Pittsburgh Peenguins, Jagr has 705 goals and 1,050 assists.dddddddddddd The Devils missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons. "We made a lot of mistakes early," Jagr said. "But we were able to play good against the good teams. We lost a lot of points to teams that didnt make the playoffs. It put us in a position where we had to win almost every game and that was too much pressure. We didnt have any great superstars, but we had good goal scorers that give us a chance to compete against anybody and beat anybody. Its just my feeling, but we didnt have to be great to win games, if we work hard." Jagr said that he liked the camaraderie in the Devils locker room. "We have a lot of fun," Jagr said. "We have a loose atmosphere. Theres not a bad guy in the room. Maybe we need a bad one to get in the playoffs." Jagr was named Thursday as one of the three finalists for the Bill Masterton Award, given to the player "who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey," along with Manny Malholtra of the Carolina Hurricanes and Dominic Moore of the New York Rangers. "It means a lot that the hockey writers picked me," Jagr said. "Hockey writers can be very picky, so for them to pick me means a lot. I just love the sport and follow the laws of the sport." Jagr said he plans to keep playing after next season. "Theres no reason to stop," Jagr said. "I want to play for as long as I can. As long as I work hard, I am going to continue to play." ' ' '