TE Saunders part of Gamecocks pro day (AP)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)—Dismissed tight end Weslye Saunders was back on South
Carolina’s practice field working out for NFL scouts Wednesday—and trying to
repair a reputation damaged by lying to the NCAA.

Saunders admitted at the NFL combine last month he had lied to NCAA
investigators over an inquiry into improper contact with agents. He was also
among several Gamecocks who lived at a local hotel for discounted rates. Once a
highly regarded prospect, the 6-foot-6, 273-pound senior was kicked off the team
in September and did not play a game his senior year.

So it was a contrite and humbled Saunders who took to South Carolina’s
practice facility in front of football personnel from 28 of the NFL’s 32 teams.

“I want to prove that I have good character, that I’m not a character,”
Saunders said.

Saunders was among several former Gamecocks auditioning for the NFL, none
expected to crack the draft’s first round. The crowd watching included Detroit
Lions head coach Jim Schwartz.

Other former South Carolina players who took part were safety Chris
Culliver, defensive end Cliff Matthews and receiver Tori Gurley, a 23-year-old
who left the program with two years of eligibility remaining.

Saunders, a large, rangy pass catcher known for running precise routes, was
considered one of the country’s premier tight ends after choosing to return for
his senior year. But in the summer, Saunders met with the NCAA regarding trips
he took and how they were paid for. That led to the governing body discovering
football players living at the hotel for discounted rates, something South
Carolina’s compliance office signed off on.

Saunders acknowledged he dug himself an even deeper hole when he lied to the
NCAA, a choice that cost him his senior year on the field. It also cost the
Gamecocks an experienced tight end who might’ve been a difference maker in the
9-5 season.

“The biggest lesson is always be truthful in whatever you do and let the
chips fall where they may,” he said. “Fabricating a story or not even telling
the whole truth is just the same as telling a lie.”

Saunders did not work out at the NFL combine because of a broken bone in his
left foot. He trained with the pain the past month to prepare for this session.

“Maybe I got a few brownie points for it,” he said with a smile.

Saunders is scheduled for surgery Friday and expects to need four to six
weeks to fully recover.

Saunders looked sharpest when catching passes. He ran his first 40-yard dash
in day-glo green sneakers before changing into more comfortable shoes for his
final run. “Good,” a scout shouted as Saunders crossed the line.

Saunders caught 32 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns as a junior in
2009.

It was also a homecoming for Saunders, who had to watch from the outside as
the Gamecocks won the Southeastern Conference Eastern Division crown and played
in their first SEC championship game. He thanked athletic director Eric Hyman
and coach Steve Spurrier for allowing him to take part.

Spurrier shook Saunders hand on the field. “He told me good luck,”
Saunders said. “Coach Spurrier, he’s the guy who recruited me.”

Saunders has not heard from the NCAA since last summer and feels his part of
the investigation is over. South Carolina, which received a letter of inquiry
from the NCAA last September, has not heard any more about the probe’s findings
or potential penalties. The Gamecocks served three years of NCAA probation for
five major and five minor violations under former coach Lou Holtz.

Saunders thinks he’s improved his draft prospects, both with his play and
his talks with NFL personnel.

“At the end of the day, the scouts and the coaches knew I made a mistake,
but I didn’t commit any crimes or anything,” he said. “I let them know that it
would never happen again. They would never hear my name anywhere but in the end
zone catching passes.”