Columbia, SC (WLTX) - Who's the best athlete in South Carolina Gamecocks ? Former USC Football Coach Steve Spurrier has an answer.
News19 caught up with him while he was in town Friday for the McDaniel Golf Classic at Fort Jackson, an event for the Lexington Medical Center Foundation which supports cancer research.
After another stellar season, there's been increasing talk and opinion that A'ja Wilson may have cemented herself as the best player in school history, not only for women's basketball, but all sports. We asked him about that, and Spurrier didn't hesitate with his response.
"She is the best ever," Spurrier said. "National player of the year in every poll this year, I think four or five of 'em."
Spurrier would, of course, know a thing or two about greatness. He's a Heisman Trophy winner, coached a national champion at Florida, and became both the Gators and the Gamecocks all-time winningest coach. He's also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
"To win not only a national championship but those four straight conference tournament championships was neat," he added.
Wilson has been a consensus first-team AP All-American three years in a row, SEC Player of the Year during that same run, and this year, has so far swept all the national player of the year trophies this season.
He also thinks Wilson's coach is tops too.
"Dawn Staley she's the best coach I think in South Carolina history," he said. "They've had a heck of a run."
Spurrier said he would be attending Saturday's Garnet and Black Spring Game at Williams-Brice Stadium.