South Carolina coach Shane Beamer had no interest in letting the criticism around LaNorris Sellers linger.
On Aug. 25, Beamer pushed back hard on the social media backlash that followed Sellers’ Aug. 18 comments about his final semester internship at a local golf center. The starting quarterback said he is spending this semester at Par Tee Golf Center and is finished with his classes, which set off plenty of chatter online.
“I think it's absolutely ridiculous any kind of criticism that LaNorris Sellers took last week about an internship in his last semester of college,” Beamer said. “The same people out there that are criticizing that failed to report that he's been on the dean's list four times as a student, primarily taking in-person classes, failed to report that he has a chance to be an academic All-American, not academic all-conference, academic all-American, and that he's about to graduate from South Carolina.”
Beamer made it clear he was done with the whole conversation and ready to move on to football.
“Tired of talking season, as Coach (Steve) Spurrier used to call it,” Beamer said Aug. 25.
“Tired of talking about our quarterbacks' class schedule. I can't wait till next week and we can actually talk about football and playing games.”
Sellers said his internship involves “facility management and stuff like that, cutting grass and picking up balls” at the golf center not far from campus. Because his major requires both a practicum and an internship, he needs the experience to finish his degree. He is on track to graduate in December.
The quarterback also completed a summer internship last year with Contract Construction in Irmo. Outside of football, Sellers has said architecture, engineering and golf are among his interests.
Beamer said he will always stand up for his players.
“I'm going to defend our players at all times,” Beamer said. “That's a joke that anybody would criticize his class schedule and what he's taken in his final semester of college when he needs one class to graduate. So I hope he goes and has a hell of a time at the driving range and hits 1,000 balls and does a good job over there because he's earned it.”
Sellers, listed at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, is entering his third season leading Beamer’s offense and his fourth year in the program. He spent his freshman year in 2023 behind Spencer Rattler before winning the quarterback job the next season after Rattler left for the NFL.
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