re: Marcus Lattimore letter to South Carolina fans...

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You change one variable and an entirely different result can happen. Do you even variable bro?

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There really is no telling in hypotheticals. AU played tough games against us and Clemson that season. What if Lattimore had chosen AU and fumbled late and cost AU the game? You really never know.

Anyway there was an article that came out a couple years ago. After Lattimore rushed for over 200 yards @UF that won us the East in 2010 Lattimore honored a promise the following morning to speak at a church. He actually didn't tell his coaches he was going to do this because he didn't think they'd let him. I suppose because they didn't get back until late in the morning and wanted him to rest.

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Lots of us didn't know, but part of that is Lattimore's fault. He's not one of those guys who tells everyone how great he is. What kind of guy is Lattimore? This kind: He's from the northwest part of South Carolina known as the Upstate, and last year he heard about another USC student from the Upstate who was badly injured after being hit by a car. Unprompted and uninvited, Lattimore showed up at the kid's hospital room. Just to check on the kid and visit with the family. The only reason anyone found out was because the kid's mother gushed about it on social media. Lattimore's coaches found out from reporters.

Lattimore didn't tell his coaches what he was doing because, well, sometimes they stop him -- and not because his coaches are heartless. That's not the point of this anecdote. The point is, his coaches try to limit his volunteering engagements because Lattimore spreads himself thin.

A Columbia church asked Lattimore to speak on Nov. 14, 2010, the morning after the Gamecocks were playing Florida. Lattimore carried the ball 40 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns to help the Gamecocks beat Florida 36-14 to clinch the school's first SEC East title -- and sure enough, on Sunday morning Lattimore was at the church.

Oh, that game on Saturday? It was in Gainesville, Fla. Maybe Lattimore slept a few hours on the plane home. Maybe not. All I know

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is, he spoke at the church on Sunday morning.