BRIEFS

Local Gamecock Club

meeting April 8

The Spartanburg-Cherokee- Greenville Gamecock clubs will hold its spring meeting at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium Tuesday, April 8, with dinner starting at 5:30 p.m. and the program starting at 7 p.m.

The guest speakers will be Steve Spurrier and administrative staff. Tickets are now on sale for $20 each and must be purchased by April 3.

Tickets can be purchased at Harold's Restaurant, Dr. Hank Jolly's office, Sub Station II, or by calling Kevin Sullivan at 488-0006, Randy Hammett at 489-3839, Ed Poole at 489-8746, Kathy Baines at 489-4501, Mike Phillips at 812-1487, or e-mail Gamecocks@cherokeegamecockclub. com.

2-time All-American

found dead at home

Heath Benedict, a two-time Little All-American at Newberry College on his way to the NFL, was found dead on a couch in his Jacksonville, Fla., home.

Authorities said Thursday they don't suspect foul play in Benedict's death. Newberry administrators added that police didn't think drugs or alcohol were involved, either.

Benedict, a 6-foot-6, 326-pound offensive lineman, finished up his senior season in the fall and left school to train for next month's NFLdraft. He was nine hours short of a business degree.

''He was a big, tough man, but he had a very gentle heart,'' Newberry president Mick Zais said. ''He was a teddy bear.''

Benedict's body was taken to a medical examiner's office to determine the cause of death.

The 24-year-old took part in the Senior Bowl in January, the first Division II player to do so since 2004, and was invited to last month's NFLcombine.

There, trainers and doctors put Benedict through extensive tests, Newberry coach Zak Willis said, particularly because he hurt an ankle late last season.

Nothing unusual was uncovered, Willis said. ''This is certainly a shock to all of us,'' he said.

Some NFLdraft predictions had Benedict being selected as high as the third round.

The coach said he learned of Benedict's death Wednesday from one of his players. Soon after, Benedict's father called to confirm the tragic news.

''This is probably one of the toughest days I've ever had as a human being,'' said Willis, his eyes red.

Benedict was a native of the Netherlands. He played high school football at the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J. His family also has a home in Greenville, which is about 60 miles northwest of Newberry.

LSU QB regains

some privileges

LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux is technically off suspension but still cannot practice with the team.

LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said Thursday that there is no timetable for Perrilloux, who finished last season as the expected heir apparent to the starting job, to return to the field.

''He's no longer suspended, which means he has some privileges back, but one of the privileges he's not been able to regain is the ability to practice with the team,'' Bonnette said.

LSU head coach Les Miles suspended Perrilloux indefinitely in February, shortly before spring practices began, for unspecified team violations, which could have included anything from missing classes to team meetings or workouts.

Perrilloux's former high school coach, who remains close to the quarterback and his family, has said Perrilloux missed a mandatory team meeting, then missed classes to attend his father's funeral without notifying coaches.

It was the third suspension for Perrilloux, who was widely considered the favorite to succeed Matt Flynn as first-string quarterback after leading LSU to two victories as a starter - including the Southeastern Conference championship game - when Flynn, a senior, was injured during the 2007 season.