Kiffin refutes Tyler’s claims of lack of stretching


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After senior tailback Marc Tyler suffered a potentially spring practice-ending hamstring injury last week during practice, he attributed it to the team not stretching “like we usually do.”

At the end of last week, Kiffin denied the claims, saying the explanation itself was a stretch.

“We’ve discussed that with Marc,” Kiffin said. “Since he pulled his hamstring two hours into practice, it wasn’t the stretch before that.”

Kiffin then went on to explain that players had access to four stretching tables, something the second-year coach said, “I don’t think any college in America does.”

Tyler had attributed the lack of preparation to the earlier start time of spring ball. Kiffin and Co. have begun practices at 7:25 a.m., unlike the afternoon sessions the team was used to.

“I guess they want us to come here earlier and stretch before,” Tyler said. “I didn’t know they changed it.”

Tyler — USC’s leading rushing last season — is expected to miss the remainder of spring practice, which ends with the annual spring game on April 23.