Warren Muir
Article Provided
by The
Gamecock
Newspaper
By:
Alex Riley
Assistant Sports
Editor
|
"There was a fella that the different universities would hire to come and do the photos every year, and he had a bag of tricks. I guess in trying to loosen up the situation he would get the (players) to put on these gimmicks and just have a good time," Muir said. "He'd tell all the running backs to 'huck and buck.' He'd want you to pretend you were on a horse and wear this hat. I hope they never put that one in the media guide."
He never had any intention of playing football for USC. In fact, when he left high school in Fitchburg, Mass., Muir was on his way to play football in the military.
"Paul Dietzel, who later came to South Carolina, was coaching at West Point at the time," Muir said. "In the spring of my freshman year, coach Dietzel took the job at South Carolina. I finished my (freshman) year, then I transferred to South Carolina in the fall of 1966."
Muir was redshirted the following season, sitting out the 1966 campaign, which would finish 1-9. It would be 1967 before Muir could make his debut for the Gamecocks, starting a career that would earn him the title as "the toughest inside runner I've ever coached," Dietzel said.
"I consider it a great experience to have been under (Dietzel's) coaching abilities," Muir said. "He did a lot for South Carolina, getting the stadium to where it is today. He had a lot of enthusiasm."
During
Muir's time
as USC's
fullback,
the
Gamecocks
compiled a
16-15
record, but
managed a
winning
record in
ACC play
every
season. In
1967 and
1968, the
Gamecocks
posted 5-5
and 4-6
campaigns,
respectively.
Those two
seasons set
up one of
the most
memorable
seasons in
USC history.
The
Gamecocks
finished the
1969 season
with a 7-4
overall
record and a
perfect 6-0
record in
the ACC,
earning them
the title of
ACC
champions,
the school's
first and
only
conference
title in the
history of
the program.
After a
season-opening
win against
Duke, 27-20, the
Gamecocks
pulled off
wins against
North
Carolina,
N.C. State,
Virginia
Tech,
Maryland and
Wake Forest.
The regular
season
finale with
rival
Clemson was
also a
victory, as USC
dominated
the Tigers,
27-13. With
the success,
the
Gamecocks
earned the
right to
represent
the ACC in
the Peach
Bowl in
Atlanta
against West
Virginia.
"It
was very exciting back then to set that goal
and accomplish that goal," Muir said.
"Playing in the Peach Bowl, unfortunately we
lost to a West Virginia team coached by Jim
Carlen, who finished that year and went to
Texas Tech. Then a couple of years later, he
replaced coach Dietzel. It was an exciting
part of my life."
The Gamecocks lost the Peach Bowl 14-3, but
left the school with one of the finest
seasons ever played in Columbia.
For his efforts on the field, Muir earned
All-ACC his senior year as well as
All-American honors on two squads - the
American Football Coaches team and the
Detroit Sports Extra's 33-man squad. He also
earned a spot on the Coaches All-Star Game
roster in Lubbock, Texas, one of only four
Gamecocks to achieve the honor.
"It does mean a lot personally to attain
that goal," Muir said. "It's all the coaches
and the team that are part of it. Without
all those fellas, I never would have gotten
the chance. The opportunity to go out there
and beat some players of tremendous caliber
was great. Just wish I could remember them
all."
The professional football draft came calling
for Muir, but it came very late, as the New
York Giants picked him in the 15th round.
The life of professional football wasn't for
Muir.
"I never really played; I played in one
exhibition game," Muir said. "We played
Green Bay at Green Bay on Saturday night,
and I was cut the next Monday or Tuesday. I
had gotten drafted by the Canadian league. I
went out visit them, way on the west coast
of Canada. They wanted me to stay out there,
get a job and play with the team the next
year. That's when I decided to hang up
football."
More than 30 years after leaving Carolina,
Muir is still listed among one of the best
in Gamecock history. When he left, his 2,234
yards were good enough for second all-time,
behind only Steve Wadiak. Today, he sits in
10th place overall. Until Derek Watson in
2000, Muir's 969-yard rushing season in 1969
was good enough for 10th all-time in
Carolina history.
Muir tallied six games with more than 100
yards rushing during his collegiate career,
including a 164-yard performance against
North Carolina in 1967, still the
22nd-highest rushing game in USC history.
"All records and stuff are meant to be
broken," Muir said. "I've gradually worked
my way down the list with all these great
running backs that have come through."
After his short stint in the pros, Muir
returned to South Carolina, where he put his
civil engineering degree to use. He's worked
for many companies throughout the state.
He resides in Aiken, working for Gilliam and
Associates.
"After being in the area for four years, I
had a lot of friends and contacts. And I
didn't have to shovel snow, and I've been in
the South Carolina area ever since," Muir
said. "It's been a good, good place to be in
construction. I started the summer between
my junior and senior year in Columbia and
been doing it ever since."