The damage done to Marcus Lattimore's knee Saturday was depressing; great player, great kid, great future, bad injury.

The outpouring for the South Carolina running back, however, was a testament to the positivity of what college athletics can be – and unfortunately, thanks to the myopia and pettiness of Lattimore's own coach, Steve Spurrier, what it too often isn't.

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Immediately after Lattimore's injury, much of the Tennessee team joined South Carolina players at midfield to pray and honor him. Well-wishes poured in from across the country on social media. The Governor declared Monday "Marcus Lattimore Day" at a rally in Columbia attended by a couple thousand supporters.

And Dabo Swinney, the coach of rival Clemson, offered some humbling and profound thoughts in support of the 21-year-old from Duncan, S.C.

"It took my breath away," Swinney said. "I was watching and it just breaks my heart. I mean, I just hurt for him and his family and his teammates. This is a guy that, to me, represents all the good things that college football should be about. He's a guy I know personally. He's a class young man and so is his family. I know how hard he has worked.

"If there is anybody I would bet on it is Marcus Lattimore," Swinney continued. "I know it will be a long process, but I tell you what, I would put my money on Marcus Lattimore in a heartbeat. When he comes to terms with this, he will do everything he can to come back. My prayers go out to him and his family. I have been heavy-hearted for him. He is a winner in every regard. Hopefully we haven't seen the last of him from a football standpoint. He has been a great representative for his family and his university. I will lift him up in my prayers."

[Related: Marcus Lattimore support rally draws big crowd at South Carolina]

Swinney about said it all. And it served as not just a testament to Lattimore the man, but a reminder that he is a man, not just an NFL prospect. There will be emotional challenges to face with his recovery, not just physical ones.

It also was an important bit of pause for everyone overly-invested in the Clemson-South Carolina rivalry – or any in college sports that are too often marketed as life and death.

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Then Spurrier, 67 years old and long past the days of knowing better, got up and took the whole thing back into the gutter.

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