Beamer, Gamecocks get rousing ovation in celebration of 2021 season
Jan. 15, 2022
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Shane Beamer strutted out to the floor at Colonial Life Arena with his right thumb and pinky finger fashioned in South Carolina’s “Spurs up” hand signal as a smile graced his face. Donning a familiar garnet checkered jacket he wore around this time last year when he was introduced as the Gamecocks’ new football coach, he was greeted on the far side of the court by a raucous applause and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl trophy perched on a table at midcourt. Beamer’s appearance and subsequent speech lasted all of four minutes.
The response, though, at halftime of South Carolina men’s basketball’s loss to Florida offered a brief glimpse into how far South Carolina’s previously wayward football program has come in just a year.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever have a group as special as these guys right here for what they accomplished this season,” a noticeably effervescent Beamer said. “To go from two wins to seven wins to now listen; to not listen to the naysayers that assumed we wouldn’t even be in a bowl game; to have five come-from-behind victories during this season says everything that you need to know about these guys and what they’re about.
The Gamecocks have since remained active in the transfer portal. They snagged commitments from three Power Five contributors and a wildly productive Group of Five import in safety Devonni Reed over the past two weeks.
“We plan to be out here a lot celebrating football teams and presenting SEC championship trophies to teams out here as well,” Beamer said. Beamer’s bunch sat in section 110, roughly 20 rows behind the basket, munching on
, joking with one another and, eventually, receiving a rousing ovation on the court at halftime as their head coach brought energy to an otherwise listless mid-afternoon crowd.
One-by-one, Beamer rattled off the newcomers who’ve already made it to campus. Four-star quarterback Braden Davis was among those standing on the hardwood. So, too, was Wake Forest transfer running back Christian Beal-Smith. Three-star recruits D’Andre Martin and Felix Hixon heard their names called as well.
South Carolina’s latest hire, outside linebackers and edge rushers coach Sterling Lucas, also sat in the stands at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday with a slew of recruits. It’s the first weekend Lucas has been able to interact with potential prospects since South Carolina’s board of trustees approved the former Jacksonville Jaguars assistant’s contract on Thursday.
Saturday served as a celebration of sorts. Ever the recruiter he is, though, Beamer took it as a chance to offer the potential prospects in the crowd he couldn’t legally address by name under NCAA rules a message for the future. “I’m letting you guys know the recruits here today you guys come to Carolina,” Beamer said, “we’ll be out here (with an SEC title) a hell of a lot quicker than (people) think we’re going to be, too.”
Jan. 15, 2022
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Shane Beamer strutted out to the floor at Colonial Life Arena with his right thumb and pinky finger fashioned in South Carolina’s “Spurs up” hand signal as a smile graced his face. Donning a familiar garnet checkered jacket he wore around this time last year when he was introduced as the Gamecocks’ new football coach, he was greeted on the far side of the court by a raucous applause and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl trophy perched on a table at midcourt. Beamer’s appearance and subsequent speech lasted all of four minutes.
The response, though, at halftime of South Carolina men’s basketball’s loss to Florida offered a brief glimpse into how far South Carolina’s previously wayward football program has come in just a year.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever have a group as special as these guys right here for what they accomplished this season,” a noticeably effervescent Beamer said. “To go from two wins to seven wins to now listen; to not listen to the naysayers that assumed we wouldn’t even be in a bowl game; to have five come-from-behind victories during this season says everything that you need to know about these guys and what they’re about.
The Gamecocks have since remained active in the transfer portal. They snagged commitments from three Power Five contributors and a wildly productive Group of Five import in safety Devonni Reed over the past two weeks.
“We plan to be out here a lot celebrating football teams and presenting SEC championship trophies to teams out here as well,” Beamer said. Beamer’s bunch sat in section 110, roughly 20 rows behind the basket, munching on
, joking with one another and, eventually, receiving a rousing ovation on the court at halftime as their head coach brought energy to an otherwise listless mid-afternoon crowd.One-by-one, Beamer rattled off the newcomers who’ve already made it to campus. Four-star quarterback Braden Davis was among those standing on the hardwood. So, too, was Wake Forest transfer running back Christian Beal-Smith. Three-star recruits D’Andre Martin and Felix Hixon heard their names called as well.
South Carolina’s latest hire, outside linebackers and edge rushers coach Sterling Lucas, also sat in the stands at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday with a slew of recruits. It’s the first weekend Lucas has been able to interact with potential prospects since South Carolina’s board of trustees approved the former Jacksonville Jaguars assistant’s contract on Thursday.
Saturday served as a celebration of sorts. Ever the recruiter he is, though, Beamer took it as a chance to offer the potential prospects in the crowd he couldn’t legally address by name under NCAA rules a message for the future. “I’m letting you guys know the recruits here today you guys come to Carolina,” Beamer said, “we’ll be out here (with an SEC title) a hell of a lot quicker than (people) think we’re going to be, too.”
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