South Carolina football commit’s senior season was over early ... until it wasn’t

The only feeling when South Carolina football commitment R.J. Roderick was told his season was over: “Hurtful”

It was a moment that had him reassessing, thinking about the role the sport played in his life, getting ready to make his move from Cane Bay High School to Columbia when he enrolls early (he says that’s set in stone, and he’s already registered for classes). But then came the news.

His high school days aren’t done yet.

After missing five games with a stress fracture in his back, Roderick got cleared for his team’s final regular season game and the playoffs. The Cobras are 8-1 and play Berkeley for a region title on Friday night.

“It means a lot to get back on the field,” Roderick said.

But he won’t be doing it in the same capacity.

Roderick will play defensive back in college, but his high school relied upon him as an option quarterback. He was working more on defense at the start of the year, but he was still the centerpiece of the offense.

Then came the injury, in stepped Kris Copeland, who has run for 845 yards in five starts under center. So Roderick will get a jump on his work on the other side of the ball.

“I’m starting on defense now,” Roderick said. “And then I’ll come in on offense. ... They’ll use me selectively just because they don’t want me to get hit too often.”

At 6-foot, 207 pounds, Roderick has potential with his ability to cover ground and a build more imposing than his listed size. He ran for more than 1,700 yards as a junior.

The news was greeted well by South Carolina’s staff and Will Muschamp.

“Whenever I told him that, he was like, ‘That’s great, get after it.’ ” Roderick said. “And of course I’ll start sending him and coach T-Rob a lot of my game film just to ask what I need to work on.”

Those coaches also played a role in keeping him up after the injury news first came.

“They just reassured me that commitment is a both-way thing,” Roderick said. “They did whatever they could on their end. As far as being there to uplift me and letting me know I still have a future in football and that my best football has yet to be played.”

He said he’s spoken to one of the Shrine Bowl coaches during selections, but at the time he thought he was done for the season. He hoped he could land a spot after getting the good news, but said he’s most focused on the game and games ahead.

The injury and almost seeing a high school career end gave him a certain outlook.

“I just got to see football from a different perspective,” Roderick said. “And plus, I mean, it helped define who I am. Football is something that I do, it’s not exactly who I am.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 9:50 AM with the headline "South Carolina football commit’s senior season was over early ... until it wasn’t."