Marcus Lattimore, the coach, leads Heathwood team to title win

Marcus Lattimore led Heathwood Hall’s middle school football squad to a championship season in his first season as head coach.

The Highlanders defeated Hammond 12-0 on Thursday night in the title game and finished the season 5-3.

“This has been the greatest three months of my life,” Lattimore told his team after the game. “I love every single last one of you all. I was proud to coach this team. It has been a great year.”

Lattimore was a highly touted running back at Byrnes High and was one of the most beloved players in South Carolina history. He rushed for 2,677 yards and had 41 TDs in his career for the Gamecocks. He graduated from USC in May with a degree in public health.

Lattimore’s football career was cut short by a pair of knee injuries at South Carolina. The San Francisco 49ers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft, but he never played. He retired in 2014.

Thursday’s win for Lattimore comes four years to the day of his second knee injury suffered in a 38-35 South Carolina win over Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Lattimore also coaches running backs for Heathwood’s varsity team. He also has a role in a Christian movie called “Faith’s Song” that debuts this weekend.

This story was originally published October 27, 2016 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Marcus Lattimore, the coach, leads Heathwood team to title win."