Fan Appreciation Day draws crowd to meet Gamecocks football players

For Owen White, the Gamecocks annual Fan Appreciation Day was a chance to meet his football heroes.

The 8-year-old is a diehard fan of the garnet and black, his mother said.

“From the time he woke up until we got here, he was excited,” said Vakevia Matthews, 31, of Columbia. “I’m excited – if he’s a fan, I’m a fan.”

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They arrived at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center a half hour before the event kicked off at 2 p.m., Matthews said. The team autographed posters and chatted with hundreds of fans from 2:30-4 p.m.

Matthews and her son weren’t the only ones using Sunday as a chance for family bonding. Tyler Walker, 34, of Saluda came out with his 11-year-old daughter, Lexi.

After deploying to Afghanistan in 2010 and 2013 with the National Guard, Fan Appreciation Day allowed him to get caught up on what’s going on with the Gamecocks, Walker said.

“I used to be a Clemson fan – until I grew up,” Walker said. “I saw the light.”

But his wife and other daughter are still Clemson fans, he said – which leads to a divided house this time of year.

“We get along until football season starts,” Walker said.

The day drew more than just residents of the Palmetto State, however.

Akeyla Charleston, 21, and Ty Ashley, 23, came from Georgia to support Charleston’s brother, Javon Charleston, as he starts his first season with the University of South Carolina.

“I’m really excited to see him play,” Akeyla Charleston said. “I know he’s going to have a lot of passion.”

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The Gamecocks’ season opener is Sept. 1 at Vanderbilt.

This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 5:50 PM.