How Terry Googer makes his biggest mark for the Gamecocks off the field

South Carolina defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth almost sighs as he’s asked about his friend and teammate Terry Googer.

He admits the USC wide receiver is his roommate. He’s watched him put in work as a host for recruits every December and January.

He’s tired of hearing about it.

“Oh my God, bro,” Stallworth said. “We’ll be at the room, like, ‘Hey, I’m 100 percent at getting recruits.’ C’mon man, I don’t want to hear that right now.’

“That’s with anything we do. ... Wherever we go, we’re going to hear Terry.”

Googer is a man who has made his presence known on the preferred outlet of our times, social media. He’d regularly talk up not only his team and teammates, but also other teams on campus. He even offered to handle Jake Bentley’s account for the season (the offer was declined).

And part of being that online pump-up guy translates to recruiting, where he holds to his bold claim of his prowess as a host.

“Right now, I still haven’t lost one,” Googer said. “I’m still taking credit for all Donell (Stanley’s) people because they end up with me. I’m taking credit for all that. So right now, I’m probably 12-0. I take a lot of pride in it because I’m here to make the program better. Like (Gamecocks coach Will) Muschamp tells us, ‘Try to make the program the best you can.’ I want to make us as great as possible.”

Googer is a player who came to the Gamecocks out of the Atlanta area as a four-star prospect and has not yet found a niche on the field. He caught seven passes for 66 yards in 2016, but didn’t establish himself as a constant target in three starts when USC’s receiving group was woefully thin.

Muschamp said the fourth-year player is one of the top five receivers the team has going into 2017, along with Deebo Samuel, Bryan Edwards, Shi Smith and OrTre Smith.

So Googer has found another niche, a team guy, a vocal presence, one of the players who does a little more off the field.

But he’s not giving up the secrets of his recruiting pitch.

“I can’t tell that,” Googer said. “Don’t need everybody using it.”

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 10:21 AM with the headline "How Terry Googer makes his biggest mark for the Gamecocks off the field."