He left home and his first college team, made his own path with Gamecocks
Danny Gordon wanted to play quarterback, and the coaching staff at Miami (Ohio) wasn’t working him there.
A walk-on from the Columbus suburbs, he’d had some modest success as a passer in high school, but Chuck Martin’s staff was working him in the defensive backfield on scout team. So he looked around and South Carolina became an option.
“I figured here is as good a place as any,” Gordon said. “Talked to coach (G.A.) Mangus. He said, ‘Yeah, we’d love to have you.’”
In the Hallmark movie version of all this, he came to Columbia, earned a starting job, or at least a moment, but barring a kind gesture from the coaching staff, he’ll finish his career having never taken a snap at QB.
But he’ll be playing in his 25th game this Saturday, every one since he became eligible. He wasn’t happy about the idea of playing only defense, but holding on field goals, that he could get behind.
“I just kind of want to do whatever helps the team,” Gordon said. “Once I realized Sean Kelly was the holder and he was leaving, someone has to step up and do that. I figured, why not me?”
The coaches have praised his work there. Gordon explained that although he never got to play quarterback in a game, there’s something about just being a quarterback that meant a great deal to him.
“I absolutely love my experience that I’ve had,” Gordon said. “Even just being able to play quarterback in practice, getting to throw the football around, getting to go through the reads with guys, getting to be in the film room with Jake and Scar and everyone and just seeing what we see in the quarterback room together, even just the camaraderie of our quarterback room is a great room, some of my best friends are there.
“I’ve had a blast.”
He had a few ties to the south before departing the Midwest. His father, who was also his high school coach, had been a graduate assistant at Florida, the school his mother attended. His sister, who played lacrosse at Louisville, was born in Florida.
Gordon has been part of a field goal unit that has seen a big jump from last season. There had been some operation problems at points in 2017, but this year Parker White is 13-for-15 on field goals.
He’s also left a mark on the quarterback room he’s occupied for three seasons.
“Danny G is always positive,” starting quarterback Jake Bentley said. “He comes in with the same smile on his face every day. He’s played some scout team safety for us. He just does whatever he can to help the team. I know he takes pride in his holding. He’s always working on that.
“That’s what I appreciate about Danny. He’s taken his role, and that’s the most important thing to him.”
Gordon, along with South Carolina’s other seniors, will get what feels like almost a second senior day. USC held the usual ceremony two weeks ago, for what was supposed to be the final home game of the season.
But the hurricane-rescheduled Akron game means the final time playing at Williams-Brice Stadium won’t have that pomp and circumstance, but will instead be a simpler affair.
That might be a departure for Gordon, whose journey has been anything but simple.
“It’s kind of surreal,” Gordon said. “It’s kind of funny how it all worked out that we’re playing a MAC team because I started out my career at a MAC school. I’m just trying to take everything in the last couple games.”