South Carolina defender retiring from football, joining coaching staff
South Carolina is adding an in-house name to its 2022 coaching roster.
Gamecocks defensive back Jaylin Dickerson is medically retiring from football and is expected to join Shane Beamer’s staff as a student assistant, a source with knowledge of the situation told The State on Saturday.
Dickerson came to South Carolina in the class of 2017 out of Southern Pines, North Carolina. He was rated the No. 773 player and No. 58 safety in the class, per the 247Sports Composite.
In parts of five seasons in Columbia, Dickerson played 24 games for the Gamecocks. He recorded 38 tackles and one pass defended over that span.
While Dickerson shined in spurts, injuries limited him throughout his South Carolina career. He suffered a nerve injury to his shoulder during the spring of 2017. He underwent season-ending surgery that August to address the issue.
Dickerson later missed the entire 2019 season after undergoing hip surgery in June of that year to address a bone growth on the top of his femur that protruded into his labrum.
He played in six games during the 2021 season, recording five tackles and one tackle for a loss, but did not appear in a contest after the Oct. 16 win over Vanderbilt.
Off the field, Dickerson was a key part of the USC athletic department’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee’s “Backpack Project” at W.G. Sanders Middle School in Columbia as a community engagement opportunity.
South Carolina concluded the 2021 season 7-6 with a win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The Gamecocks are slated to begin spring practices Tuesday.
This story was originally published March 12, 2022 at 12:07 PM.
