South Carolina running back forced to ‘say goodbye to the game’
South Carolina is down another tailback.
Running back Lovasea Carroll announced plans Friday via social media to retire from football, citing medical reasons.
Said Carroll through a messaged shared to Twitter: “I used to believe that losing a game, or having to miss a few weeks of practice, was the biggest setback I would experience. The pain of losing a game will never compare to that of having to walk away from football. While it pains me to have to come to terms with my recent medical diagnosis, I am going to have to say goodbye to the game that has been by my side for as long as I can remember.
“My life will forever be changed by the loss of this sport, the A.M. workouts and months of conditioning, and the feeling of stepping on the field every Saturday. I know that that memories I have made, the people I have met, and the lessons I have learned will never leave me, and I am confident that football will always be a part of me.”
The Georgia native was rated a four-star recruit and the No. 116 player in the 2020 class, per the 247Sports Composite.
Carroll came to South Carolina ahead of the 2022 season after spending his freshman year at Georgia playing defensive back. He played sparingly this past year in Columbia behind MarShawn Lloyd, Christian Beal-Smith and Juju McDowell, participating in five games but never receiving a carry.
Lloyd left the team in the offseason via a transfer, with Beal-Smith exhausting his eligibility.
McDowell and transfer Mario Anderson are the only scholarship tailbacks on the roster for the spring. The Gamecocks also signed Dontavius Braswell as part of the 2023 recruiting class.
This story was originally published March 3, 2023 at 12:44 PM.
