George Rogers is on our Mount Rushmore of best Gamecocks. See who else made it
Much like creating a Mount Rushmore for the South Carolina baseball program, building one for the USC football program was not an easy task.
It’s hard to pick just four Gamecocks from a program that has produced countless talented players. It’s even harder to find a balance between honoring the stars of the ’80s and ’90s while also acknowledging the stars from the golden era of South Carolina football in the late 2000s and early 2010s.
There are several combinations of players you could argue belong on the Mount Rushmore — and even more who were left out of our Top 14.
Here’s who we decided makes the Mount Rushmore, along with picks from former players, the fans and even ChatGPT.
Todd Ellis makes his picks
Ellis was a stellar quarterback for the Gamecocks and rewrote the record book during his time at USC. He finished his career with 9,519 passing yards, which is still a program record. Ellis was an All-American in 1986 and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. Ellis received his law degree from South Carolina in 1995 and has practiced law in the Midlands ever since. He also has served as the radio play-by-play announcer for South Carolina football since 2003.
Here’s who he put on his Mount Rushmore:
RB George Rogers
DE Jadeveon Clowney
WR Sterling Sharpe
QB Connor Shaw
And here are his thoughts:
“Forget the Heisman Trophy, George should represent us on the Mount Rushmore for Carolina Football for his smile alone. Anyone who personally saw or watched big George run the football on game film knows he was one of the first true power backs with speed anywhere in the country.”
“Just like George, Clowney ultimately became the number one pick in the draft but his impact on Carolina Football started before he ever hit the field for the Gamecocks. He helped Steve Spurrier and his staff usher in the best period in the 100 plus years of football when Carolina had the six best players on the field (Clowney, Alshon Jeffrey, Stephon Gilmore, Marcus Lattimore, Melvin Ingram and Connor Shaw) at one time no matter who we were playing. ... He was so disruptive and could change the outcome of a game. Just ask any Georgia quarterback or a Michigan tailback.”
“(Sterling Sharpe is) probably the most versatile athlete ever to play in a Gamecock football uniform. Yes, Deebo Samuel is making headlines in the NFL now for the same skill set Sterling had in the ’80s. He caught 169 passes for 2,497 yards and 17 touchdowns in his Gamecock career, but that does not tell his story. He rushed the football from the run-and-shoot like an elite tailback and was an equal to Ace Sanders and Deebo in the return game. If you are picking a team of these guys in their prime, you should take Sterling first.”
“It is hard for me to choose Connor Shaw for the Mount Rushmore of Carolina football. Not because he is not well deserving, but because he broke my record to become the winningest quarterback in Gamecock history. I am torn and tortured by not putting Alshon Jeffrey in this slot for his overall production and consistency and a list that that is supposed to represent the best of your sport that does not include Marcus Lattimore’s contribution seems criminal. Maybe it’s the quarterback in me but Connor Shaw was the engine that made those guys go. One of the toughest football players I have ever seen converted more third-downs to keep drives alive and made the big play with his arm and legs. The son of gun went 17-0 at home.”
Dakereon Joyner makes his picks
Joyner’s time with South Carolina football made him a fan favorite. The Fort Dorchester product signed as a highly coveted quarterback but mainly spent time as a wide receiver and running back during his six seasons with the Gamecocks. The highlight of his career came in 2021 when he started at quarterback for South Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl and led the Gamecocks to a victory over UNC while also earning game MVP honors.
Here’s who he put on his Mount Rushmore:
WR Sterling Sharpe
QB Connor Shaw
DE Jadeveon Clowney
RB George Rogers
And here are Joyner’s thoughts: “All these guys played their position at a very high level. I could’ve put a lot more on there if it was a Mount Rushmore of 25 players. Thankful for the impact these players and many other players had on the game, and the Gamecocks!”
How the fans voted
The State asked you, the fans, to help determine who should make the Mount Rushmore of South Carolina baseball.
Fans were given a poll with 15 players and could vote for up to four as many times as they wanted. Those players were: Jadeveon Clowney, Todd Ellis, Stephon Gilmore, Jeff Grantz, Alshon Jeffery, Marcus Lattimore, Kenny McKinley, Eric Norwood, Sidney Rice, George Rogers, Sterling Sharpe, Connor Shaw, Steve Taneyhill and Steve Wadiak.
With just under 1,000 individual ballots cast, here’s what the fans said:
RB George Rogers
DE Jadeveon Clowney
QB Connor Shaw
WR Sterling Sharpe
Rogers received the most votes followed by Clowney, Shaw and Sharpe.
RB Marcus Lattimore finished sixth in the voting and QB Jeff Grantz was right behind him in seventh.
The State’s picks
Here are The State’s choices for the Mount Rushmore of South Carolina football:
RB George Rogers
DE Jadeveon Clowney
WR Sterling Sharpe
QB Connor Shaw
Rogers is a shoe-in for the South Carolina football Mount Rushmore. He became the program’s only Heisman trophy winner in 1980 and still holds the record for rushing yards in a season (1,894) and a career (4,958). Rogers rushed for at least 100 yards in 27 games at South Carolina, including his last 22 consecutive games as a Gamecock. His jersey was retired following his final game of his career in 1980 and he was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987. There’s a statue of him outside Williams-Brice Stadium, and a road near the stadium was also renamed George Rogers Boulevard in his honor.
Clowney’s legacy at South Carolina is really only rivaled by that of Rogers. Clowney was a two-time All-American, a two-time All-SEC selection and the 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He won the Ted Hendricks Award in 2012 and finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting that year. Clowney finished with 129 total tackles, 48 tackles for loss and 24 sacks in his career. He holds USC’s single-season record for tackles for loss (23.5) and sacks (13). Clowney’s No. 7 jersey was retired in 2022.
Sharpe’s name may be forgotten some younger Gamecock fans, but his career at South Carolina is still Mount Rushmore-worthy. Like Rogers, Sharpe had his jersey retired after his final game while he was still at South Carolina. At the conclusion of his college career in 1987 he was the Gamecocks’ all-time leading receiver with 169 catches for 2,497 yards and 17 touchdowns. The two-time All-American is a South Carolina Athletics and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Shaw is probably one of is the most impactful players to play for the Gamecocks in the last 25 years. He is the winningest quarterback in South Carolina history and captained the Gamecocks to three straight 11-win seasons, finishing his career with 27 wins and a 17-0 mark at home. Shaw is second in career passing touchdowns (56) and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021.
Honorable mentions
RB Marcus Lattimore
WR Alshon Jeffery
OLB Eric Norwood
Lattimore’s career was shortened due to injuries, but he’s still considered a fan favorite and one of the best to play for South Carolina. He was a Freshman All-American and SEC Freshman of the Year in 2010 after rushing for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns. Lattimore was a three-time All-SEC player and holds the program record for rushing touchdowns (38) and touchdowns from scrimmage (41). He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Jeffery finished his career as South Carolina’s all-time leader in receiving yards and now sits as No. 2 in the program record book with 3,042 yards. He holds the record for receiving yards in a season (1,517) and was an All-American and All-SEC wide receiver. Jeffery became the most recent Gamecock in the program to have their jersey retired in 2023.
Norwood had a prolific career at outside linebacker with the Gamecocks. He was a Freshman All-American in 2006 and an All-American again in 2009. Norwood was a three-time All-SEC player whose name pops up throughout the defensive side of the program record book. He holds the record for career tackles for loss (54.5) and sacks (29) and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.
Bonus picks from AI
The State asked ChatGPT for its own Mount Rushmore. Here’s what the AI tool came up with:
RB George Rogers
DE Jadeveon Clowney
WR Alshon Jeffery
WR Sterling Sharpe
Honorable mentions: QB Connor Shaw, DE Melvin Ingram, K Ryan Succop, RB Marcus Lattimore, OLB Eric Norwood and S DJ Swearinger
