Elliott Fry the resident jokester for USC special teams

In addition to being one of the most consistent placekickers in Gamecocks history, senior Elliott Fry has another unofficial job: keep the team loose.

Fry has played in every game the past three seasons. He holds the school record with 124 consecutive extra points and has made almost 75 percent of his field goal attempts.

One of the reasons for Fry’s on-field success is his ability to keep a fun and positive attitude off the field, something he learned from former Gamecock punter Patrick Fish.

“What he taught me is to stay loose and to keep things fun, but at the same time we do know when to be serious. When we’re on game day, we’re serious and we’re focused on our job,” Fry said.

During his down time in between practices, Fry can be seen smiling, joking with teammates and creating skills competitions for everyone to participate. His optimism and entertaining personality have influenced the attitudes of his teammates on special teams.

The group created its own Twitter account called “Gamecock Specialists,” where they post posed group photos and “get to know the specialists” interview videos. Younger kickers and punters look up to Fry and said he makes them feel welcome to the group.

“Elliott Fry is a great guy and he definitely does keep the team loose,” redshirt freshman kicker and punter Joseph Charlton said. “He’s a jokester but he’s a great guy.”

This story was originally published August 24, 2016 at 4:37 PM with the headline "Elliott Fry the resident jokester for USC special teams."