With spring practice over for South Carolina and summer moving along, Gamecock fans now have less than two months before their favorite team takes the field for a game. To help bridge the gap (along with all of the recruiting coverage and summer updates you can read on GamecockCentral.com), GamecockCentral will be running a top-10 players by position series.
First, we took a look at the all-time great USC running backs.
Then, we voted on the best Carolina wide receivers in program history.
Following that up, we examined the top Gamecock tight ends.
Next, it was all about determining the top offensive linemen ever to block in Columbia.
The final offensive position we looked at was the quarterback spot.
Then, we moved on to the defensive side of the ball, specifically the best defensive tackles in team history.
Following that, defensive ends/EDGEs were the topic of discussion.
After finishing the front, we shifted away from the defensive line and checked in on the linebacker position.
Then, a loaded cornerback group had our attention.
On special teams, we voted on the top 10 safeties in South Carolina football history.
Last week, the topic of discussion was the best kickers and punters ever to play in garnet and black.
Now, this week, our attention moves away from offense and defense for the first time. Moving to the third phase of the game, special teams, we will examine the best kickers and punters ever to play in Columbia.
Chris Clark, Wes Mitchell, and I have put together our own top 10 lists. Many of the Gamecock Faithful on The Insiders Forum also have taken part in a two-part voting run this week.
Not every good return man could make the lists, but Tyler Hellams, Derek Watson, Captain Munnerlyn, Frank Adams, Terry Cousin, and Josh Vann all were part of the discussion but fell just short in the voting.
The results are below, including a note on each player mentioned:
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Chris Clark
- Ace Sanders
- Deebo Samuel
- Sterling Sharpe
- Dickie Harris
- Boo Williams
- Raynard Brown
- Robert Brooks
- Bobby Bryant
- Bryan Edwards
- Xavier Legette
Why Ace Sanders is No. 1: “In an era of unprecedented talent and performance at South Carolina, Ace Sanders might have been the most can’t-leave-your-seat player on the team when he was back deep. His punt return exploits are legendary, earning him the top spot.”
Wes Mitchell
- Deebo Samuel
- Ace Sanders
- Dickie Harris
- Sterling Sharpe
- Boo Williams
- King Dixon
- Xavier Legette
- Chris Culliver
- Robert Brooks
- Raynard Brown
Why Deebo Samuel is No. 1: “As hard as it is for me not to put the electrifying Ace Sanders as the top returner in school history, I am going to give the edge to Deebo Samuel, who had four career kickoff returns for touchdowns, and was a threat to change the game every time he touched the ball. Each is clearly the best at their particular return duty, but Samuel is one of only around 50 players in college football history to return that many kickoffs to the end zone. Sanders is surprisingly second in school history with three punt returns for touchdown, behind Dickie Harris, who had four.”
Kevin Miller
- Ace Sanders
- Deebo Samuel
- Dickie Harris
- Sterling Sharpe
- Boo Williams
- King Dixon
- Robert Brooks
- Rashad Fenton
- Bobby Bryant
- Chris Culliver
Why Ace Sanders is No. 1: “Ace Sanders was a joystick with legs during his South Carolina football career. He was simply impossible to tackle in space without help, and he made many coverage men look silly trying. To go with his three punt return scores, Sanders had another two or three that were just a breath away from being touchdowns. He made fans believe that any return could be a score, and for that, he earns the top spot.”
The Insiders Forum
Votes in parentheses
- Ace Sanders (58)
- Deebo Samuel (53)
- Dickie Harris (39)
- Pharoh Cooper (34)
- Sterling Sharpe (31)
- Xavier Legette (22)
- Chris Culliver (17)
- Robert Brooks (16)
- Rashad Fenton (11)
- Boo Williams (9)
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Notes on the Gamecock Greats
Ace Sanders: Ace Sanders had a good career as a wide receiver at South Carolina, but he was even better as a punt returner. The diminutive wideout earned SEC Special Teams Player of the Year honors for his 2012 season, the same year he set a program record for punt return yardage. That year is one of two punt return seasons that stand about above all others in Gamecock history, but he also returned a punt for a score the year prior, too. Sanders might be the most elusive ballcarrier ever to play in Columbia and had multiple near-scores that set his team up for easy touchdowns.
Deebo Samuel: In contrast to some returners, Deebo Samuel wasn’t a dancer. Instead, he used his impressive vision and exceptional to speed to find a hole and explode through it. Before an injury in 2017, he had two return attempts and scored on both of them. He is also the only player in USC history to register a return touchdown in three separate seasons. Samuel is the only player in school history with four kickoff return touchdowns. In 2018, he was a three position All-SEC contributor at wide receiver, kick returner, and all-purpose player.
Dickie Harris: Dickie Harris played long ago, but he was one of the most fun Gamecocks ever. The standout defensive back was a good kick returner early in his career but developed into a special punt return man. As a senior, he found the end zone three times on punts. He was so good with the ball in hands, in fact, that he saw some time on offense, once scoring three touchdowns against Wake Forest. He is one of just a small handful of Gamecocks with returns on kickoffs and punts.
Sterling Sharpe: One of the undisputed greatest South Carolina receivers ever, Sterling Sharpe belongs in the discussion as a returner, too. The Pro Football Hall of Famer took back a kickoff and a punt during his illustrious career. Specifically, his return against Duke is viewed as one of the most impressive single plays in team history, as eight different Blue Devils got a hand on Sharpe but couldn’t bring him down.
Boo Williams: Boo Williams was an underrated running back for the Gamecocks who split time with more well-known names like Duce Staley, Troy Hambrick, Derek Watson, and Ryan Brewer. However, he was a dynamic return man. His sophomore year is one of the best return seasons in program history, as he averaged almost 30 yards per attempt and found the end zone twice. He was a two-time All-SEC selection on special teams.
King Dixon: A versatile running back from the 1950s, King Dixon was also an excellent returner. He finished his career with a pair of scores on special teams, but it was his 98-yarder against Texas that was most famous, helping the Gamecocks spring the upset over the Longhorns. He eventually began South Carolina’s athletics director.
Robert Brooks: Robert Brooks was one of the most popular Gamecocks of the Sparky Woods era and for good reason. A great wide receiver, he also excelled as a return man. Brooks helped win a game against Virginia Tech as a freshman with a kick return touchdown and was a good starter at both return positions for most of his four years in garnet and black. A Green Bay Packers Hall of Famer, Brooks also took back three kicks in the NFL.
Bobby Bryant: One of the best NFL Gamecocks ever, Bobby Bryant was an All-ACC defensive back and return man at Carolina. He took a punt to the house and found the end zone after returning a blocked punt, as well. Bryant’s career average for punt returns is among the best ever, and his all-around excellence was a big reason why he earned ACC Athlete of the Year in 1967. He also returned kicks at the NFL level for the Minnesota Vikings.
Rashad Fenton: Rashad Fenton broke a long touchdown-less streak on kickoffs in 2015. The next year, he took a punt back against Kentucky, but an inconsequential block in the back negated it. The emergence of Deebo Samuel as a kick returner cut into his opportunities on kickoffs, but his touches on punts became limited, too, as he became an impact player in the South Carolina secondary.
Chris Culliver: The all-time record-holder for kick return yardage (and attempts), Chris Culliver was a steady contributor on special teams, even when he bounce between the Gamecocks’ offense and defense. His best game as a returner came against Kentucky, when he set the offense up for two easy scores in a closer-than-it-should-have-been contest. He never scored a special teams touchdown but was a good returner for four seasons.
Pharoh Cooper: Pharoh Cooper did a little bit of everything for the Gamecocks, including return kicks. The North Carolina native didn’t have great numbers on punt returns but had an excellent freshman season returning kickoffs. Following his USC career, Cooper became a two-spot All-Pro return man in the NFL.
Bryan Edwards: Known more for his record-setting career as a pass-catcher, Bryan Edwards was given the opportunity to return punts late in his career and did a good job. Immediately following a season in which head coach Will Muschamp was so fed up with his punt returners that he sent Hayden Hurst back to fair catch every kick, Edwards took over the gig. After getting his bearings, he had a very good season as a senior, averaging 18 yards per return.
Xavier Legette: Xavier Legette was an All-American wideout at South Carolina, but he had a strong career as a kick returner, too. He had one of the most memorable kick returns in team history, when in 2022, he lost his shoe breaking a tackle but still raced for a 100-yard touchdown to open the team’s first-ever win over the Texas A&M Aggies. Legette is now one of several players who returns kicks for the Carolina Panthers.
Raynard Brown: Part of a unique running back and return man rotation in the mid-80s, Raynard Brown made his biggest impacts on special teams. During the team’s 1984 “Black Magic” season, Brown helped seal the team’s first nine-win season with a 99-yard touchdown return to start the second half. On the play, he picked up a bouncing ball at the one before running into a wall. Despite four Seminoles having their opportunity, Brown popped free and was off to the races. The Gamecocks won 10 games that season.
