Dating back to 2006 the Houston Texans have had 4 different former Gamecock DB’s on their roster, all of which were starters at some point ( Dunta Robinson, Fred Bennett, Jonathan Joseph and D.J. Swearinger); assuming Swearinger will start in their 3-3-5 defensive scheme.
After his junior season at South Carolina Captain Munnerlyn decided to forgo his senior season and enter the draft. Munnerlyn was selected during the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers and has since become a starter at the right cornerback position. Safety, Stoney Woodson was also taken in the 7th round by the New York Giants. Woodson played for multiple NFL teams including the Eagles and Buccaneers but has recently found a home in the Arena Football League, playing for the Jacksonville Sharks.
In recent years the likes of Darian Stewart, Antonio Allen, Chris Culliver, Stephon Gilmore, Emanuel Cook and now D.J. Swearinger all have homes in the NFL, joining past teammates and continuing a great tradition for South Carolina defensive backs.
Now the question becomes, who will be the next DB from South Carolina to have his name called to play on Sundays? With a young secondary returning it will be interesting to see who will step up and make the big plays that fans are accustomed to seeing. With plenty of potential and play-making ability it appears that Victor Hampton may be next in line to become a part of the Gamecock DBU fraternity.
With so many schools around the country also producing stand out DB’s year in and year out it is hard to say what program is “THE” Defensive back University, but as of now the Gamecocks can proudly say that they are “THE” DBU, at least for the past decade.
Ryan Hood
ryan@blockcblog.com