Cockytalk's Favorite Gamecock Football Player-Nomination Round (Played prior to 2000)

[MBGCock]

Brandon Bennett

[rnecavs07]

Brad Edwards

[brat]

Dickie Harris

Led the nation in return yards (KO's & punts) one season (10 game season). I believe that total remained a national record for at least a decade before it was broken.

He had the kind of running style that looked effortless, as if gliding. He often sidestepped the first defender on punt returns and was at full speed in a couple of steps, blowing past people.

Only return man where the crowd also stood on the punt returns ala KOs and everyone expected him to score each time he touched the ball and were disappointed if he did not.

Shut down DB as to where other teams seldom threw anything in his area.

One game agaisnt UGA, in Athens, he returned a KO for a TD, intercepted a pass and returned in 90 yards for a TD, and broke a punt return for about 60 yards and the last defensive player tripped him up to prevent about a 90 yard punt return for a TD.

Best interception return I ever saw was against the Vols, in Columbia. He intercepted the pass right on the sideline (to his left) and obviously could not move to his left, he broke or faked out of about 7 or 8 tackles as he was surrounded by Vol players with the mentioned sideline hindering his movements. In all, he only returned the ball about 20 yards, but Vol coach Bill Battle also called it the greatest interception he had ever seen.

In the next to last game of his Senior year, Carolina ran out of RBs due to a series of injuries, so he was forced to be a RB. He rushed for over 100 yards in the game against Wake Forest.

Also ran track and held the school record in the 440 (also the ACC record).

All - American

Was drafted by the NFL's Jets, but the CFL Montreal Alouettes offered more money and he signed with them.

A member of the CFL Hall of Fame.

I have no doubt (barring injury) he could have been a superb player in the NFL, too.

[cwofford]

DAN REEVES -- Didn't have a lot to work with at USC, but managed to play some great games. Everybody knows what he did in the NFL, both as player and coach.