Former South Carolina Star And Pro Bowl WR Retiring From NFL At Age 29

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a long history of putting top-tier talent in the NFL.

Defensive standouts Jadeveon Clowney, Javon Kinlaw and Jaycee Horn are three South Carolina defenders who have put together impressive careers on the defensive side of the ball.

Since getting drafted as the No. 1 overall pick by the Houston Texans in 2014, Clowney has continued to produce at a high-level season after season. He’s had three Pro Bowl selections and been voted second-team All Pro twice as he enters his 11th NFL season.

Kinlaw was another first round pick by the San Francisco 49ers back in 2020. Now entering his 5th season, he will be playing for one of the top defenses in the league as the New York Jets chase their very real Super Bowl aspirations.

Cam Smith was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of this year’s draft and should have a chance to start immediately.

South Carolina has had a knack for getting defenders selected in the first round. Horn is entering his fourth NFL season for the Carolina Panthers, who selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But the Gamecocks have found success sending offensive players to the NFL as well. Deebo Samuel, Hayden Hurst, Xavier Legette and Spencer Rattler are a few of the notable Gamecocks currently on NFL rosters.

Samuel has solidified himself as one of the top receivers in the NFL since getting selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2019 Draft, while Hurst has shined at tight end for a variety of teams since hearing his name called in the first round back in 2018.

Legette is primed for a major year as the new Carolina Panthers’ No. 1 WR after a dominant season at South Carolina, while Rattler may have a chance to compete for the Saints starting QB role in a year or two with the Saints.

And it’s impossible to forget about Alston Jeffrey, who was dominant during his nine-year NFL tenure playing for the Bears and Eagles, helping Philadelphia win a Super Bowl and voted as one of the top 100. Bears of all-time.

But another recent Gamecocks star wide receiver has had a longer path since joining the NFL as a fourth-round pick for the Rams in 2014.

Former South Carolina Star WR Pharoh Cooper Announces NFL Retirement At Age 29

One former Gamecocks wide receiver is calling it a career ahead of the 2024 regular season.

Pharoh Cooper, a 29-year-old wideout from South Carolina, announced his decision on Monday afternoon. He’s decided to hang up his cleats.

Farewell football, I’m officially retiring from the NFL. I’m forever grateful and give all the glory to God that I was able to live out my childhood dream. I appreciate all the love and support I’ve received from my family, friends, and fans through out my career. Much love,” he announced his decision on social media.

Cooper was a fourth-round pick out of South Carolina in 2016. He played for the Rams from 2016-18 and then bounced around the league for several years.

The former Gamecocks wide receiver finishes his career with 3,954 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Cooper was a standout performer at South Carolina. He was a two-time first-team All-SEC player and went on to become an elite special teams player in the NFL. Cooper was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2017.

But after getting released by the Rams in 2018, Cooper has struggled to find traction with another team. He’s had three separate stints with the Arizona Cardinals, and short stays with the Giants, Jaguars and Bengals but has never been able to find a groove like he did early in his NFL career.