South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-10 greatest tight ends of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 7 Tight End of All-Time:
Weslye Saunders
Weslye Saunders (2007-2009) is a “what if” story at tight end. He was a backup but still productive tight end (earned Freshman All-American honors in 2007) behind Jared Cook for two seasons in Columbia before breaking out as a junior. In an offense that struggled at times in 2009, Saunders caught over 30 balls and seemed primed to have an elite season in 2010 as the offense was going to be drastically improved.
In what is now known as the “Whitney Hotel Scandal,” Saunders received a heavy-handed punishment that saw him ineligible to play football. For the crime of having a booster pay for Saunders to stay at a local hotel (something legal today), he was suspended. Assumed contact with an agent then compounded the issue and led to Saunders missing his entire senior season. After leaving South Carolina, he had a five-year NFL career.