South Carolina Football’s GOAT Series: Top-15 greatest safeties of all-time
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 11 Safety of All-Time:
Darian Stewart
Darian Stewart (2006-2009) was part of a two-headed monster at safety and spur along with Emanuel Cook. The duo was known for their hard-hitting style of play and striking fear into the hearts of opponents who dared venture into the middle of the field. Stewart was one of the best diagnosers of run plays to ever play safety for South Carolina football, and he racked up 19 tackles for loss to prove it. That number puts him in the top-3 ever for Gamecock defensive backs.
Stewart was also known for making big plays in garnet and black. He is one of just a handful of players to both force 5 fumbles and recover 5 fumbles in his career, he had 2 sacks early to set the tone in a win over Arkansas (his only two sacks of his career), and he recorded a massive tackle for loss and a pass breakup to secure the win over #4 Ole Miss in 2009 (linked above). Stewart went on to a Pro Bowl NFL career that included a Super Bowl win with the Denver Broncos.