South Carolina Football: Gamecock linebacker signs NFL deal
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina football had five players drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft. Cam Smith went 51st overall to the Miami Dolphins, Zacch Pickens was drafted by the Chicago Bears with the 64th pick, and Darius Rush was taken off the board as a later-than-expected 5th-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts. Jovaughn Gwyn and Jalen Brooks each got picked in the 7th round by the Atlanta Falcons and Dallas Cowboys, respectively. It didn’t take long after the draft for other Gamecocks to get their NFL opportunity.
Multi-year starter at linebacker Sherrod Greene signed an undrafted free agent with the New York Jets.
Greene is a story of perseverance. A talented prospect out of North Carolina, Sherrod Greene battled injury after injury during his six-year tenure at the University of South Carolina. He started games in five different seasons for the Gamecocks but only had one “fully healthy” campaign in garnet and black. After missing the beginning of 2022 (still recovering from injuries sustained in 2021), Greene completed the rest of the season without setback and was one of the team’s leaders in tackles.
For Greene, signing this deal has to be extra special as he had several career-threatening ailments while in college. Serious injuries to his hip, knee, and ankle would have caused many players to give up the game, but Greene didn’t quit. And now, he is in the NFL.
Now a member of the New York Jets, Greene will have the opportunity to show his work ethic and fight in the professional ranks. Linebackers who can run like Greene are hot commodities at the NFL level as the top 4 or 5 on a roster see game action on the defense and multiple backups play special teams due to their combination of size and movement abilities. Greene’s history of playing special teams at Carolina should help him as he shows the Jets’ coaching staff what he can do.
Greene joins Josh Vann, Nate Adkins, and Eric Douglas as South Carolina Gamecocks who have signed undrafted free agent contracts since the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft.