South Carolina Football: Ranking the most otherworldly Gamecock athletes
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 2 Most Otherworldly Player of All-Time:
Defensive End/Defensive Tackle Melvin Ingram
Perhaps the freakiest of all the freaks on this list, Melvin Ingram simply cannot be human. He enrolled at South Carolina as a linebacker but moved around a lot early in his career (even with a brief stint at fullback) before settling in as a versatile piece on the defensive line.
At his heaviest, Ingram weighed 280 pounds and rotated between defensive tackle and defensive end, but he was athletic enough to be the ball carrier on one of the most legendary fake punts in college football history. Adding to his overall level of freakiness, Ingram was on the hands team and leaped into the air to recover the game-sealing onside kick against Georgia in 2011. How often has a defensive tackle done that?
Ingram was a high school running back at 260 pounds and kept his ridiculous athleticism as he gained weight to play defensive tackle for the Gamecocks, but when he lost weight in the NFL to become a true EDGE player, he got even more athletic. Ingram became a combo defensive end/outside linebacker, dropped back down to 260 pounds, and became one of the fastest-twitch pass rushers in the NFL. He made three Pro Bowls being a nightmare for opposing offenses.
It is unclear exactly what world Melvin Ingram is from, but it sure isn’t Earth.