South Carolina Football: Ranking the most otherworldly Gamecock athletes
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Football’s No. 6 Most Otherworldly Player of All-Time:
Quarterback/Wide Receiver/Defensive Back Syvelle Newton
Syvelle Newton belongs in any discussion of the most transcendent athletes and personalities to roll through the South Carolina football program. One of the best quarterbacks in the history of high school football in the state, Newton’s college coaches (namely Steve Spurrier) kept wanting to move #13 away from the QB spot in order to get his athleticism on the field at all times.
Newton played more quarterback than any other spot, but he also saw significant run at wide receiver and finished his career as a defensive back.
Newton is one of four college football players ever to finish his career with 600 yards passing, 600 yards rushing, and 600 yards receiving (current Gamecock Dakereon Joyner has an outside shot of joining Newton in the exclusive club). He is also the only one of those players to have a sack on defense.
Since leaving South Carolina, Newton has packed on enough muscle to believe he could have easily played tight end or linebacker if that had been the direction his career traveled. Normal human beings are not physically capable of the things Syvelle Newton has done, so maybe it makes more sense that he could be an alien.