A legendary South Carolina Gamecocks star and five-time Pro Bowler has decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the NFL. On Thursday afternoon, former Gamecock cornerback Stephon Gilmore announced he was retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons in the league.
Gilmore made the official announcement with a video posted on his X account:
— The Gilly Lock (@BumpNrunGilm0re) April 2, 2026
A native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gilmore was a former 4-star recruiting prospect from the class of 2012. Coming out of South Pointe High School, Gilmore was rated as the No. 6 overall cornerback nationally in his class, and was the top-ranked prospect out of South Carolina. He ranked 34th overall nationally, and played for three seasons under head coach Steve Spurrier.
Across his three seasons with the Gamecocks, he accounted for 181 total tackles with eight interceptions and four forced fumbles. During Gilmore's senior season, he helped South Carolina finish 11-2 with a Capital One Bowl win over Nebraska. He was a fist-team All-SEC corner in 2010, and a third-team All-American the same season.
He was drafted No. 10 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft, and spent five seasons with the Bills, before going to the New England Patriots from 2017-2020. From 2021-2024, he played for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
He was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 with the Patriots, and won Super Bowl LII with New England during the 2018 season. Over his 13 seasons, he finished with 617 total tackles, 32 interceptions and eight forced fumbles. He was a two-time first-team All-Pro in 2018 and 2019, and made five Pro Bowls across his career.
Congrats to Gilmore on an illustrious South Carolina and NFL. Next up should be his name in the mix for the NFL Hall of Fame some years down the line.