South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer played his college ball at Virginia Tech for his father Frank. The younger Beamer was a walk-on wide receiver and long snapper for the Hokies, and now as the head coach of the Gamecocks, he has a major affinity for young players who aren't on scholarship.
On Sunday, the Gamecock Football account on Twitter/X posted a special moment in which Coach Beamer rewarded two of his team's hardest-working walk-ons by putting them on scholarship. Redshirt senior running back Bradley Dunn and redshirt junior Ronnie Porter are the newest scholarship players on the South Carolina football roster.
Watch the cool moment below.
The amazing moment(s) when hard work pays off! pic.twitter.com/UKvM8fFGdD
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) August 11, 2024
When Beamer addressed the team ahead of awarding Dunn and Porter their scholarships, he repeatedly used phrases like "the strength of the team is every individual...the strength of every individual is this team," "sideline energy," and "they love being part of this program" to desribe the two Columbia natives. Based on their teammates' reactions to the news, those descriptors fit the duo perfectly.
Dunn, who played his high school ball in Columbia for former Gamecock quarterback Erik Kimrey at the Hammond School, has been a special teams contributor on game days and has been a valuable scout team performer at practice at running back. He is a high-energy teammate, and even though he has battled through some injuries, he has remained a positive influence on the Gamecocks.
Porter, who was a high school rival of Dunn's while the former played at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, is a linebacker who has gotten a lot of run on special teams. He was a primary starter on the "third phase of the game" in 2023 and should be involved there again this fall. Porter has gotten some reps at linebacker, as well, and he will fight for a depth role in 2024.