SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

Will Muschamp knows the game of football every guy has an expiration date that they normally don’t get to pick when it comes.

That was the case this week with Kiel Pollard who announced Friday he’s retiring from football after finding a cyst on his spine.

Now, as Pollard transitions to a new role in the Gamecocks’ program, he gets to influence the team in other ways by being able to give them a different perspective on the sport.

“That’s the message to our guys: this guy’s handle his business the right way. Get your education while you’re here. Guys understood that. Unfortunately in our game we all have expiration dates and generally one percent of those who play football ends on your terms. Mike Peterson played 14 years in the National Football League and he came to me, ‘They want me to play a 15th year and I don’t want to,’” Muschamp said. “That doesn’t happen very often. So, it’s unfortunate and ends too soon for Kiel. We love him and hate it happened to him. He’ll have some tough times in the fall and we’ll be there to support him.”

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Pollard broken his neck in practice last week and the original prognosis had him out for 4-6 weeks before he could resume football activities.

That’s when life called an audible and doctors found the issue with his spine.

After seeing specialists in four different cities across the Southeast—Raleigh, Atlanta and Charlotte—they determined the best course of action would be for Pollard to step away from the game as a player.

Now he has to pivot in his career play, opting to get into coaching, and he’ll do some of that this fall helping out at South Carolina while finishing out his degree.

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“Kiel is going to graduate in December and wants to get into coaching. He’s not sure if he wants to be a high school coach or college coach but he’ll be successful in whatever he does,” Muschamp said. “He’s extremely bright and relates well to anyone he meets. He’s got that certain skill with people. He’ll be a part of our staff in the fall.”

Pollard looked ready to take the reigns of the Gamecocks’ offense this season as a senior, listed as one of the starting tight ends entering camp.

After limited snaps his first two years on campus, Pollard showed flashes as a junior posting career-highs in receptions (15), yards (181) and touchdowns (2) last season.

The Gamecocks were expecting to rely heavily on him this season, which is why Muschamp hates it so much for the former four-star recruit out of Georgia.

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“He’s a wonderful young man and done everything we’ve asked of him,” Muschamp said. “He had a really good freshman and sophomore year and broke out at the end of his junior season. He’s in the best condition he’d been in since he was here and primed to have a great senior year and after college, in my opinion. It’s a very unfortunate situation.”