Chad Terrell discusses challenges of college career, position change, special spring game moment

Going into his sixth year, South Carolina wide receiver Chad Terrell has had a career plagued by injury. After tearing his left ACL in 2018, he tore the right two years later. His stat sheet so far has just seven catches recorded. However, as a super senior, Terrell may finally have a defined role on the offense.

After appearing in four games last season, Terrell agreed to a position change to help with the team’s lack of tight ends this spring. After the move, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound tight end led all receivers in the Garnet and Black spring game with four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Terrell said the touchdown reception was “relieving” and a reflection of all the hard work he put in during spring practice. Head coach Shane Beamer also honored him with a team award.

“No matter what you gotta push through it,” Terrell said after the scrimmage. “Some days are harder than others but the way I’ve done it is just always look for the end of it and just kept my head positive. That’s the only way to do it.”

Tight end switch proving fruitful for Terrell

Terrell told reporters that the decision to switch to tight end came just a week before spring ball started. Since then, Beamer described a player who obsessed over getting better. The Gamecocks head coach praised his commitment to the change, saying that every night Terrell hits the practice field to run through his responsibilities for the next day’s practice.

“I definitely knew I had to go over a whole lot of stuff and just try to keep up because if I didn’t, I would have absolutely no idea what I was doing,” Terrell said about his extra time on the field. “I’m just doing everything possible for me to know exactly what I’m doing and just be able to help effect like whatever we’re doing as a team and just make an impact.”

Shane Beamer heaps praise on sixth-year senior

After presenting him with the South Carolina Spirit Award during halftime, Shane Beamer broke down what makes Terrell so special.

“He’s awesome,” Beamer started. “I just told the team in the locker room in there, what an unselfish guy he is. Last year was his fifth year in the program, he wasn’t playing. He was on the scout team in his fifth year, a lot of guys would have walked away.”

“We talked him into being a tight end for spring practice. He’s put himself in a position to play this fall, just really proud of Chad. He’s unselfish,” Beamer continued. “I mean think about it, sixth year in the program, you’ve been a receiver for five years and then you’re asked all of a sudden to come in here to start blocking Jordan Burch, Jordan Strachan, and all the defensive ends and the things that tight ends do, it’s amazing.”