Shane Beamer reveals how Sherrod Greene has been a resource after multiple major injuries on defense

South Carolina linebacker Sherrod Greene knows what a pair of his injured teammates — Mohamed Kaba and Jordan Strachan — are going through after their respective seasons were cut short against Arkansas on Saturday. Greene missed most of the 2020 and 2021 seasons with injury, and head coach Shane Beamer said that experience will serve Greene well as he’s a resource for his teammates.

It’ll be on everyone to lift up the injured players, Beamer said. But Greene understands the unique mental challenge of the day-to-day work that comes with rehabbing a major injury — and that’s not universal. In a twist of fate, the injury to Kaba cleared the way for Greene to play more, a silver lining if there is one.

“I think Sherrod’s been great,” Beamer said. “You go back to last year and he got hurt in this Georgia game last year. And same thing, hurt for him last season over in Athens that night, early in the game when he got hurt, as well. But, he worked hard to come back. That’s not easy to do, mentally, when you’re coming back from multiple injuries on that knee. But he overcame a lot mentally.

“Proud of him because he was working his way back and in the meantime, Mo and Brad [Johnson] continued to elevate their games, as well. So he probably wasn’t in the role he exactly wanted to be in, early in the season, but just continued to work and got better. It was good to see him — I suppose I shouldn’t say good, I hated to see Mo get hurt — but it was good that now Sherrod was able to get out there, run around, play a lot of plays last Saturday.”

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Beamer continued: “And he absolutely will be a resource for those guys. They’ll help each other. We all will. And I talked to Jordan and Mo on the phone late Sunday night, after they found out the results of the test. So we told them, ‘We’ve all got your back. We’re all here to help you.’ But certainly those guys that have been in that position before can really help them.”

Kaba, a linebacker, and Strachan, an edge rusher, were set to be key parts of the South Carolina defense this season. Strachan had a sack and three tackles for loss prior to getting hurt. Kaba had eight total tackles, a half a tackle for loss and one pass defensed. Both were also key special teamers for the Gamecocks.

Beamer certainly lamented the loss of both in the context of football, but mostly seemed hurt for his injured players.

“Super disappointed and super hurt for Mo Kaba and Jordan Strachan and the end of their seasons,” Beamer said. “Two guys that have really worked hard and were having fantastic starts to this season. Jordan was a captain for us game one. Mo was a captain for us game two. So we’ve gotta replace their leadership. Both those guys were fantastic special teams players, as well. Mo is dynamic on kickoff coverage, dynamic on the punt team. Same thing with Jordan on the punt team. So that’s a big loss from a special teams standpoint, as well.

“But really just hate it for those two kids. And obviously they’re really, really down. But we’re here for them and we’re going to continue to lift them up and help them, along with Chad Terrell, who went through the same thing a few weeks ago, also, They’re still a key part of this team. And like I said in that statement, their best football is still in front of them, without a doubt.”