Travian Robertson excited to land ‘dream job’ on South Carolina staff

Former South Carolina DL Travian Robertson returned to his alma mater following a decade away from the program after recently beging named the Gamecocks’ new denfensive line coach.

Robertson is the type of person who eats, sleeps and breathes South Carolina football. He was emotional while reminiscing on the long road that led him right back to the school that molded his football career.

“For me, this wasn’t something that happened just because I was coaching. It’s something I’ve dreamed about for a long time,” Robertson said during his (re)introductory press conference on Tuesday. “I remember when I was in the league playing, and I had talked to plenty of people asking me what I wanted to do when I was finished. I had no idea at the time, but I told a guy, a close friend, that I want to coach.

“Coach [Steve] Spurrier was here at the time, and he kept telling me to stay in contact with Coach Spurrier and for whatever reason, I never contacted Coach Spurrier because I wanted to do it in a different way. I didn’t want to be entitled to a position just because I played here.”

As soon as Robertson retired from the NFL in 2015, he sought out the nearest high school football job closest to him at the time — which happened to be Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia (Robertson played for the Atlanta Falcons for several years). Coincidentally, it was coached by fellow South Carolina football alum, Mark Fleetwood, who was a kicker for the team in the 1980s.

The job was his, and the rest is history. After a short stint in the preps ranks, he quickly moved on to the collegiate game where he had stints at Georgia State and Albany State, respectively. Most recently — and most importantly — he was on Tulane‘s staff as DL coach where he helped the Green Wave to a 12-2 record in 2022 and a Cotton Bowl victory.

Coincidentally, either a former South Carolina coach or player had helped him secure every coaching job that he has ever had.

“Without Gamecocks, the way we connect and the way we do things, I wouldn’t be here right now. Coach [Shane] Beamer, I just want to thank you I want to thank all of the Gamecocks that helped me get here, because like I said, this was a dream that I’ve been praying for a long time,” Robertson said.