Demetrius Knight Jr. 'wowed the guys' with motivational words before South Carolina's win in Nashville
There’s no faking it with Demetrius Knight Jr. It’s all real, just 100 percent who he is.
When he spoke to his teammates and coaches on Friday, the day before South Carolina went on to pick up a 28-7 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday, Knight didn’t have a script to follow or any notes. Everything he said came from the heart, which seemed to go over well with the rest of the team.
“The way the guys respect him. He spoke in our team meeting last night and wowed the guys as he always does,” head coach Shane Beamer said. “He is just a really good football player, and I am so happy for him.”
It’s easy to forget, but Knight is still in his first and only season as a Gamecock. The sixth-year linebacker transferred to South Carolina in the offseason with the hopes of developing his game in the SEC. He’s certainly done that.
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Knight, who’s second on the team with 47 tackles, recorded seven in Saturday’s win. Through nine games, he’s been making plays all over the field with two sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. That’s without specifically mentioning all the key plays he’s been making in each game.
But what’s he’s brought to the program in his short time in Columbia goes far beyond his individual performances. What cannot be undervalued with Knight are his pure leadership qualities. When he speaks, everyone listens.
“It’s just how the Lord leads me to speak in the moment,” Knight said on what goes into his dialogue with the team. “I don’t really have the time to write it down. He just leads me through the Holy Spirit to get up and say what the team needs to hear.”
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Knight has quickly become a fan favorite not just with the team but the fanbase, as well. He said it’s “humbling to say the least” that his newfound team has treated him with the utmost respect since he arrived on campus.
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“They welcomed me in, coming from Charlotte, not knowing who I was, not knowing what I was about and quickly found out that I’m willing to die on the field with those guys cause it’s a gladiator sport. You’re going to get hurt or you can wimp out. That’s not in my blood,” Knight said.
“Of course, with having kids and a son now, I got to put everything on the line, letting them see you got to be willing to put everything out there on the line when it comes to family. Teammates and coaches, they aren’t just friends. This is family. (Debo Williams) next to me? I feel like I’ve known him for four years like I’ve been here the whole time. We’re family now. That’s how it’s always been.”
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After winning their sixth game of the year on Saturday, the Gamecocks will have at least four games left to go this season, which means four more games in Knight’s college career. It’s certainly moving by. But Beamer can say it’s been a pleasure being Knight’s coach for at least one season.
“He is a guy that continues to impress teams at the next level. Happy for him,” Beamer said. “We have a bunch of really, really good young men in our program but he is right at the top. Everything he stands for and the kind of person he is, as well. Just a great player.”
