Nick Gargiulo excited to step into leadership role with Gamecocks
Nick Gargiulo’s transition to South Carolina couldn’t be going any smoother.
“I think I belong in the South a little bit,” Gargiulo said, smiling. “I’ve been fitting in just fine. I love it down here.”
It’s not just a different area that Gargiulo–who was born and raised then played for four years in the Northeast–has been adjusting to. He’s also joining the Gamecocks after spending the past four seasons at Yale.
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With the Bulldogs, Gargiulo established himself as a leader. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman was the lone team captain and helped lead them to an Ivy League title in 2022.
“I think the biggest thing up there was we were a player-led team. We had guys who bought into the standards and values that we wanted to set for the team,” he said. We had really high expectations, but as you know, you’ve got to pair those high expectations with a high amount of work.”
Heading into this season, he’ll join a group filled with leaders and veterans. He hopes to bring some of the qualities he gained at Yale to the team.
“I could already feel from the guys there’s a really great culture here, really high expectations,” Gargiulo said. “And guys take that very seriously.”
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Heading into spring practice in a few weeks, Gargiulo said he’s primarily trained at center as well as both guard spots. He started his college career as a left tackle and moved to center last season, where he made 10 starts.
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“We were a team that was based out of wide zone. We had a decent amount of gap scheme as well, very similar to what we run here,” he said. “I think I play with speed. I try and play with good feet and a sense of violence and attitude.”
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Gargiulo should benefit a lot from his experiences, believing he’s “way ahead of the game in that sense.”
“There’s only so many ways you can ID a front and call a protection,” Gargiulo said. “I’ve seen a lot of different schemes and understanding. When you first come in you’re kind of in a whirlwind because you’re behind in strength. You’re behind in learning the playbook. So I think I have a little advantage there and hopefully can spend that extra time with the young guys getting them up to speed.”
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Learning a new offensive system while trying to chisel out a leadership role can be tough to balance. However, Gargiulo isn’t backing down from juggling it all.
“I’m at a little bit of an advantage understanding wise, which allows me to not sit back but really focus my time on technique and stuff that coach (Lonnie) Teasley’s working,” he said. “I kind of love that yin and yang of being new but also I’ve been through the wringer for five seasons.”
