Former South Carolina football fan favorite snags first NFL TD
On Sunday, South Carolina football fans who tuned in to watch the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers got to see a pair of young former Gamecocks hit paydirt. In what became a 28-14 victory for Denver, both tight end Nate Adkins (Broncos) and wide receiver Xavier Legette (Panthers) caught touchdown passes.
Legette’s touchdown was the third NFL score of his rookie season. And, yes, he did do his customary Dolla Bill ride celebration. For the game, the 1st-round pick caught four passes for 34 yards and the touchdown.
For the second-year tight end Adkins, though, Sunday was his first time in an NFL end zone.
Lining up as an offset wing—something he often does as a blocker—Adkins sprinted out into the flat. As rookie quarterback Bo Nix rolled to his left, Adkins sat down (literally) to stay inbounds. You can watch the play below.
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The score was Adkins’ first in-game touchdown since 2021 when he was an all-SoCon performer at East Tennessee State.
During his South Carolina football career, Adkins became a beloved contributor despite being a one-year player. He only caught 13 passes with the Gamecocks, but he was instrumental to USC’s success down the stretch in 2022. Adkins got a lot of snaps in the backfield late that year, adding another layer of protection for quarterback Spencer Rattler. He played that role in the Gamecocks’ back-to-back top-10 upsets of Tennessee and Clemson. He also made 11 of his 13 receptions in his final three games. Against Tennessee, Clemson, and Notre Dame, Adkins proved he was more than just a blocker.
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Without Nate Adkins, South Carolina doesn’t win that rivalry matchup against Clemson in 2022. Not only did he post 68 yards receiving (with an incredible one-handed catch), but he was also responsible for punching the ball loose on special teams late in the game. His forced fumble and Nick Emmanwori‘s recovery sealed the 31-30 victory.
Adkins’ strong play for the Gamecocks earned him an undrafted free agent contract with the Broncos during the 2022-2023 offseason. By the end of the year, he was a major factor in Denver and even started a game at tight end. So far, in 2024, he has played in all eight games, making four starts.
Adkins’ Broncos currently are in possession of second place in the AFC West behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. However, Denver sits in one of the AFC’s Wild Card spots, meaning if the season ended today, they would be in the postseason. Next week, the Broncos face off against the Baltimore Ravens in a meeting between a pair of 5-3 squads.
