South Carolina football legend wants to play in NFL in 2025
Former South Carolina football standout Stephon Gilmore has been playing the sport for a long time. According to Gilmore, he isn’t ready for his career to be over.
In an appearance on The Money Down Podcast with former Wisconsin Badgers Warren Herring, Sojourn Shelton, and James White (a teammate of Gilmore’s with the New England Patriots), the show hosts asked Gilmore about his plans for the future.
“I want to play this year, it’s just got to be the right situation,” Gilmore said. “It’s got to be the right situation for me. I’m not just gonna sign anywhere…I still love the game. I still can contribute. It’s just got to be the right place.”
So far, Gilmore has played 13 years in the NFL, five with the Buffalo Bills, more than four with the New England Patriots, part of a season with the Carolina Panthers, and one year each with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings.
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Previously, Gilmore had hinted that he was considering retirement. Following his 2024 season with the Vikings, he acknowledged that his career could end. Gilmore will turn 35 in September, and not many corners play past their early 30s. The future Hall of Famer isn’t most corners, though.
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Back in 2019, he won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. That year, he did not surrender a touchdown but scored two of his own on interception returns. The award-winning campaign was one of five Pro Bowl years for Gilmore. He is one of three active corners to make five trips to the postseason all-star exhibition.
Per Pro Football Reference, Gilmore is 12th on the NFL’s all-time passes deflected list—one of three Gamecocks in the top 13, along with Johnathan Joseph and Sheldon Brown—and has logged 32 career interceptions. Since 1994 (when Pro Football Reference began tracking the statistic), he’s also in the top 20 among cornerbacks in tackles.
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Gilmore also spoke a little about his decision to commit to the home-state program, South Carolina. “It was crazy. I think I had like 30 scholarship offers, but South Carolina wasn’t really in play at first. I took a visit to Alabama…I looked at Clemson, too. But I took a visit there, and I didn’t really like it. The coach told me at Clemson that no matter what I did, I won’t start.” he said. Gilmore continued, “So I took a visit to South Carolina. I knew their defense was good, and they had put a lot of DBs in the League…I was like, ‘I’m going to go to South Carolina, stay at home.'”
During his South Carolina football career, Gilmore was a two-time All-American and a Freshman All-American at cornerback. He also saw some time as a wildcat quarterback and punt returner for the Gamecocks.
