Shane Beamer: 'Good things happen' when Dakereon Joyner is on the field
Whether it’s wide receiver, wildcat quarterback or running back — where Dakereon Joyner spent all of the spring — Shane Beamer simply likes when the South Carolina senior is on the field.
“I think he’s just a guy, when he’s on the field, good things happen,” Beamer said Wednesday prior to the Summerville stop on the Welcome Home Tour. “He’s a really good football player, he’s shown that, whether it’s quarterback, wide receiver, now doing some running back, special teams. He’s just such a valuable member of our team, so for him, because of our depth at running back right now, he’ll certainly start out at running back and did a really good job of that in the spring, probably better than any of us really expected.”
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Joyner not only surprised his head coach with how well he transitioned to the running back position but he admitted during a recent Garnet Trust Hour appearance on 107.5 The Game that he also surprised himself to an extent.
While Joyner is one of the most versatile players in school history, and had plenty of reps running the football, you’d have to go back to when he was a kid first playing the game to find the last time he had played running back prior to this spring.
“1,000 percent,” Joyner said. “I don’t really know why, being a guy, I’ve done a lot of different things but kind of making that transition, I was very, very nervous about it. I didn’t know how it would pan out but really after the first day, whenever I started seeing a little not seeing a lot by slowing my mind down a little bit (during the play), I was able to play faster and I think I transitioned pretty smooth. I definitely surprised myself.”
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In addition to being more comfortable in his new role, Joyner has also finally been able to get healthy. After nagging injuries slowed his start to last season, and then affected him during the spring some as well, he finally feels like his body is where it needs to be.
“If you know, you know. With what I had to go through this spring and how I am now, I’m 100 percent healthy now,” he said. “I kind of forgot how it feels to be healthy. Shoutout to my trainer and everyone that takes care of us. I’m back feeling like myself and pray that God continues to keep me healthy.”
And as long as he remains healthy, chances are he’ll be on the field for the Gamecocks this fall.
“He’s very natural there, so excited to see him continue to develop in that role, and to be able to continue to help us in other areas as well, receiver, quarterback, you name it,” Beamer continued. “He’ll continue to do a lot of things for us.”
