Stephon Gilmore seals the game for Indianapolis Colts
Former South Carolina Gamecocks star Stephon Gilmore made the game-winning play for the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday night.
With the Colts up 12-9 in overtime, the Denver Broncos had a fourth-and-one deep in Indianapolis territory. Quarterback Russell Wilson tried to fit a ball into the end zone to receiver Courtland Sutton, but Gilmore was there to break it up and end the game.
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“He kept trying me, so I made him pay,” Gilmore told Amazon Prime’s Kaylee Hartung after the win, according to NFL.com. “They tried me like two times in a row the play before. I knew he was gonna come back and I had to make him pay.”
Gilmore added five tackles on the game and also had an interception in the end zone to kill another promising Broncos drive.
Back in April, Stephon Gilmore signed a two-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts worth up to $23 million in total, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.
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The Rock Hill (South Carolina) native was a star player for South Pointe High, signing with Gamecock football as a highly-ranked prospect in the 2009 recruiting class. Playing quarterback and defensive back for the Stallions, Gilmore led his team to an undefeated season and a state championship as a senior. The On3 Consensus ranked Gilmore as a five-star prospect, the nation’s 24th-best regardless of position in that cycle.
After arriving in Columbia as an early enrollee, Gilmore made an immediate impact in his first season for Gamecock football. He started every game at cornerback as a true freshman and tallied 56 tackles, 8 pass breakups, an interception, and 3 sacks. That production led him to Freshman All-America honors from a variety of sources including Phil Steele and College Football News and Freshman All-SEC from the league’s coaches.
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Aside from his defensive work in year one, Gilmore also made a notable impact on offense in a key game, as he rushed for 20 yards and completed a 39 yard pass in a home win over Clemson.
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From there, Gilmore continued to flourish as a Gamecock. He led the team in tackles his sophomore season with 79, ultimately garnering first-team All-SEC honors from the league’s coaches. He was also named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press.
Following three highly successful seasons in Columbia, the Gamecock football standout was drafted in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft. The Buffalo Bills selected Gilmore with the 10th overall selection that season.
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During Gilmore’s final season in Buffalo – 2016 – he was named to his first Pro Bowl. After hitting free agency, the New England Patriots signed him to a five-year, $65 million contract. Gilmore played his best career ball under Bill Belichick, earning first-team NFL All-Pro honors in 2018 and 2019 as well as three straight Pro Bowl selections. Gilmore also won a Super Bowl with New England, and he was notably named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019.
Stephon Gilmore then spent one season with the Carolina Panthers, his hometown team, nabbing another Pro Bowl selection after the 2021 season.
