ATLANTA, GA — We saw the star power last season when Deebo Samuel scored six touchdowns in the first three games of the season. Then we saw his low point when he missed the rest of the year due to fractured fibula. Now Deebo is back to be the big time playmaking the Gamecocks have been missing.
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"In previous years, before I broke my ankle, I had hamstring issues which made me sit out a couple games but not for the rest of the season. When you break your ankle, you can get down on yourself. You can say to yourself, `Maybe football is not for me.' I didn't look at it that way," Deebo said during his session at SEC Media Days. "I had motivation from Coach Muschamp, Coach McClendon and my parents to motivate me to be able to push myself to get back to where I was before I got hurt." |
Deebo returns to an offense that was able to produce in his absence but with tight end Hayden Hurst in the NFL and a great group of receivers this could finally be the year where Deebo comes back and stays back to contribute to a team with SEC title aspirations.
"Not only did the offense take a hit, confidence wise, but it hit the whole team. When you've got a guy like that who you know can make a game change with one play not be out there, I think it took a toll on us a little bit. But when he got back out there, you can just see the guys' confidence in him and what he is able to do," USC quarterback Jake Bentley said. "Not only is he a great player, he is a great teammate as well. He's a very good teammate, a very selfless guy."
The journey back was difficult for Deebo but rewarding at the same time.
"One of the hardest parts is getting through rehab. When you get hurt and first start, you feel stiff, but as you push through it, you get better and better."
We could see the best Deebo ever in September that's scary for opposing teams.
"The thing that was motivating me was the love that I have for the game. I wasn't going to give up on my dream. The thing that made me start taking it slow was that I was going to be able to graduate in December. My parents and Coach Muschamp played a big role in that."