Travian Robertson health update: Shane Beamer reveals health status of assistant

The South Carolina football team received a welcomed surprise during last Friday’s team meeting ahead of Week 2’s game vs. South Carolina State when ailing defensive line coach Travian Robertson was able to participate two weeks to the day after a horrifying car accident on Aug. 22.

Robertson, 36, was actually released from Prisma Health Richland Hospital late last week after a two-week stay and was already chomping at the bit to join South Carolina’s final team meeting of the week — albeit it virtually by Zoom — according to Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer.

“It was good to get Travian home. I know his family was excited to have him home. I know he was excited to get out of the hospital,” Beamer said during Tuesday’s press conference ahead of Saturday’s SEC opener vs. Vanderbilt. “He’s been able to Zoom into some meetings. … (special teams coordinator) Joe DeCamillis has a very entertaining Friday night meeting at the (team) hotel before games, and (Robertson) wanted to be apart of that. So, he Zoomed in on Friday night, so he’s apart of that meeting and players are able to say hello to him.”

Robertson, a South Carolina alum who’s been the team’s defensive line coach since 2023, has been recovering since being involved in a serious head-on collision the morning of Aug. 22, with Beamer revealing “he’s very luck to be alive” prior to the season-opener in Atlanta against Virginia Tech. While he’s yet to be cleared to return to the team, Beamer confirmed Robertson has continued to work his way back into the fold, including calling into this week’s defensive coaches meeting by Zoom.

Shane Beamer: Travian Robertson ‘eager to get back at it’ as South Carolina DL coach

“I was texting with him yesterday and talked to (defensive coordinator) Clayton (White), he was able to Zoom in and be apart of the defensive staff meetings when our staff was putting together the initial gameplan,” Beamer continued. “So, he’s involved from that standpoint, and getting closer to when he physically can return. I know he’s eager to get back at it, and we were all excited to see him go home at the end of last week, without a doubt.”

While Robertson has been recovering, assistant defensive line coach Jordan Dove has taken over his week-in and week-out positional coaching duties with help from assistant stength coach Jamil Walker.

“I think Dove’s done a great job, he’s got experience, he’s been around the program awhile, he’s been involved with those defensive tackles for awhile, and he’s doing a nice job,” Beamer concluded. “And then as I mentioned before, Jamil Walker is in there and is really lending a helping hand … along with all the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball.”