Ace Sanders voted 18th best Gamecock during SEC era
Legendary Gamecock football wide receiver and punt returner Ace Sanders was voted the 18th best player during the SEC era by fans in 107.5 the Game‘s countdown.
Sanders is hands-down one of the most electric players to watch in school history. His punt returns are a perfect example of the excitement that surrounded the Steve Spurrier teams.
Sanders was recruited by Spurrier as a three-star-star recruit out of Manatee High School in Bradenton, Fla. In his senior year, he caught 65 passes for 990 yards and 10 touchdowns.
The 5’8, 170 lb wideout made an instant impact for the Gamecocks as a freshman for Spurrier. He caught 25 passes for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns which earned him freshman All-SEC honors. Sanders was 6th on the team for all-purpose yards and threw his first career touchdown pass to Stephen Garcia in the Chic-fil-a Bowl against Florida State.
After earning the starting punt returner spot in 2010, Sanders broke through in 2011. He was the second-leading receiver on the team with 29 catches for 383 yards for two touchdowns and an average of 13.2 yards per catch. As a punt returner, he had 16 returns for 149 yards with an average of 9.3.
Sanders’ first punt return touchdown came in a blowout win against ECU and it is a joy to watch.
The Gamecocks went 11-2 that year under Spurrier. They beat Nebraska 30-13 in the Capital One Bowl and also finished 9th in the final AP Poll.
Sanders continued his tear through the SEC in what would be his final year at South Carolina in 2012. As a receiver, he had 45 receptions for 531 yards and 9 touchdowns. Meanwhile Sanders set the school record for punt return yards in a season with 429. He took two back for touchdowns and captured the awe of the fanbase.
The return against Missouri is what sparked national attention and it’s easy to see why. Sanders breaks 7 tackles but nevertheless still scores.
Sanders’s best work came two weeks later against Georgia in front of the home fans at Williams Brice Stadium. The Gamecocks had a 14-0 lead on the number 5 team in the country early in the first quarter. The next possession was going to be a key point in the game if the Gamecocks could respond. Then, he blew the roof off of Williams Brice.
Sanders started the return with a muff on his own 30 and finished in the endzone. The return, in one of the best wins in Gamecock football history, is furthermore evidence of why he is arguably the best punt returner in school history. Enjoy the clip.
After leading the SEC in punt return yards, Sanders was named Co-SEC Special teams Player of the year in 2012. He also earned the unique distinction of being named second-team All-SEC as an all-purpose performer.
In Sanders’ final game in the Garnet and Black, he took one more punt back to the house. His last touchdown came against Michigan in the Outback Bowl in 2013. Ace was also named a second-team All-American in that season, on top of all the SEC honors.
After receiving an invite to the NFL combine in 2013, Sanders declared for the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Sanders in the 4th round (101st overall) of the 2013 NFL draft. He caught 51 passes for 484 yards and a touchdown in his rookie season. His NFL career was short-lived as the Jags released him in the summer of 2015.
