With South Carolina six days from kicking off 2025 season, a look back at No. 6, Melvin Ingram

South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in the 2025 season on August 31st when the Gamecocks take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. That means kickoff is just six days away.

No. 6 hasn’t been the most popular jersey number in garnet and black, but there have been a few notable names to wear it on their uniforms. Standing above them all was defensive lineman Melvin Ingram. As one of the most athletic and versatile players ever to play in Columbia, Ingram is a legendary Gamecock.

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Ingram played all over the field (on both sides of the football) for Richmond County High School in North Carolina. For most of his high school career, he was a somewhat under-the-radar prospect. By the time he graduated, he was a four-star player rated as an outside linebacker in the class of 2007.

He enrolled early at USC (somewhat rare at the time) and played multiple positions early in his career. As a linebacker (and part-time kick returner!), Ingram played in every game as a true freshman but missed the 2008 season with an injury.

Ingram settled into a role as a pass rusher during his redshirt sophomore campaign. That year, he played some as a stand-up linebacker but began making the transition to putting his hand in the dirt. By the time 2010 rolled around, Ingram was a full-time defensive lineman and a terror to block for opposing offenses.

During South Carolina’s SEC East Championship season, he played both defensive end and defensive tackle with regularity. He registered nine sacks, including a pair in the Gamecocks’ upset over No. 1 Alabama. The strong showing served as a launching point for one of the best defensive seasons in team history.

In 2011, redshirt senior Melvin Ingram was one of the best players in college football. A consensus All-American, No. 6 logged 10 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and scored two defensive touchdowns. He also took a fake punt 68 yards to the house in a one-score win over Georgia.

During his career, Ingram posted 30.5 tackles for loss and 21.5 sacks. Both numbers are good for top seven marks ever at South Carolina. He’s also one of just four Gamecocks to reach a double-digit single-season sack total and one of six to ever post at least 15 tackles for loss. With just two years as a heavy contributor, he is one of two players ever with multiple nine-sack seasons. (He is joined by Andrew Provence in that category.)

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Following his days in Columbia, Ingram earned first-round selection in the 2012 NFL Draft. He spent nine years with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and three years combined between the Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Miami Dolphins.

During his twelve years in the NFL, Ingram bounced back and forth between defensive end and outside linebacker. He made three Pro Bowls with the Chargers. He also famously threw a ball over 50 yards from his knees after claiming he could probably throw a football 100 yards.

The University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame class of 2024 inducted Ingram last year.

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