South Carolina football legend George Rogers named honorary captain for season opener
South Carolina opens the 2025 season with a neutral-site contest in Atlanta. When the Gamecocks and Virginia Tech Hokies play in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, August 31st, USC will be represented by a special, honorary captain.
Per a release from Aflac Kickoff Game representatives, legendary running back George Rogers will be South Carolina’s honorary captain for the contest. Linebacker Divine Deablo will represent Virginia Tech.
Rogers, of course, won the 1980 Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top player that season. The star running back tallied 1894 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He led college football in rushing that year and guided South Carolina to an 8-4 record. At the time, eight wins tied the program’s high-water mark.
No. 38’s incredible career was not just one highlight-worthy season, however. “Big George” tallied three 1000-yard campaigns (including the top two rushing outputs ever by a Gamecock) and hit the 100-yard mark in 27 games. That included his final 22 times on the field for South Carolina.
Following his time in garnet and black, Rogers was the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. He then had a very solid professional career, earning Rookie of the Year and All-Pro nods. He led the league in rushing yards once and rushing touchdowns once, as well. As the wear and tear of being a running back led to injuries, Rogers retired in 1988.
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Rogers is a USC Athletics Hall of Famer, a South Carolina Football Hall of Fame inductee, and an SEC Legend. He made All-American teams both as a junior and as a senior.
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With Rogers as an honorary captain, Shane Beamer’s 2025 South Carolina football team will look to get this fall started on a good note.
The Gamecocks have their hopes set on the College Football Playoff in 2025, and that road begins next Sunday.
Kickoff for the season opener against Virginia Tech will be at 3:00 p.m. ESPN will broadcast the contest, while the ESPN app makes it available via streaming.