BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — Next Thursday, Talking Season will come to an end as Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks will hold its annual Media Day where players and coaches are available for interviews.
The next day will mark the first day of preseason practice as the Gamecocks are gearing up for the season opener on September 3 against Georgia State.
But Talking Season, a phrase first coined by former South Carolina head football coach Steve Spurrier, continued this week at the Second Annual Birdies with Beamer Golf Tournament.
Beamer served as the host, greeting the competitors which included several of his assistants, Gamecock administrators, special guests and media.
After the round of golf, Beamer was at the podium where he previewed the 2022 season. The coach announced that the career of defensive lineman Rick Sandidge is over.
Sandidge, who will take a medical hardship, suffered an ankle injury during fall camp in 2021 and in spite of multiple surgeries, has not been able to fully recover. While he will be able to stay on scholarship, Sandidge will not count against the 85-man limit.
As a true freshman out of Concord, North Carolina, Sandidge saw action in all 13 games for South Carolina in the 2018 season. He recorded 19 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a half sack. He also was a First-Year SEC Academic Honor Roll selection.
He played in 12 games in 2019 and nine games as a junior.