COLUMBIA, S.C. — A Gamecock superfan well known to others fans has passed away.
The University of South Carolina Athletics Department posted on social media Wednesday morning that Carlton Thompson had died. To fans, Thompson was known simply as “Gamecock Jesus.”
“Carlton Thompson, our beloved “Gamecock Jesus” has the best seat in the house tonight,” the department posted on Twitter. “He loved his Gamecocks. We loved him.”
The school also posted a montage of images of him taken at several games.
Thompson got his nickname in part because of his long flowing hair and beard that he accessorized with a bandana. He could be seen in the stands at USC men’s and women’s basketball games cheering the team on, getting fellow fans fired up, and waving a Gamecock flag. He got extra notice as the women’s basketball team ascended to become a national power.
He’d been attending games long before that, however, dating back roughly 50 years. In addition to basketball, he also sometimes came to volleyball games and other athletics events.
In 2017, as the women’s team was chasing a national championship, a junior at the university felt so strongly that he needed to travel with the team that he began a Go Fund Me to send him to the games, which were being held in Phoenix, Arizona. Fans heeded the call, and in less than 24 hours, over $5,400 was raised, and eventually the effort was able to get all the necessary money to send Thompson on his way.
USC went on to win the national championship that year, the first in program history.