Top 10 South Carolina Gamecocks football players of all time

10. Del Wilkes, OL (1980-84)

Wilkes rates among an elite group of Gamecocks. He’s one of just four in school history to claim consensus All-America honors. The 6-foot-3 South Carolina kid achieved that in 1984 along with a team MVP award. Wilkes saw short stints with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons from 1985-1986. Following that, he made the switch to professional wrestling. Wilkes had mild success with a character known as The Patriot.

He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

I am sad to hear on my birthday that we have lost a friend today.
Del Wilkes, one of the best offensive lineman to ever play at South Carolina and of professional wrestling fame as the Patriot has passed away. I coached his son at BC and was honored to call him friend. RIP🙏 pic.twitter.com/D50jwZXu9A

— Coach Todd Helms (@coachtoddhelms) July 1, 2021