Ace Sanders

2012: Standout punt returner and wide receiver… named the co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Year according to the league[apos]s 14 coaches, the first Gamecock to earn that honor… had the unusual distinction of making both the All-SEC first team (return specialist) and second team (all-purpose) as selected by the coaches… was a second-team All-SEC choice by the Associated Press as an all-purpose performer… named second-team All-American by Phil Steele and a third-team All-American by CBSSports.com as a punt returner… set the school record for punt return yards in a season with 429… averaged 15.3 yards on 28 punt returns, first in the SEC and fourth in the nation… had eight returns of 27 yards or more, including a 70-yarder for a score against Georgia, a 50-yarder at LSU and a 63-yard TD against Michigan in the Outback Bowl… was a two-time SEC Special Teams Player of the Week… started all 13 games at wide receiver… led the team with 45 receptions and was second with 531 receiving yards to go along with a team-high nine touchdown receptions… completed a 16-yard touchdown pass in the win over East Carolina, his third career pass, his second completion and TD pass… had four receptions for 55 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown catch against UAB… added a 35-yard punt return in the contest… named the SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against Missouri… returned six punts for 106 yards, including a 49-yarder that set up the game[apos]s first score… also caught a 23-yard touchdown pass in that contest… caught a three-yard touchdown pass among his four receptions in the win at Kentucky… earned SEC co-Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 70 yards for a touchdown against Georgia… named to the fourth-team on Phil Steele[apos]s 2012 Midseason All-America squad and third-team All-SEC squad as a punt returner… had a 50-yard punt return and caught five passes for 49 yards and a touchdown at LSU… caught five passes for 79 yards, including a 24-yard scoring strike in the win over Tennessee… had a TD reception among his five catches against Wofford… had a career-best day with a six-catch, 119-yard effort with a touchdown in the season finale against Clemson… topped that with his performance in the Outback Bowl against Michigan… caught a career-best nine passes for 92 yards and two TDs and scored on a 63-yard punt return, earning game MVP honors… had 26 of his 45 catches over the final five games… logged 99 career receptions for 1,230 yards with 13 touchdowns… had 53 career punt returns for 594 yards, an 11.2-yard average with three returns for scores… played in all 40 games over the past three seasons making 21 starts… one of four players selected to receive the Outstanding Weight Room Award at the 2012 Garnet & Black Spring Game… also named the Joe Morrison Special Teams Player of the Spring… invited to the NFL Combine.

2011: Was the team[apos]s second-leading receiver with 29 catches for 383 yards, an average of 13.2 yards per catch… returned 16 punts for 149 yards, 9.3 yards per return… scored two touchdowns in the season opener against East Carolina… caught a three-yard TD pass, then returned a punt 68 yards for a score… it was the first punt return for a touchdown for the Gamecocks since the 2003 season… made his first of eight starts at Georgia… established a career high of 75 yards receiving against Vanderbilt… matched his career high with a 51-yard reception against the Commodores… logged five catches for 53 yards vs. Kentucky, tying a career high for receptions… had three catches for 45 yards, two punt returns for 19 yards, and rushed three times for 15 yards in the Capital One Bowl win over Nebraska… named the Most Improved Wide Receiver in the spring.

2010: Named to Freshman All-SEC team by the coaches… played in all 14 games… was the team[apos]s fourth-leading receiver with 25 catches for 316 yards and two TDs… also rushed five times for 63 yards… had two catches for 47 yards and a 53-yard run against Southern Miss in the season opener, the longest Carolina rushing play in five years (at the time)… set a career-high with 70 yards on two catches vs. Kentucky… recorded a career-high five receptions for 54 yards in win over Vanderbilt… caught two passes – both for touchdowns – versus Troy, including a career-long 51-yard reception… emerged as Gamecocks[apos] primary punt returner late in the season, returning nine punts for 16 yards… threw a three-yard touchdown pass to Stephen Garcia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Florida State.

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Manatee High School in Bradenton, Fla. in 2010… wide receiver who caught 65 passes for 990 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior, helping the Hurricanes reach the Florida State 5A Championship game… played for coach Joe Kinnan… selected to play in the Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South Football Classic… caught 29 passes for 578 yards (19.9 per catch) with seven TDs as a junior, earning second-team all-area honors… considered a four-star prospect, the state[apos]s 42nd-best player and the 44th-best wide receiver in the country according to Rivals.com… is a three-star prospect and the nation[apos]s 10th-best wide receiver according to Scout.com… rated a three-star prospect and the nation[apos]s 142nd-best wide receiver by ESPN.com… selected South Carolina over South Florida, Rutgers and West Virginia among others.

PERSONAL: Tracy ‘Ace’ Sanders is the son of former Florida State and NFL player Tracy Sanders… mother[apos]s name is Twanda… pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism.