Carroll Discovering Life After Football Through Beyond Sports Internship

Former South Carolina running back Lovasea Carroll stepped away from football in the spring of 2023 due to recurring injuries, but that didn’t deter him from chasing down his dreams off the field. Carroll is interested in working for the Secret Service or the FBI some day and has been learning about law enforcement this summer with the Richland County Sherriff’s Department through the Athletics Department’s Beyond Sports Professional Development and Summer Internship Program.

“When I started learning more about criminal justice, it really caught my eye,” said Carroll, who is studying criminal justice and psychology and will graduate in December. “When I stopped playing football, I started taking it very seriously, and I think I’d like to work for the federal government.

“I feel like working in local law enforcement can be more dangerous because it’s an everyday thing for police officers to put themselves in dangerous situations.”

Carroll’s internship with the Richland County Sherriff’s Department has been eye-opening, and he has enjoyed the hands-on experience.

“It’s a lot to process because I’m learning new things every day,” Carroll said. “We’re learning everything from how they process drugs, what it feels like to be teargassed or tazed. I’ve seen how they process DNA and things that they do with ballistics. It’s amazing how they can match a gun with a bullet with so many guns being the same. Every day is something new.

“I do some ride-alongs, too. There’s always that fear when you pull someone over, what if the guy gets out and starts shooting?”

Carroll had to stop playing football due to nerve damage, and while he misses the game, he knows he made the right decision.

“The doctors said I couldn’t go out there,” Carroll said. “Sometimes I’d get hit, and a part of my body would go numb. The doctor said there could be one hit, and I would be paralyzed or not be able to use some of my limbs. I’m glad they caught it soon enough.

“I do miss it, but I’m not mad about it because I’m not in pain. I would love to be out there. I miss game days and the excitement.”

Now Carroll is trying to make connections within law enforcement so he can eventually chase his next dream of serving, protecting, and maybe catching a few bad guys.

“Sometimes, I wish they would run, because I feel like I can still run and chase them,” Carroll said with a laugh about his ride-alongs. “But seriously, there’s so much more to it than you see on TV. There is so much to learn.

“I wouldn’t mind working in local law enforcement at first, but you have to keep your head on a swivel. I don’t know that I want to be police officer for a career, and I really think I want to work for the FBI or something like that.”