2025 Hall of Fame Profile: Mollie Patton

Mollie Patton’s outstanding soccer career was almost derailed before it started. Patton, who is one of six inductees for the 2025 class of the University of South Carolina Association of Lettermen’s Athletics Hall of Fame, suffered a severe injury early in her career, but she persevered.

“My journey here wasn’t easy,” said Patton, who is now Senior Product Manager for Kroger in the technology department. “After a devastating concussion in the last practice of my redshirt freshman year, I was sidelined for an entire season. I honestly questioned if I’d ever reach my potential again. That injury led to the helmet—something I wasn’t a big fan of but quickly became a hot topic around the program.”

Patton was an outstanding goalkeeper for the Gamecocks, earning Second Team All-Region and United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American honors in 2009. She was also a CoSIDA Academic All-American as a senior in 2010. She still ranks No. 1 in program history with 15 shutouts in a single season (2009). She ranks third in career shutouts (31), second in career goals against average (0.73), and fifth in career saves (201). Her 80 saves in 2010 are tied for the fourth most in a single season at South Carolina. She also ranks fourth in career minutes in goal and matches played for the Gamecocks. Patton was named Team MVP in 2008 and 2009 and earned the prestigious President’s Award following her senior year. With all of those achievements, there are many more memories.

“On the field, beating UNC in Chapel Hill my very first game was an unforgettable moment,” Patton said. “It felt like a turning point for our program, especially when the university celebrated us the moment we returned to Columbia during halftime in the football stadium. That’s what makes Carolina so unique—every win, every milestone is celebrated together.

“One of the wildest things is that one of my favorite memories actually came from the bench. That experience taught me early that every role matters and that your role can change over time.

“But my absolute favorite moment was saving the final penalty kick against LSU to win our first SEC Championship. It was years of hard work, believing in what we were building, and personally overcoming so much adversity. I’ll never forget celebrating with my best friends, our coaches, and my family. The flight back to Columbia and arriving at the airport to see our fellow student-athletes celebrate our win was special. And on a side note, this was the first time I met Dawn Staley and that is a moment in and of itself. That win and that day was everything.”

There were plenty of memories off the pitch as well.

“The day I walked onto campus, I started making memories that would stay with me forever,” Patton said. “Honestly, my favorite memories weren’t always the big moments. They were the everyday ones. Meeting people from all different walks of life who became my best friends, eating dinner with athletes from every sport, learning about their journeys, and cheering each other on. I’m naturally outgoing, so I loved talking to everyone and supporting all of our programs.

“Some memories stand out, though. Helping Ms. Dodie break ground on the Dodie Anderson Academic Enrichment Center was such an honor. That center was a huge investment in the success of student-athletes, and I’m so thankful I could be there that day. What a woman Ms. Dodie was. Meeting her and her family, watching her shake pom-poms and proudly say that being a cheerleader had always been one of her dreams—it was unforgettable. The way our community gives back to make opportunities like that possible is exactly what makes our university so special.”

Getting the call for the Hall of Fame was also special.

“I was speechless. I’m honored,” Patton said. “Being a Gamecock student-athlete is one of my greatest accomplishments, and to be recognized for my time in Columbia means more than words can explain. What makes this honor even more meaningful is that it represents not just me but the entire class I came in with. We believed in what Gamecock soccer could become, and together, we changed the trajectory of the program.

“The university supported me through everything, from athletics to academics. I earned both my bachelor’s in exercise science and my doctorate in pharmacy here. Ultimately, I made the tough decision to walk away from playing after college because the risk of more concussions outweighed the dream of playing at the next level. To me, this Hall of Fame honor shows that South Carolina celebrates not only athletic achievements but also the dedication to life after sports. That means the world to me.”

Life after sports came quickly for Patton.

“After graduation, I made the tough decision to retire from soccer so I could fully commit to finishing pharmacy school,” said Patton said, who earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy in 2013 and moved back home to Cincinnati where she started as a pharmacist for Kroger.

“I began in our local pharmacies, then moved into a new centralized pharmacy role where I took on extra projects and was eventually offered a position at our corporate office as Clinical Program Manager for all 2,200 Kroger pharmacies. During that time, I saw the growing importance of healthcare technology and decided to go back to school part-time to earn my Master’s in Health Informatics from the University of Illinois Chicago.

“Healthcare technology quickly became my passion. I have been able to work with our nurse practitioners, dietitians, pharmacists, and pharmacy technicians on many different platforms. My teams currently manage all pharmacy standards and communication between vendors and the pharmacy systems used across our 2,200 locations. The opportunities in this space are endless, and I’m so thankful for the career growth Kroger Health and Kroger Technology have given me and the amazing professional relationships I have made in the industry.”

A proud aunt to her two nephews, Patton loves being with family in Cincinnati, but she comes back to her second home in Columbia often and looks forward to being back for Hall of Fame Weekend.

“I still remember the moment I got out of my mom’s car at Stone Stadium to meet the coaches for the first time. It just felt like home,” Patton said. “From that day on, I felt the joy this university brings to the community, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I’ve bled garnet and black ever since.

“I’m most looking forward to being surrounded by my fellow inductees and celebrating all of our memories at Carolina. It will be so special to have my family there and a few of my teammates back to celebrate because none of this would have been possible without them. The timing couldn’t be better. The women’s soccer team will be playing that weekend, and having the coaching staff, especially Shelley and Jamie (Smith), there means the world to me since they’ve been such a huge part of my life. To top it off, my athletic trainer, Stephanie Rosehart, who was there for me through so much and became one of my dearest friends, will be there too.

“Overall, I can’t wait to celebrate the past, cheer on the present, and soak it all in surrounded by the incredible Gamecock community.”