Damani Staley

* 2021 Strength & Conditioning Award

“Super Senior” linebacker who was a five-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks… fast, smart football player. who is always around the ball… appeared in 51 games over the past five seasons with 19 starts, collecting 169 tackles.

2021 (Super Senior)

Moved into a starting role in week 3 after a season-ending injury to Sherrod Greene… selected by the Carolina coaches as one of three Strength & Conditioning Award winners… ranked third on the squad in tackles with 65… registered 6.5 tackles for loss, second on the squad… posted a career-high nine stops against Kentucky… matched that with nine against Clemson in the regular season finale… logged a pair of interceptions, including a 63-yard “pick-six” at East Carolina, and had a fumble recovery… sealed the win over Troy with a late interception… notched 2.0 tackles for loss, including his first career sack at Missouri… served as a team captain against Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Auburn.

2020 (Senior)

Fourth-year player who appeared in all 10 games, making eight starts… finished third on the squad with 51 tackles… made his first career start at Florida… recorded six tackles, including a half tackle for loss and a pass breakup against Texas A&M… led the team with a career-high 12 tackles including eight solo stops versus Missouri… registered a team-high nine tackles in the season finale at Kentucky.

2019 (Junior)

Junior linebacker who appeared in nine games… worked primarily at the WILL position… logged 22 tackles with a pair of tackles for loss… played in each of the first six games… logged four solo stops including a tackle for loss at Missouri… missed three-straight contests – Florida, Tennessee and Vanderbilt – with an injury… played his most snaps and collected a season-high seven tackles at Texas A&M after T.J. Brunson was ejected for targeting.

2018 (Sophomore)

Sophomore linebacker who played in all 13 games, collecting 31 tackles with two fumble recoveries… saw his role dramatically increase over the final six games… collected 28 tackles over that stretch after making three tackles in his first 13 career appearances… credited with five tackles in the Ole Miss victory and finished with five more tackles at Florida… recovered a fumble in the Chattanooga win… logged five tackles for the third time in four games against Clemson… led the Gamecocks with a career-high six tackles in the Akron win and matched that with six tackles in the Belk Bowl versus Virginia… also had a fumble recovery against the Cavaliers.

2017 (Freshman)

True freshman linebacker who saw action in six games on special teams… did not record any statistics.

HIGH SCHOOL

Graduated from Columbia’s Ridge View High School in 2017… coached by Perry Parks… set the school record with 29 sacks as a senior defensive end, breaking his own mark of 21, set as a junior in 2015… recorded at least two sacks in 12 of 13 games as a senior… registered 120 tackles overall… helped the Blazers to a 10-win season and a trip to the third round of the Class 4A state playoffs… played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his senior season… named The State’s Defensive Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season and selected to the All-Midlands team… Rivals rated him as the 14th-best player in the state… considered the 20th-best player in the state and the 81st-best tight end in the country by 247Sports… ranked as the 18th-best player in South Carolina and the 78th-best outside linebacker in the country by ESPN… ranked as the 60th-best outside linebacker in the country by Scout.

PERSONAL

Damani Z. Staley was born Feb. 6, 1999… is an interdisciplinary studies major who graduated in May… father, Duce, played for the Gamecocks and in the NFL for the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers… was on the Eagles’ staff that won the 2018 Super Bowl… currently is the assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Detroit Lions.