South Carolina State player hilariously carries injured teammate off the field
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South Carolina State took team camaraderie to a whole new level during the Celebration Bowl on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
The Bulldogs won the game, which was a memorable marathon that took 4 overtimes, outlasting Prairie View A&M in a 40-38 thriller. But for those who watched the endless battle from start to finish, there was that incredible moment late in the 3rd quarter when the South Carolina State wide receivers room showed just how close they are.
When senior Johnny Jones was injured and couldn’t come close to getting off the field by himself, 1 of his fellow wideouts came to the rescue. It was fellow senior Jordan Smith, who saw Jones limping badly and decided to take matters into his own hands — literally. Not only did Smith help Jones off the field, he carried Jones off the field like a soldier helping his wounded battle partner.
Not surprisingly, the moment of pure decency went viral.
Smith carried Jones all the way to the South Carolina State sideline, handed his hobbled teammate to a waiting coach and then turned and went back on the field for the next play.
His heroic work was done, Jones was safely out of harm’s way, and it was time to play football again. There was plenty more of that to come, too, with the teams going to those 4 overtimes to decide the bowl game winner.
So, Smith was a winner in multiple ways on Saturday when South Carolina State prevailed. By the way, Smith caught 9 passes for 152 yards and 2 touchdowns, but the moment many people won’t forget didn’t involve any of those catches or touchdowns.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
