A History of College Football in South Carolina

Book excerpt: The Medicos, the Purple Hurricane, the Seceders- all South Carolina football mascots that long ago drifted into history. From as early as 1889, college football began to take hold of South Carolina. The fans of the state's first intercollegiate game could hardly have foreseen how it would steadily grow from a competition between amateurs into tightly organized teams with well-paid coaches and demanding alumni, all with a passionate desire to win. This volume goes beyond Clemson and Carolina to trace the history of college teams from all over the state, including Wofford, Furman, SC State, Presbyterian College, Erskine, Claflin, The Citadel, MUSC, the College of Charleston, Newberry College, Benedict College and Allen University. Join museum curator Fritz Hamer and longtime South Carolina high school football coach John Daye as they celebrate the state's most notable coaches, players and rivalries, as well as the many unsung heroes who have helped to make the sport a statewide obsession.