Vicari Swain Earns SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for Second Straight Game
Vicari Swain is making a habit of rewriting history — not only with his electrifying play, but now with back-to-back weekly awards.
On Monday, Swain was once again named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week, repeating the honor he picked up after South Carolina’s season opener. The recognition followed his jaw-dropping performance in Saturday’s 38-10 victory over South Carolina State, where he returned two punts for touchdowns — something no Gamecock had ever done before in a single game.
Swain now has three punt-return touchdowns in just two weeks, tying the South Carolina single-season record set by Dickie Harris in 1971. He also moved into second place on the program’s all-time career list with three, sitting just one behind Harris and tied with Ace Sanders.
His first score came with USC trailing 3-0 in the second quarter. Fielding a 44-yard punt, Swain slipped out of an initial tackle, cut to the right sideline, and sprinted behind a wall of blockers before diving into the end zone for a 65-yard touchdown.
“They blocked their tails off for me to be able to even score,” Swain said. “I’d say it was a huge factor because we needed a spark when we were down. Like I said, somebody had to spark the team.”
Moments later, he delivered again. After Maurice Brown II partially blocked a punt, the ball rolled to the 42-yard line and deflected off an SC State player. Swain immediately scooped it up and raced untouched to the end zone for his second touchdown of the night.
“When it was blocked, it’s a rule called no consequence,” Swain explained. “So if it hits off the opponent and they don’t pick it up, I mean, I can do whatever. If I fumble, whatever, it’s still going to be our ball. So I used my situational awareness and picked it up and scored.”
Through just two games, the redshirt sophomore has been South Carolina’s most dynamic playmaker. In five return opportunities, he’s totaled 187 yards, averaging a remarkable 37.4 yards per return. On defense, his primary role as a defensive back has seen him record one tackle in each game, while also forcing a fumble against SC State.
Head coach Shane Beamer confirmed after the game that Swain will remain the team’s primary punt returner moving forward.
Now 2-0, the Gamecocks shift their focus to SEC play. They’ll open conference action at home this Saturday, hosting Vanderbilt at 7:45 p.m. on SEC Network.
