NCAAF teams
Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Meet the walk-on who changed the face of the SEC

College Football, South Carolina Gamecocks

Carlton Heard hardly fits the profile as one of college football's movers and shakers.

A redshirt senior receiver at South Carolina, Heard was barely 5-foot-9 when he graduated from high school. He started his college career as a walk-on at Gardner-Webb, a tiny FCS school in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and had never played a down of football at the FBS level this time a year ago. He's still looking for his first career catch with the Gamecocks.

And yet, it's hard to find a player who shaped the college football landscape more dramatically -- and with one play, no less -- than Heard did last season with his blocked punt in the final seconds to send South Carolina to an improbable 23-20 overtime victory at Florida.

If Heard doesn't race through the middle of the Gators' line to block a punt with 39 seconds to play last season, college football might look completely different than it does right now.

For one, it's a real long shot that Steve Spurrier would have returned to the Gamecocks coming off his first losing season since 1987 and with no bowl game to re-energize him. Similarly, had Florida held on to win that game, Will Muschamp may still be the Gators' head coach.

"No doubt, I've thought about it," Muschamp said earlier this month. "If he hadn't blocked it, I think we probably would have survived."

Assuming Muschamp hangs on at Florida, what would that have meant for Jim McElwain, who left Colorado State to replace Muschamp? One of the hotter coaching commodities this offseason, McElwain was also in play at Nebraska. Maybe he lands there instead of Mike Riley. Heck, maybe he replaces Spurrier at South Carolina.

And with Muschamp still in charge at Florida, who would Gus Malzahn have hired to run Auburn's defense? There's also the possibility that McElwain would have remained at Colorado State, which means Mike Bobo might still be the offensive coordinator at Georgia.

No one knows how the dominoes might have fallen, but it's a reminder that the little guy can still make a difference.

"It's not where you start, but where you finish," Heard said. "I always thought I could play on the big stage and deliver on that stage. You take your best shot at something, and you never know what you might accomplish."

In Heard's mind, he's just getting started. He has worked his way up this preseason into South Carolina's starting rotation at wide receiver after playing primarily on special teams last season. Heard wasn't even placed on scholarship until last August.

His path to the SEC is a story unto itself, just as amazing as the impact his blocked punt had on the league last season.

Heard didn't have great size or great grades coming out of Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia. He had some interest from West Georgia, South Carolina State, Jackson State and a few other smaller schools, but didn't receive any offers. The father of one of his high school teammates, Tony Pierce, was on the Gardner-Webb staff at the time, so Heard was offered the chance to walk on there.

After redshirting his first year, he got his shot in 2012 when he caught 31 passes for 422 yards. He'd earned a scholarship by then but was more determined than ever to take his shot at the big time.

"I just wanted to play in a bigger conference, a bigger opportunity and a bigger challenge," Heard said. "That was my dream. I just needed a chance."

Heard sent out highlight tapes to a number of different schools, including Auburn, Clemson and South Carolina. But the only real taker was Charlotte, which was just starting its program and offered a scholarship. He had also applied to South Carolina, but had yet to hear anything from admissions.

"At least at Charlotte, I knew I would have a scholarship that next year," Heard said. "That's where I was going."

But then the day before orientation at Charlotte, Heard's phone rang. It was somebody from South Carolina's admissions department telling him he'd been accepted.

"I didn't even go to orientation and went straight to South Carolina," Heard said.

It was a huge leap of faith. He was nowhere on the South Carolina football staff's radar. Nonetheless, one of his first stops upon arriving on campus was the office of Jamie Speronis, who is South Carolina's associate athletic director in charge of football operations and oversees the Gamecocks' walk-on program.

"I remember how sincere he was, and one of our coaches, G.A. Mangus, might have known who he was, but we get kids like that all the time wanting to play," Speronis said. "A lot of the time, nothing ever materializes."

Heard was different, and it didn't take him long to prove he was in it for the long haul.

"He just showed up one day," South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said. "I'm glad he did. He's a good athlete and the kind of kid you want on your team. He blocked that punt in the fourth quarter last year [against Florida], and I've never won one like that -- never."

Heard had to sit out the 2013 season because of NCAA transfer rules, and he wasn't awarded a scholarship until a few weeks before the beginning of last year.

"When I first got here, I was considering getting a job," Heard said. "I remember running out of gas one time, but all that changed when I got on scholarship. It really changed my life."

But facing adversity is nothing new to Heard, who lost his mother, Trina, when he was just 14. She worked as a crossing guard near Heard's school and was on her way to work one spring morning. She was sitting at a stoplight when another driver had a seizure and ran into her and killed her.

Losing his mother at such a young age was a devastating blow to Heard, but it didn't destroy him.

"He never lost his focus," said Heard's father, David. "I knew then that he would accomplish anything he put his mind to, and he's worked incredibly hard to get here. He's honored his mother with the way he's continued to believe and never lost sight of his goal."

Heard has hit a growth spurt and is now listed at 6-foot and 182 pounds. He has always had good speed and possesses exceptional leaping ability. With Pharoh Cooper being the only proven receiver returning for the Gamecocks, Heard is eager to help the passing game the way he did on special teams a year ago.

"I know what everybody remembers me for is that blocked punt, but I can do anything they want me to do -- special teams, offense, anything," Heard said. "You don't have to be a five-star coming out of high school to make an impact."

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