South-Carolina

Not Your Ordinary Special Teamer

Published

1 year ago

August 21, 2023

It’s not often that the punter on the football team is a fan favorite, but when you’re among the best in the nation at what you do and are an occasional offensive weapon, senior Kai Kroeger is pretty much a household name among Gamecock fans.

“I don’t get recognized as much as some think,” said Kroeger, who is studying history with a criminal justice minor and aspires to be an FBI agent. “It also depends on who I’m with. Sometimes, if I’m with other players, they’ll get recognized first. I don’t think anyone ever thinks the punter would get recognized, but it’s definitely cool when that happens.”

Even if you don’t know his face, it’s hard not to recognize how important the Illinois native is to the Gamecocks. Kroeger earned First Team All-American and First Team All-SEC honors last year and was one of ten semifinalists for the Ray Guy award that is presented to the nation’s top punter after leading the SEC with a 46.1 yards per punt average. Unfortunately, he wasn’t listed as a finalist for the award, and that serves as some motivation.

“I was only a junior last year and was fortunate enough to be on a bunch of lists,” said Kroeger. “I’m just looking at the future and how I can do better. I always have team goals and a team mentality first. I’ve had punts that were 60 yards in the air, but if they’re not very high, then the runner is able to get a decent return. I’d like to improve on my net average and keep the punts inside the 20 above fifty percent.”

Kroeger’s star has also risen because of some of his non-kicking plays. Under special teams coordinator Pete Lembo, South Carolina’s special teams have kept opponents on their toes with various fakes which has seen Kroeger go six for six on pass attempts in his career, with three touchdown passes.

“The most memorable one for me, even though we didn’t win the game, has to be the one in the bowl game against Notre Dame to Hunter (Rogers),” said Kroeger, who also played quarterback for three years in high school. “I really don’t have much time to think about it. We’ve run it in practice, so I know what to do. As long as the defense does what they think it will do, we should be fine. Growing up, I had always done some quarterback training with a local community college and division three college quarterback coaches, so it’s paid off.”

Kroeger is also the holder for field goals and extra points, which can be a pressure-packed job, but making a good punt has all kinds of pressure as well.

“A punt can change the game or go terribly wrong,” Kroeger said. “It’s an under-the-radar job, but we’ve been able to do stuff here that impacts the game in a tremendous way. I love being a part of that.”

While he may not be on the field for many plays each Saturday, Kroeger takes on a leadership role in some capacity.

“Throughout my four years here, I’ve learned from people who were here before me,” Kroeger said. “Guys like (former kicker) Parker White have shown me how to lead the team in different ways. A lot of it comes from gaining trust from your teammates and talking with different guys. I talk or play golf with guys like (defensive lineman) Alex Huntley and (tight end) Trey Knox and just talk about things we all like to do. It’s a lot of off the field stuff.”

As he prepares for the upcoming season, in addition to improving his punting numbers, he wouldn’t mind adding some other stats.

“I’ve thrown some touchdowns, so maybe I could catch one or run one in on a fake,” Kroeger said. “You have to keep opponents on their toes.”

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South-Carolina

Pentagon agrees to settle historic lawsuit with LGBTQ+ veterans over discharge status

Published

4 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

Pentagon agrees to settle historic lawsuit with LGBTQ+ veterans over discharge status

Despite that the ban on gay troops ended more than a decade ago, a surprisingly small fraction of the tens of thousands of vets affected have accessed benefits they are due.

The Pentagon has now agreed to settle a class action lawsuit that may change that for about 35,000 veterans.

“This settlement is not just about correcting records; it’s about restoring the honor and pride that LGBTQ+ veterans have always deserved but were denied,” said Lilly Steffanides, a U.S. Navy veteran and plaintiff in the case. “I hope this brings justice to others who served with courage, only to face exclusion and discrimination.”

Steffanides told NPR in 2023 that the stigma of being suddenly “outed” to their family in 1988, led to years of addiction and homelessness. Having an “other-than honorable” discharge meant no automatic access to VA benefits or health care. It’s a scarlet letter when employers ask about military service; many veterans would deny they ever served rather than reveal paperwork that showed they were kicked out for homosexual activity.

In 2011, after a long campaign by LGBTQ veterans and activists, the Obama administration ended the ban. In the years since, the integration of gay and lesbian troops has been heralded as a huge success with no effects on unit cohesion or combat readiness, according to the Pentagon. But the plaintiffs in the lawsuit say the lingering stigma and a mountain of red tape kept many veterans from even applying to upgrade their military discharge status and get the benefits they had earned.

The Pentagon announced a proactive review of discharges under “don’t ask, don’t tell” — the 1993 Clinton administration policy that banned troops from being open about their sexuality — last October, but this proposed settlement agreed to Monday will speed up that process considerably if approved by California’s Northern District Court. Instead of individual applications, the settlement will allow veterans to have their records reviewed in large groups, delivering access to VA benefits and Honorable Discharge papers as early as this summer.

“This proposed settlement delivers long-overdue justice to LGBTQ+ veterans who served our country with honor but were stripped of the dignity and recognition they rightfully earned due to discriminatory discharge policies. It marks a crucial step in addressing this deep-seated injustice and ensuring these veterans receive the acknowledgment and respect they have long been denied,” said Jocelyn Larkin, an attorney on the plaintiffs’ legal team.

The Pentagon referred questions to the Department of Justice, which declined NPR’s request for comment.

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South-Carolina

#2 South Carolina Earns Eighth Straight Victory

Published

12 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

#2 South Carolina Earns Eighth Straight Victory

South Carolina continues to show dominance aftter defeating Mississippi State to earn its 14 win of the season.

Sophomore Tessa Johnson led the way for the Gamecocks offensively with 22 points, hitting 4/6 from beyond the arc, and adding two assists. Johnson’s four made threes tied her career high and helped South Carolina take the lead against the Bulldogs.

Chloe Kitts earned her fourth double-double of the year positng 17 points and 10 rebounds, adding four assists. Raven Johnson got it done on both sides of the court scoring nine points, dishing out five assists, grabbing five rebounds, and tying a career-high with five steals.

This is the Gamecocks’ eighth straight victory since losing to top ranked UCLA on November 24. The win over the Bulldogs is the 49th straight regualr season SEC win, extending it’s SEC record.

South Carolina’s next game will come against the 9-6 Texas A&M Aggies on Thursday January 9 at 5:00 pm (ET).

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Juste-Jean and South Carolina State host Coppin State

Published

19 hours ago

January 6, 2025

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Juste-Jean and South Carolina State host Coppin State

Associated Press

South Carolina State Bulldogs (1-16, 0-1 MEAC) at Coppin State Eagles (10-7, 1-0 MEAC)

Baltimore; Monday, 5:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: South Carolina State visits Coppin State after Angie Juste-Jean scored 25 points in South Carolina State’s 55-54 loss to the Morgan State Bears.

The Eagles have gone 5-0 in home games. Coppin State has a 4-0 record in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Bulldogs have gone 0-1 against MEAC opponents. South Carolina State ranks eighth in the MEAC with 7.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Justice Tramble averaging 1.9.

Coppin State’s average of 6.1 made 3-pointers per game is 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 7.2 per game South Carolina State allows. South Carolina State averages 50.0 points per game, 16.2 fewer points than the 66.2 Coppin State gives up.

The matchup Monday is the first meeting this season between the two teams in conference play.

TOP PERFORMERS: Laila Lawrence is averaging 18.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals for the Eagles.

Tramble is averaging 4.6 points for the Bulldogs.

LAST 10 GAMES: Eagles: 6-4, averaging 63.3 points, 32.4 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 9.7 steals and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 37.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.2 points per game.

Bulldogs: 0-10, averaging 51.4 points, 26.9 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 8.7 steals and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.7 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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