Marcus Lattimore gets loud ovation after graduating from South Carolina (Video)

Former superstar running back Marcus Lattimore graduated from South Carolina on Friday night.

Five years ago there was no running back in college football with a more promising future than Marcus Lattimore.

As a freshman in 2010, Lattimore rushed for 1,197 yards and 17 touchdowns. He also added 412 receiving yards while guiding the Gamecocks to their first ever SEC Eastern division championship.

He was Steve Spurrier’s first truly great recruit at South Carolina. A 5-star in high school, he didn’t disappoint once he arrived in Columbia. Lattimore looked ready for the NFL after just one year of college, but alas, he has to wait two more years. Those seasons would be devastating for his football career.

In 2011, he tore his ACL midway through the year in a game vs. Mississippi State. He was on pace for a 1,500-yard season. In 2012, Lattimore returned from his injury but was not quite the force he was prior. Still, he had over 600 yards in eight games when he tore every ligament in his right knee and had some nerve damage as well in a game vs. Tennessee.

After that season, he declared for the NFL Draft and was selected in the fourth round by the San Francisco 49ers.  He received a sizable contract including a $300,000 signing bonus but never played a down in the NFL. On November 5, 2014 he decided to walk away from football and return to school to complete his degree.

Lattimore walked across the stage on Friday to receive his degree and got a stirring ovation from the crowd.

In the time since, Lattimore has been working his way towards a degree from South Carolina. That academic work was completed on Friday night as he walked across the stage to huge cheers from those in attendance. Congratulations to Marcus Lattimore on becoming a college graduate!

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