Alshon Jeffrey
Encyclopedia
Alshon Jeffery is an American football
wide receiver
with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks
. At the beginning of the 2011 season he was recognized by ESPN as the best overall player in the SEC. He is one of the top prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft
, ranked by Mel Kiper, Jr.
as the best wide receiver and number five player overall. He was runner-up for 2010 Biletnikoff Award, which is awarded to best college wide receiver.
in St. Matthews, South Carolina
, where he was part of a four-time state championship winning (80-0 record) basketball team. He also played two years of football and was widely recruited, giving a verbal commitment to University of Southern California
before switching to South Carolina. Alshon's younger brother Shamier Jeffery committed to play football for the Gamecocks in 2011, following in the footsteps of both of Alshon's two older brothers Charles Ben and Darren Ben; both of whom also played basketball and football for Calhoun County High School.
for 61 yards in his first five games before making seven catches for 138 yards and three touchdown
s against the University of Kentucky. The performance was the second-best single game performance in school history and Jeffery became the third Gamecock in 2009 to earn SEC Freshman of the Week, following defensive end Devin Taylor
and running back Jarvis Giles. He was a consensus first-team Freshman All-SEC and first-team Freshman All-American.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
. At the beginning of the 2011 season he was recognized by ESPN as the best overall player in the SEC. He is one of the top prospects for the 2012 NFL Draft
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
, ranked by Mel Kiper, Jr.
Mel Kiper, Jr.
Mel Kiper Jr. in Baltimore, Maryland is an American football analyst for the ESPN television channel. He has served as an analyst for ESPN's annual NFL draft coverage since 1984, providing in-depth information on the nation's potential draft picks.-Career:With the emergence of ESPN2 and ESPN.com,...
as the best wide receiver and number five player overall. He was runner-up for 2010 Biletnikoff Award, which is awarded to best college wide receiver.
Early years
Jeffery attended Calhoun County High SchoolCalhoun County High School
Calhoun County High School is a public secondary school in St. Matthews, South Carolina.-Campus:The campus is very large with a pasture on the right with the new k-8 school in front is it on saints road.-Extracurricular activities:...
in St. Matthews, South Carolina
St. Matthews, South Carolina
St. Matthews is a town in Calhoun County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,107 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Calhoun County.St. Matthews is part of the Columbia, South Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:St...
, where he was part of a four-time state championship winning (80-0 record) basketball team. He also played two years of football and was widely recruited, giving a verbal commitment to University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
before switching to South Carolina. Alshon's younger brother Shamier Jeffery committed to play football for the Gamecocks in 2011, following in the footsteps of both of Alshon's two older brothers Charles Ben and Darren Ben; both of whom also played basketball and football for Calhoun County High School.
2009
Jeffery caught five passesForward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 61 yards in his first five games before making seven catches for 138 yards and three touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s against the University of Kentucky. The performance was the second-best single game performance in school history and Jeffery became the third Gamecock in 2009 to earn SEC Freshman of the Week, following defensive end Devin Taylor
Devin Taylor
Devin Taylor is an American football defensive end with the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. A relatively unheralded 3-star prospect coming out of high school, Taylor has since emerged as one of the top pass rushers in the SEC after the 2010 season, which earned him recognition from ESPN...
and running back Jarvis Giles. He was a consensus first-team Freshman All-SEC and first-team Freshman All-American.
2010
In a Week 4 contest against Auburn, Jeffery had a break-out performance in a loss. He was only a few yards shy of 200 receiving yards and added 2 touchdowns for the Gamecocks. Another one of his best 2010 campaigns came against in-state rival Clemson where he had 5 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. Through 14 games, Jeffery made 88 catches totaling 1,517 yards and 9 touchdowns including 8 games with 100 yards or more receiving, and a 108.4 yd/game average. Jeffery was named a Biletnikoff Award finalist, the award given to the nation's top wide receiver. Because of his performances, helping lead the Gamecocks to their first SEC Championship Game appearance, Jeffery was selected as an All-AmericanCollege Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
.