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Damario Jeffery

Class: Senior Hometown: Columbia, S.C. High School: Columbia

Height / Weight: 6-4 / 233 Position: LB Experience: 3 VL

Senior who is penciled in as the starter at the Will linebacker position entering the spring after working at Spur throughout his Gamecock career... has played in 37 games over the past three seasons making four starts.

2011: Saw action in 11 of 13 games... played the Spur position behind senior Antonio Allen... also a key special teams contributor... credited with 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops... made the start at Arkansas when Allen was injured... responded with a season-high six tackles in that contest... suffered a high ankle sprain in The Citadel game and was not able to play against Clemson.

2010: Split time at the Spur position with Antonio Allen... played in all 14 games, starting the first three vs. Southern Miss, Georgia and Furman... had a career game vs. Southern Miss with six tackles and a quarterback hurry... had three tackles in wins over Florida, Vanderbilt and Furman and in the loss at Auburn... forced a fumble in victory over Furman... had two stops in SEC Championship and recovered a Cam Newton fumble against Auburn... logged four tackles in the Chick-fil-A Bowl game against Florida State... named to the Academic All-District III first team by CoSIDA/ESPN... earned a spot on the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll.

2009: True freshman who elected to stay in Columbia and play for the hometown Gamecocks... worked his way into a backup role at the Spur position... played in 12 of 13 games, collecting 15 tackles... only game in which he did not appear was the season opener at NC State... had a pair of tackles for loss, a quarterback hurry and a pass breakup... had a season-high three tackles against Ole Miss.

HIGH SCHOOL: Local product from Columbia High School whose senior season was cut short by a torn ACL... coached by Kemper Amick... graduated in 2009... selected to play in the Under Armour All-American Game but was unable to participate due to the injury... recorded 109 tackles, five interceptions, four sacks and five blocked punts as a junior in 2007... rated the seventh-best "athlete," the 87th-best player in the nation and a four-star prospect by Rivals.com... was also the third-best prospect in the state of South Carolina, according to the website... considered a four-star prospect and the 12th-best weakside linebacker in the nation, according to Scout.com... considered the state's fifth-best player by SuperPrep... regarded as the 92nd-best player in the nation by PrepStar... ranked 43rd on the ESPNU 150... turned down offers from Southern California, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and North Carolina to sign with the Gamecocks.

PERSONAL: Damario T. Jeffery is a sport and entertainment management major.