King has one more hurdle to overcome

Jarriel King's exasperating journey to the University of South Carolina might soon be coming to a close. And, more than likely, with a happy ending.

The North Charleston native, a defensive end prospect who originally signed with the Gamecocks back in 2005, said Friday he's one math class shy of being fully qualified to enroll.

He said he plans to take the course online and, if all goes well, he'll be on the USC campus by the end of the month.

King, for one, is thrilled by that prospect after the lengthy wait.

"It's been a long freaking time, man," said King, an athletic specimen at 6-7, 285 pounds. "It's such a well-anticipated feeling to get there."

The math requirement caught King off guard. He assumed by graduating from Georgia Military College that he'd done all he needed to for eligibility at USC. But Georgia's state admission standards are slightly different than South Carolina's, so he's a statistics class away.

"It really did catch me by surprise," King said. "I thought I accomplished everything I needed. Everybody knows how long of a road it's been. It really did prove itself to be another mile to reach."

King said he's confident the course will not be something that keeps him from Columbia.

"Oh, I know I'm going to get in," he said.

Ellis Johnson, South Carolina's first-year defensive coordinator, also seemed confident that King would be in his fold by the start of fall camp.

"We feel very positive about him making it," said Johnson, adding that he expects an immediate impact from King even though there's a lot of depth along USC's defensive line. "We've been penciling him in as a big part of what we're going to do."

King understands those expectations. He said he sometimes gets calls from random fans, encouraging him and imploring him to help the Gamecocks win.

"It's probably going to be a whole hype thing at first, but it'll be something I can't really explain," he said. "I know it'll be a good thing. I know it'll bring out this sleeping beast inside me that I need to get in touch with. I know right now I'm not even at my peak."

King wanted to be at USC in 2005, but his test scores didn't make the NCAA's cut. After a few attempts to retake the tests, he wound up at Georgia Military.

King said the GMC experience was grueling and taxing, but in the end life-altering.

It's been quite the ride, for sure.

A year ago, King became a father to a baby girl. In the fall, he was kicked off the GMC football team for allegedly stealing a small amount of money from a classmate's dorm room.

Even when he was out of football, King said USC's coaches and fans stuck by his side.

"Even after all that crap, everyone was still cheering for me and pulling for me. That meant a lot," he said.

King met, in person, with coach Steve Spurrier late this past season and Spurrier reassured him that he'd be given a second chance — even before he made it to USC.

"He told me, in his own words, he wasn't worried about me being guilty or not guilty," King said. "He said, 'Everything's going to be all right. Everyone gets that one chance, that one shot. The next time, I can't help you.' That was just him being real about it."

Now the reality is that King could soon — finally — be in garnet and black.

The anticipation of that has King glad he didn't bag the idea of going to USC and go instead to South Carolina State. That, he said, was an option all along.

"I guess I could've been a senior at S.C. State now if I'd done that," he said, laughing. "I grew up while I was thinking and something told me, 'Do you want to settle for less?' I said, 'You're going to give up on being in the SEC to get out of here?'

"I couldn't do it. That's not me; I'm an overachiever."

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the new South Carolina blog at www.charleston.net/blogs/gamecocks.

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