The end of Rico McWilliams' South Carolina football career came quickly.
The cornerback who started 16 games as a sophomore and junior had missed parts of 2016 August camp to help family in storm-ravaged Baton Rouge, La. Three days before the Gamecocks opener against Vanderbilt, he was gone, giving up football Will Muschamp said.
Soon he'll get a try with an NFL team.
McWilliams didn't play in 2016, but he did in 2017. He went west, joined Southeast Missouri State's football team and showed enough in eight games to get an NFL shot.