COLUMBIA — It wasn’t easy for former South Carolina great Connor Shaw to sit out this NFL season with a torn thumb ligament suffered in an exhibition game, particularly given the instability at quarterback on his Cleveland Browns team.
“There’s no doubt it was a difficult year, because he couldn’t play football,” said new South Carolina co-offensive coordinator Kurt Roper, who worked this past season as an offensive assistant with the Browns.
“The NFL is a different deal. His injury cost him the whole season. Just being around and competing to be the quarterback, he wasn’t able to do that, and that’s what drives him.