With 95 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026, a look at No. 95 John Abraham

South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in 2026 on September 5 against Kent State. Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Gamecocks and Golden Flashes at 12:45 p.m., just 95 days from today.

The number 95 is synonymous with one name above all others in Columbia. Pass rusher John Abraham was unheralded and inexperienced out of Lamar High School when former defensive line coach Brad Lawing landed his commitment. In fact, he had played just one year on the gridiron and was more of a track athlete than a football player. Then, his freakish athleticism and toughness characterized an excellent four-year football career in garnet and black.

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Abraham played on some not-so-great South Carolina teams from 1996 to 1999 and never had the opportunity to play in a bowl game. However, it wasn’t from a lack of production on his end.

Despite being the focal point of virtually every offense he played against, Abraham consistently produced. In South Carolina football history, Abraham is the only player ever to lead the team outright in sacks for four years. That started with a Freshman All-SEC selection in 1996 and culminated with a pair of All-SEC honors.

For his career, Abraham logged 23.5 sacks, good for the fourth-best number ever among Gamecocks. He also used his ridiculous acceleration to block four kicks. For Carolina, he played both hand-in-the-dirt defensive end and stand-up outside linebacker, a versatile skillset that he carried over into his days as a professional.

A simple Google image search on Abraham shows his remarkable impact on each game he played at Carolina. On the first page of results, he’s being held in multiple photos, double-teamed in another, and cut-blocked in another. Seemingly, one man couldn’t stop him without committing a penalty.

Abraham played three years under Brad Scott and one under the legendary Lou Holtz. He helped pave the way for a long stretch of big-time pass rushers in Columbia, from fellow hybrid players like Kalimba Edwards and Eric Norwood to eventual stars like Jadeveon Clowney, Kyle Kennard, and Dylan Stewart.

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Following his senior season, the New York Jets selected Abraham in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He then spent 15 years with the Jets, Atlanta Falcons, and Arizona Cardinals. He made five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams. His five Pro Bowl nods are tied for the most ever by a Gamecock, along with Stephon Gilmore and Sterling Sharpe.

Abraham is the all-time sack leader in Falcons history and is 14th on the NFL’s career list. He has been a Pro Football Hall of Fame semifinalist and has a strong case for earning his way to Canton eventually. His 133.5 sacks are the second-most among non-Hall of Famers.

In 2018, the (state of) South Carolina Football Hall of Fame inducted Abraham. Then, in 2021, he earned a spot in the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.

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