Thomas Hart sat at the large table on the first floor of The Times and Democrat Wednesday afternoon.

On National Signing Day, scheduling conflicts prevented Hart from signing with his teammates at Orangeburg-Wilkinson so he came into the paper to make it official –- he would play college football for the South Carolina State Bulldogs.

With his mother, Emma Hart, sitting at his side, Hart inked his name and completed a long road back from a torn knee ligament that cost him his junior season.



“I just felt a pop and went down,” Hart said of the injury Wednesday. “Right after I had my surgery, I thought I might not be playing again.”

It was slow going for Hart in his return, but he did well enough to impress a few FBS schools over the summer.

“I did well at the USC camp,” he said. “I had a good experience with that.”

South Carolina called, and there was interest from North Carolina State, Clemson and Tennessee. But, there was little to go by on Hart in terms of film, and to make matters worse he struggled early in his senior year while recovering from his knee injury.

“I just had to get my speed back up,” he said. “And, I had to get my footwork back.”

When all was said and done, South Carolina State was the only school with an official offer on the table. That’s just fine with Hart. With the Bulldogs in his backyard, he’s been to his share of S.C. State games and even a few practices. And, Emma Hart, well, she’s tickled that her baby boy is staying close.

“I love it!” she said. “I thank God for it. It means everything. God knows my heart. I just love it and thank God for it.”

Hart said S.C. State head coach Buddy Pough told him he would likely play guard for the Bulldogs.

“He told me there were some things I had to work on, but to get in the weight room, go back through therapy and get back on the field,” he said.

And, on the field is exactly where O-W head coach Tommy Brown thinks his player will wind up.

“Offensive linemen are hard to find,” Brown said. “Thomas is going to get a chance to step in and compete and play early. He is going to have some things to work on, but it’s a blessing he came off that injury and was able to get a full scholarship. But, he has worked hard and I think it’s going to pay off. I think he is going to contribute.

“It’s going to take some time to adjust to the college game,” he added. “But, he is going to contribute because he realizes what we did this year was geared toward college programs. He knows what to expect. I think he adjusted well because toward the end of the season he started to play better for us. I think he is going to go in there and be a proud member of the Bulldogs.”

T&D Sports Editor Brian Linder can be reached via e-mail at blinder@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5553. Check out his blog, Welcome to Linderland.

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