Patrick DiMarco previews upcoming podcast, South Carolina season
Former NFL veteran Patrick DiMarco has seen the South Carolina football program through the prism of being a player, staffer, and now fan.
DiMarco, who emerged as a fan-favorite tight end and fullback during the Steve Spurrier years, is teaming with another Gamecock fan favorite — former quarterback Stephen Garcia — for a weekly podcast about their time in Columbia.
Tailgate Talks, the promo reads, promises laughs, behind-the-scenes insights, and unfiltered access to DiMarco and Garcia plus special guests from USC past and present.
Tailgate Talks premieres on Wednesday, August 14 on Gamecocks+ with new episodes streaming weekly.
DiMarco recently joined the GamecockCentral Takeover on 107.5 The Game to discuss the podcast and to look ahead to this year’s season.
[On3 App: Get South Carolina push notifications from GamecockCentral]
Q: We’ve been talking plenty about fall camp as we get closer and closer to the start of the season. Give us some perspective on what it’s like to be a player within fall camp.
DiMarco: Hot. It’s obviously playing here in the southeast—South Carolina, Atlanta, growing up in Florida. I mean, just this time of year always gets you excited, but it is definitely hot out there. You dig in through all the spring camp, winter workouts, summer workouts, and finally, it’s the chance to put the pads on and hit somebody. You know the season’s right around the corner, so it’s definitely an exciting time. But man, especially here in Columbia, those camp practices were hot.
Q: Hey Pat, it’s Wes. Appreciate you doing this, man. Tell us everything we need to know about this podcast. When can we hear the first episode? How did it come about? And what do you think you and Stephen’s approach will be in terms of maybe giving the fans a behind-the-scenes look back at y’all’s time at Carolina?
DiMarco: Yes, we’ve recorded two episodes already. We have a couple of really cool guests on those episodes and have much more lined up. But the first episode’s going to air next Wednesday on the 14th, which we’re really excited about. The idea came from realizing that a lot of other schools, especially in the SEC, had former players involved in media content—whether that be podcasts, YouTube, or streaming, and helping out with NIL. I felt like we didn’t have that presence, so I started juggling the idea around, had some conversations, and even leaned on Jamie Bradford a lot about it. He helped spearhead this.
I reached out to Stephen, knowing he’s always entertaining on podcasts, and asked if he’d be interested. He immediately said he’s been thinking about it for a long time too, just didn’t know where to start or who to do it with. So, it felt like a match made in heaven. I’d consider myself the brains and Stephen the beauty, the entertainer. Blend us together, and we have a pretty cool team. During our time here from 2007 to 2011, we had some great experiences, won some big games, and Stephen had some interesting experiences as well, both on and off the field, that we’ll dive into.
We want to highlight former players, guys we played with, those before and after us—give them a platform to share their stories, their memories, and promote what they’re doing now. We’re also going to highlight some current players, have them on as guests to share why they chose Carolina, what they do in their off time, and more. We hope this can help them network and find jobs post-football.
Q: While we got you, let’s talk a little bit about this current roster. How excited are you as a former fullback/tight end about the possibility of an offense that could have Rocket Sanders in the backfield alongside a guy like LaNorris Sellers, who provides that run threat, and maybe go two tight ends and run some Shawn Elliott run scheme? What do you think about the potential of what this offense could be this season from your perspective?
DiMarco: I’m excited. Obviously, it’s a different dynamic without Spencer Rattler, but LaNorris showed some playmaking ability in his small sample size last year. He’s 6’5″ or 6’6″, 240-250 pounds, and runs like a deer. He brings a different dynamic to the game. You look at the NFL—Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson—and you see the things you can do with a mobile quarterback, extending plays. That’s a huge threat that LaNorris is going to bring.
While there might be some young quarterback woes, having Rocket Sanders in the backfield, being able to hand off the ball 20-25 times a game and average four or five yards a carry, it’ll really open things up for LaNorris. Plus, with his running ability, defenses will need an extra hat in the box, creating big plays in the passing game too. Coach Loggains, who I’ve known for five or six years now, is great at developing quarterbacks, and I think he’ll do wonders with LaNorris.
With Coach Elliott back, bringing his run game expertise, and the talent we have, I think we’re going to see a lot of explosive offense this season.
[Newsletters: Get breaking news and analysis from GamecockCentral]
Q: Pat, Chris Clark here. Thanks for taking time to do this. I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. It’s an area that has to improve from last season. How much does having really good personnel in the backfield and a mobile quarterback help the offensive line?
DiMarco: It helps a lot. If you have a mobile quarterback, you need an extra hat in the box to account for him. Plus, with all the shifts, motions, and different looks in today’s offenses, you’re adding gaps on the backside, which confuses defenses. In the run game, it’s about getting one guy out of gap, and if you can do that, you have a real chance to get one-on-one with a corner or safety. And that’s where the running back needs to make a play.
With a mobile quarterback, you don’t have to block the backside defensive end on zone reads, which is huge because you’re not having to block a premier pass rusher. I learned a lot from Lonnie Teasley and Shawn Elliott, and I think this run game is going to really explode for us this year.
Q: Last one for you here. Obviously, last year was 5-7, and Beamer and company preached how that’s not acceptable and want to get back into winning ways. You were on some South Carolina teams that didn’t have records you were thrilled about. What’s the mindset and attitude in the locker room going into a season coming off a year that wasn’t what you wanted it to be?
DiMarco: The big motivation for us during my time here was after my freshman year. We were 6-1 and ranked top 10, but lost our last five games. That offseason was all about stepping up, taking the reins, and the leaders really grabbed the younger guys who would be future leaders. Offseason isn’t fun when you don’t meet expectations, but it’s not meant to be.
There’s a standard that was set here long before I got here, during my time, and after, that needs to be upheld. Coach Beamer understands that standard because he was here during those years, and he’s fired up to turn things around. With the work the team has put in, the leaders in place, and the pieces they have, I think they’re going to challenge the younger guys and elevate the team this season.
Discuss South Carolina football on The Insiders Forum!
The post Patrick DiMarco previews upcoming podcast, South Carolina season appeared first on On3.
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings