COLUMBIA -- In Steve Spurrier's first 10 years as South Carolina coach, two Gamecock placekickers have continued their careers in the NFL - Ryan Succop and Spencer Lanning.
Succop stands second on USC's all-time scoring list with 251 points (Collin Mackie leads with 330 pts), while Lanning registered 102 points in 2010, fourth highest single season total in school history.
Spurrier contends junior Elliott Fry could be better than both of them. With 204 points in two seasons, Fry should easily shatter Mackie's school record for most points by the time his career concludes at the end of the 2016 season.
"(Fry is) maybe one of the best kickers we've ever had in South Carolina, maybe the best," Spurrier said recently. "He's a clutch kid. He's kicked many a good field goal to help us win some ball games."
Voted preseason All-SEC second team, Fry is one of the top returning placekickers in the country. In his first two seasons in Columbia, Fry has made 33 of 43 field goal attempts (76.7 percent) and 105 of 106 extra points, including 51 of 51 last season.
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Since walking on at South Carolina his freshman year in 2013 and quickly earning the starting kicking job, Fry has been deadly accurate from inside 40 yards, connecting on 20 of 22 field goals. Between 40 and 49 yards, he is 13 of 18. In addition, the Frisco, Texas, native has made 99 straight extra point attempts, longest streak in school history.
If Fry sustains his current scoring pace over the next two seasons, he will become the first player in Gamecock history to reach 400 career points, putting a comfortable distance between himself and Mackie.
"I've seen the record in the stadium a couple of times," Fry said. "You can't help but think of it sometimes."
Entering the 2015 season, Fry ranks second in school history in field goal accuracy (Lanning leads at 77.3 percent), third in PATs made (105), tied for third in PATs attempted (106) and fourth in points scored (204).
Fry, who wears a tattoo on his left forearm titled "One Shot," appreciates Spurrier's eyebrow-raising comments, especially considering the lineage.
"It's definitely a big honor coming from Coach Spurrier because he has been around a lot of kickers," Fry said. "A lot of his kickers are now pros. This year, I'm going in with the good attitude that I'm going to make everything. If I really focus, I can be one of the top kickers in the nation."
While his first two years have been exemplary, Fry is working fervently on expanding his range. So far, he is 0-for-3 from 50 yards and beyond, including a 58-yard attempt in overtime against Tennessee. His career longest field goal is 47 yards.
"A big thing I'm working on is my longer field goals," Fry said. "Kickers are always trying to get bigger and stronger too. That's definitely what I've focused on during the offseason as well as staying consistent, which is the biggest thing for a kicker. That 58-yarder against Tennessee, I wish I had that one back. I could have tied it in overtime. It's really a long kick, but I didn't hit it the way I wanted too, even if I did miss."
Fry spent the spring and summer getting adjusted to a new long snapper and holder as Patrick Fish and Ryland Culbertson graduated. Drew Williams emerged as the new long snapper in the spring, while new punter Sean Kelly (transfer from FAU) was the holder.
"Patrick and Ryland were a great holder and snapper," Fish said. "We worked very well together. Both Drew and Sean did a great job this spring and we have been working very well together."
A Lone Star State native, Fry is eagerly looking forward to the opportunity to kick against Texas A&M in College Station on Oct. 31.
"I have a lot of family and friends that go to A&M, so that'll be a pretty cool experience for me," Fry said. "I grew up a huge Texas Longhorn fan, so I've never really liked the Aggies. It will be cool to actually go back and play at Kyle Field."
Diagnosed with Type I diabetes as a 7-year old, Fry has turned into a tireless spokesperson for young athletes dealing with the life-long effects of the disease.
"It presents a little bit of a challenge for me," Fry said of playing with diabetes. "Being a kicker, a lot of my game is mental. Before and during the game, I'm focused on my blood sugars and making sure they are in the right area. When everyone is going out there preparing for the game and trying to get acclimated, I'm not only having to do that but I also have to check my blood sugar, make sure that's under control. Obviously, I can't be in a situation where I'm going out to attempt a field goal and my blood sugar is low or high or out of control.
"I have to have a pretty tight leash on that during the game because that could affect (my performance) in a really bad way."
Fry accompanied Spurrier, wide receiver Pharoh Cooper and linebacker Skai Moore to Hoover, Alabama, for SEC Media Days as part of the SEC's "Beyond the Field: Stories of the SEC." He works regularly with the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation in South Carolina.
"I've talked to a lot of kids and their parents about playing collegiate sports with diabetes," Fry said. "I talk to as many kids as I can. I get messages from parents who are too scared to let their kids play sports because of the effects of diabetes. I tell them that it's okay, you can do anything you want as long as you keep it under control. You don't have to be held back by diabetes. You can achieve anything whatever you want to do."