Behind the Beak

Alexus Jimmerson is entering her fifth season with the Gamecock softball program after seeing her true senior season cut short after just 21 games due to COVID-19. The power-hitting pitcher, who is known for a heroic postseason homerun as a freshman and dominate pitching performance against Auburn at the 2018 NCAA Tallahassee Regional, talks about her second chance to go out as a JSU legend and secure a fourth OVC Championship for her team as a senior.

Alex Webb transferred to Jacksonville State in 2018 following a one-year stint at Chipola College and two seasons at Alabama. The catcher arrived just in time to help the Gamecocks win the 2019 OVC baseball title and knock off both Illinois and Clemson in the Oxford Regional of the NCAA Tournament. After his senior season was cut short by COVID-19, Webb is back for a sixth collegiate season, hoping to recreate the magic of 2019 and take the Gamecocks even further in 2021.

Tysor Anderson was recently named the newest assistant coach on Ray Harper's men's basketball staff. Prior to the promotion, Anderson served as the team's coordinator of basketball operations. The grandson of hall of fame coach Lefty Driesell, Anderson is excited to be following in the footsteps of his coaching hero. Before becoming a high school coach early in his career, Anderson was a walk-on at Georgia Tech and served in the Peace Corps following graduation. The New Jersey native spent two years in Cambodia where he built a basketball court by hand before returning to the United States to coach prep basketball in Atlanta.

Matthew Boone was named the interim track and cross country coach on April 28 in place of long-time coach Steve Ray following his retirement, and was later confirmed as the new head coach of the Gamecocks. The first move of his new tenure was hiring Roger Cooke on September 4 as his assistant coach. Cooke previously served as an assistant coach at Lynn University and Hartford, and is a former Cross Country Runner of the Year at LSU where he walked on as a freshman. Now, the former Tiger is at Jacksonville State and is ready to take the Gamecock programs to new heights.

Head men’s basketball coach Ray Harper his entering his fifth year with the Gamecocks, and head women’s basketball coach Rick Pietri is back for his eighth season at the helm in Jacksonville. Both teams began full practices last week and are preparing to open the year on November 25 after COVID-19 pushed the start of the season back a few weeks. Both coaches discuss the challenges the coronavirus pandemic has caused to scheduling, preparation and preseason workouts. Despite the changes to the normal routine, both are happy to a hard start date and are glad to see both teams on the court practicing for the upcoming campaign.

Michael Shaddix has one of the biggest personalities on the football team, from rocking a mullet to getting retweeted and reposted for his ridiculous photo shoots. Less than a year removed from an ACL tear that ended his 2019 season, the Fort Payne native is leading a group of War Pigs on the offensive line that has shown immense improvement from last year. In this week's episode, Shaddix talks about the team's performance thus far, his return to the field and his journey to Jacksonville State.

Trae Barry was set to have a breakout year as a junior, but five games in, he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the rest of 2019 and the spring. The tight end rehabbed over the offseason and is back to nearly 100 percent as the Gamecocks begin their 2020 slate. As a preseason All-American and All-OVC selection, Barry hopes this is the year he turns the heads of NFL scouts and receives a chance to compete in the Reese's Senior Bowl.

Zerrick Cooper is beginning his third season at Jacksonville State following his transfer from Clemson, so the Gamecock quarterback is definitely familiar with Saturday's ACC opponent. Going into the four-game fall, Cooper is just one touchdown pass away from tying JSU Hall of Famer Ed Lett for most scores through the air in program history with 61. In this week's episode, Coop talks about playing the Seminoles, his friendship with NFL's Cam Newton and Deshaun Watson, and how his team has prepared for 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeremiah Harris is a redshirt junior on the Gamecocks football team who began his college career as a walk-on. Now, the Shorterville, Ala., native is in a position to be a starting safety for the upcoming season. Harris looks back on his journey from Abbeville High School to Jacksonville State and those who helped him achieve his goal of playing college football, and talks about the upcoming season.

Julie Boland came to Jacksonville State in the late 90’s as a recruit to Jana McGinnis’ softball program. While on the diamond, Boland became one of the Gamecocks’ most prolific hitters, ranking among the all-time best in hits, runs scored, home runs and runs batted in. Following her playing career, the former shortstop became a student assistant, worked her way up to a graduate assistant and was later named a full-time assistant coach. Julie, who is entering her 20th season as an assistant at Jax State, works with the Gamecocks’ middle infielders and hitters, and is the program’s recruiting coordinator.