Jeffery sets record with second quarter reception
"I didn't know him very well, but I hung out with him a couple times," Jeffery said. "The last thing he told me, though, was that I was going to break his record one day."
That day came Saturday.
With two catches totaling 17 yards in the Gamecocks' 17-12 win over Florida, Jeffery pushed past McKinley and became USC's all-time career receiving yards leader. He tied McKinley for the record on a 14-yard reception from quarterback Connor Shaw in the first quarter then passed him in the second quarter on a 3-yard catch from Bruce Ellington out of the wildcat formation.
Jeffery now has 2,784 receiving yards in his career to McKinley's 2,781.
The achievement was accomplished in a fitting way for Jeffery and the Gamecocks. In what has been a season of unpredictable events, Jeffery reached the mark in a rather unpredictable fashion, catching two passes from two different quarterbacks, neither of whom started the year in the roles they currently occupy. Jeffery said he was happy to get the record, but for him it was just another day at the ballpark.
"It's just a normal day to me," he said. "It's something my teammates helped me accomplish."
The impact Jeffery has each week has also become normal. Jeffery hasn't produced statistics similar to his first two seasons — he has just 77 receiving yards and one touchdown over the last four games — as teams have recognized Jeffery as USC's lone downfield threat, bringing an extra safety to cover him as part of a cover two scheme. The different coverages have caused a drop-off in his numbers this season, but Jeffery said he is OK with it because the attention paid to him helps USC find ways to win.
"It's never getting old," Jeffery said. "I mean, it's good, though, because we've got to win games by running the ball, so we talked about it as a team. They were going cover two, so we were going to keep on piling the ball up the middle. We'll take whatever it is."
It may have been just a normal day for Jeffery, but when it was announced he had moved past McKinley, everyone else thought it a special moment, as applause spread through the stadium.
"He didn't say anything, but I heard it over the intercom," Shaw said. "We're very happy for him. It's tough to get him the ball this season when guys are overplaying him, but he understands all that, and I'm very happy for him."