There were five South Carolina football players scheduled to take the field in the NFL playoffs this weekend and there are now six. Ex-Gamecocks tight end Kyle Markway was promoted from the training squad to the active Cleveland Browns squad, which faces the Kansas City Chiefs and two other former South Carolina players on Sunday.
Markway, who has been on the training team for the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers since he left the South Carolina football program, has yet to play an NFL game. He was on the training team for most of the season with the Browns.
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He, along with former South Carolina striker Alex Taylor, were both promoted from the training team for the game.
Here is what the Browns said about Markway in their press release on Saturday to announce the news: Markway is 6-4 pounds and is in his first NFL season outside of South Carolina. Originally signed as a non-hired free agent with the Giants in 2019, he spent time on the Giants’ training team as a rookie. He spent 11 weeks on the Browns’ training team this season. The St. Louis, Missouri native will use No. 86.
The Browns have a pair of tight end that get hurt when entering the game, David Njoku and Stephen Carlson, who paved the way for Markway to be elevated from the training team. Both Njoku and Carlson are listed as questionable.
Markway spent five years with the Gamecocks and had the opportunity for another, as he was awarded a sixth year of eligibility due to injuries. The St. Louis, Missouri native, however, has his degree and decided to try his luck in his career.
Markway was a three-year contributor to the program, playing 12 games in his freshman season in 2015, with one match to his credit. He took three passes for 57 yards, but was also a regular on special teams.
The St. Louis, Missouri native missed the 2016 season with a foot injury, then the 2017 season with a rib injury sustained in the second game of the season. Markway has been a key member of Gamecocks in attacking each of the past two seasons. He divided time with Jacob August in 2018, but was a full-time starter in 2019, which will be his last season with Gamecocks.