UNC QB Went to South Carolina Locker Room After Loss to Congratulate Coach Beamer

UNC's QB congratulated his opponent after his team's loss.

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer led his Gamecocks to a Mayo Bowl victory over North Carolina on Thursday afternoon and then received a mayonnaise bath in celebration. He also received a visitor in his team's locker room after the game.

Beamer revealed Friday morning that North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell stopped by the South Carolina locker room to congratulate the rookie head coach. Beamer, who started his coaching journey in 2000 as a graduate assistant at Georgia Tech, just completed his first year with the Gamecocks. 

It was a classy move from the young signal-caller, especially after his team was thoroughly outplayed in the contest.

Beamer praised both Tar Heels coach Mack Brown and Howell in a social media post Friday morning. Brown coached against Beamer's father, Frank, for years when the elder Beamer was the head coach at Virginia Tech.

In the post, Beamer also included pregame footage of himself and Brown talking with ESPN's Taylor McGregor.

So much respect for Coach Brown …A legend in our profession

And huge respect for @Sam7Howell …Such a great QB. Such a great competitor.

Says a lot about Sam that he took the time to come into our locker room long after the game was over to congratulate me and say hi 👊🏻 https://t.co/RpASCnS0uG

— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) December 31, 2021

Both teams entered the game at 6–6, but South Carolina prevailed with a 38–21 victory to end the season with a winning record. The Gamecocks rushed for 301 yards and held possession for over 39 minutes, controlling the game from start to finish.

As for Howell, the junior quarterback will have a decision to make, given the fact that he's regarded by many as one of the top players at his position. He could skip his final season of eligibility and leave for the NFL Draft.