Touchdown, Hayden Hurst! Gamecock great scores in first NFL action

It didn’t take long for former South Carolina football star Hayden Hurst to make a mark in the NFL — In his very first preseason game, the new Baltimore Raven tight end caught his first professional touchdown.

The score, which came in the third quarter of Thursday night’s Hall of Fame preseason contest in Canton, Ohio, came from Hurst’s fellow first-round NFL draft choice, quarterback Lamar Jackson, on a eight-yard pass. He celebrated by spiking the football into the turf.

Prior to the touchdown grab, Hurst had two catches for six yards in the contest, which will not count towards his season total. He also flashed strong hands while making a catch in traffic.

Hurst had three receiving touchdowns at South Carolina and set the program record for receptions and receiving yards by a tight end. In April, when he was taken by the Ravens, ahead of Jackson, Hurst sang the praises of Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy while at Louisville.

“I saw them pick Lamar and just to know that he is going to be throwing me passes for the next however many years … He’s a dynamic player. I’m a dynamic player as well. That connection is going to be going on for a long time. It’s a great combination,” Hurst said at the time.

This story was originally published August 2, 2018 at 10:15 PM with the headline "Touchdown, Hayden Hurst! Gamecock great scores in first NFL action."