Gamecocks ‘bulldozer’ to NFL lineman? Charlotte native Jovaughn Gwyn eyes draft weekend
Jovaughn Gwyn has been labeled as an undersized offensive lineman since his days at Harding High.
The 6-foot-2, 297-pound Charlotte native isn’t surprised by that criticism anymore, especially as the NFL draft draws near. But while he can’t control his short-for-NFL stature or the length of his nearly 32-inch arms, the South Carolina grad does have a strong rebuttal for anyone doubting his ability to hold up at the next level.
“The thing that I can say is I played 47 consecutive games in the SEC, one of the hardest conferences in college football,” Gwyn said. “So I know I can do it at the NFL level.”
Gwyn — who turned 24 in March — joined the Gamecocks partially because he wanted to prove he could play with the best talent in the country, even if he was billed as “small” for the trenches.
And while he sustained a season-ending foot injury during his first year in Columbia, Gwyn entered the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman and never looked back. Gwyn proved he could remain durable and dominant at the highest-level of college football. Now, following a stellar career with the Gamecocks, Gwyn is on the verge of a lifelong dream that many — including those bigger and possibly more talented than him — will never touch.
According to those who know him best, Gwyn is in this position largely because of his work ethic and rare mix of strength and speed.
The tone-setter
Gwyn isn’t much of a talker. He prefers to let his work on the field speak for itself.
Gwyn was voted a two-time team captain because of that lead-by-example approach. Eric Douglas, South Carolina’s longtime starting center, believes Gwyn is admired because of how he goes about his business.
“His work ethic is admirable,” said Douglas, a fellow Charlotte native. “Everybody in the building is better because of Jovaughn. He pushed everybody to want to work more.”
While Gwyn wasn’t known for speaking up around the program, when he did talk, those around him listened. Patrick DiMarco, the program’s assistant director of football relations, saw Gwyn’s vocal leadership emerge toward the end of his college career.
“It was pretty cool to see some leadership growth from two years ago to last year, just him being confident enough to vocally speak up, call people out, hold people accountable,” DiMarco said. “That wasn’t really his comfort zone. But he was able to kind of step out of that comfort zone and do a little bit of that.”
On the field, Gwyn was a tone-setter for the Gamecocks. While Douglas — a Mallard Creek High alum — served as the voice of the offensive line, Gwyn was the unit’s freight train after the snap.
“Literally every time I would call a specific play, I would always say ‘Yo, we gotta get Jovaughn in space.’ Like, ‘They gotta feel us,’ and that’s the dude that we would want to set the tone,” Douglas said. “Every time that he pulls, you’re going to feel him.”
During his five-year college career, Gwyn earned a reputation for getting down the field in a hurry. His athleticism would be put on display as he would “pull” out of his spot on the line and take out anything in his path to create big plays.
Gwyn was so good at blocking in space, South Carolina catered to his strengths. According to DiMarco, the offense focused heavily on gap-scheme blocking because Gwyn was consistently dominating down the field.
Said DiMarco: “When you see him get in space, and he gets a head of steam rolling, he’s a bulldozer.”
Still proving himself
Greg Adkins has coached the college game since 1991. The South Carolina offensive line coach knows what NFL evaluators are looking for in his players.
So, when Adkins is pressed for information about Gwyn, the longtime line coach is quick to point out the right guard’s win rate within the trenches.
“As I’ve told many scouts, his (blocking assignment) didn’t make the play very often,” Adkins said. “He kind of gets his job done, whether it’s in the pass game or in the run game. He’s violent — he plays the game extremely hard.”
Adkins understands there are concerns about Gwyn’s size, but he also believes the young prospect makes up for his limitations by making the most of his strengths.
“If you delve into every one of his plays, very rarely is he not chasing the ball and at the ball, wherever it is — whether that’s five yards down the field, 20 yards down the field, 50 yards down the field — the kid plays extremely hard, and plays with an edge,” Adkins said. “And the best thing about him is that he knows who he is as a player. He knows he has some limitations. … But he has learned to play the game with those limitations.”
Gwyn has also learned to make the most of every opportunity.
After initially getting passed over for the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, Gwyn put together a standout performance at the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Pasadena, California, in January. That performance led to a late invitation from the Senior Bowl, where Gwyn had another strong showing.
Following the back-to-back all-star appearances, Gwyn scored an invite to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis in February. And instead of taking part in just a handful of drills, Gwyn performed in the entire gamut of workouts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
He tied for second in the bench press with 34 reps. He then ran a 5.12-second 40-yard dash, which turned out to be a top-15 time for his position.
“I’ve been training this long, I might as well do everything, so I can show them that I can run and just show them my athletic ability and everything,” Gwyn said about the decision. “So if there’s any doubt in their minds – I can’t do this or can’t do that — that’s why I have the stage there to do it, to leave no doubt in their minds.”
The NFL awaits
Gwyn will be in Charlotte with his family during draft weekend.
The Harding grad is mindful of his city and its representation. Gwyn wants to be one of the athletes who puts the spotlight on his hometown in the NFL.
“Just to show the kids back at home that it can be done, and it can continue to be done, because it’s been done before,” Gwyn said.
Although Gwyn isn’t a household name within draft circles, his combine performance should boost his stock heading into draft weekend.
DiMarco — who played nine seasons in the NFL as a fullback — thinks Gwyn is primed for a professional career.
“You’re getting a really athletic offensive lineman who’s strong as nails,” DiMarco said. “I think his combine numbers were extremely good for an interior offensive lineman, who’s not going to back down. He’s going to go toe to toe with the best you got, and he’s going to give you all he’s got on every single play.”
Adkins coached former St. Louis Rams and Green Bay Packers center Scott Wells during their time together at the University of Tennessee. Gwyn reminds Adkins of Wells, who played 11 seasons in the NFL.
“Very similar,” Adkins said. “Scott was an undersized player that used his athleticism, his toughness, his grittiness.”
Gwyn is going through the draft process with Douglas, who is likely to get his shot in the NFL this weekend as well.
The two have been able to lean on each other, just as they did throughout their time together on the offensive line.
“It’s crazy because we watched everybody else leave and do big things,” Douglas said. “And now it’s our time to actually do that.”
But before Douglas and Gwyn can get to work, the draft stands in their way.
Gwyn, a projected Day 3 pick, has been waiting to hear his name get called since he was in middle school. And once that dream is realized, he has even bigger goals on his mind.
“It’s not just about making it to the NFL,” Gwyn said. “But playing in the NFL, having an impact in the NFL, and making a name for myself and for my family.”
Observer data reporter Gavin Off contributed to this report.
This story was originally published April 26, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
