Marcus Lattimore: Former star running back returns to South Carolina as staff member

Former South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore is returning to his alma mater.

Lattimore, whose NFL career failed to get off the ground after a pair of serious knee injuries in college, will serve as the Gamecocks' director of player development for life skills.

"No one knows how to handle adversity and success as a Gamecock more than Marcus Lattimore," South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp told ESPN of the 26-year-old. "He could have gone anywhere in the country and decided to stay here. He positively affects everyone around him. He has an infectious attitude and personality and is a first-class individual. He'll be a tremendous asset to our organization."

Per The State newspaper, "Lattimore's job duties include focusing on off-the-field activities of the student-athletes and serving as an important resource in balancing the demands of academics, athletics, community outreach, and their personal lives as they transition in and out of college athletics."

Lattimore tore his ACL and missed the second half of the 2011 season before missing the last three games of 2012 after dislocating his kneecap and tearing several ligaments in his knee in a game against Tennessee.

Lattimore did not play a down in the NFL despite being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft by the San Francisco 49ers.

In November 2016, Lattimore was named as the head football coach at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, S.C.