60 www.ReadMPM.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.MountPleasantPodcast.com State University, where he is still the school’s all-time leader in tackles (616) and solo tackles (350). His collegiate accolades include setting or tying six school records and being named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year three times. Additionally, he was a three-time first-team All-American and a two-time winner of the Buck Buchanan Award that recognizes the best FCS/I-AA defender in college football. Coakley has been inducted into the App State Athletics Hall of Fame (2008), the College Football Hall of Fame (2011), the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (2019) and most recently the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame in 2025. Another Warriors alum, running back and special teams player Travis Jervey, was drafted in the fifth round in 1995 by the Green Bay Packers. The Citadel graduate won a Super Bowl ring with the team in 1997, the same year he was named to the Pro Bowl for his prowess on special teams. While his running back stats were limited (109 career carries for 431 yards) his special teams skills kept him around for nearly a decade. Jervey played nine seasons in the NFL, which included stints with the Packers, the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons. According to a 1995 Sports Illustrated article by renowned sportswriter Peter King, Jervey quickly became known for his off-the-field antics as a rookie. He and his roommate, fellow running back LeShon Johnson, were fined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for setting illegal deer snares in their backyard. On another occasion, Jervey accidentally set himself on fire when he poured gasoline on the wood in their fireplace and set a match. Later that same year, the roomies decided it would be perfectly safe to order a declawed baby lion to own as a pet. They named it Nala after the “Lion King” character. Conflicting accounts exist online of how this episode ended, but it is believed they later had it sent to an exotic animal ranch in Oklahoma after the apex predator bit Jervey’s arm. A third Wando alumnus, offensive tackle Barry Richardson, was picked in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. Over his pro career, which lasted from 2008-2013, the Clemson Tiger grad and Mount Pleasant native played four years for the Chiefs and one season for the St. Louis Rams. Richardson also entered one game for the Detroit Lions during his final season in 2013. In college, he helped opened lanes for running backs C.J. Spiller and James Davis, who would both go on to play in the NFL. The student-athlete graduated high school in three years (becoming the first-ever Tiger football recruit to do so) and despite his prospective draft status as a junior, opted to return for his senior year at Clemson to earn his degree. Other former Warriors to have brief stints in the NFL include linebacker Gimel President, who appeared in four games for the Houston Texans in 2017, and defensive tackle Chase Page, who played in six games for the Miami Dolphins in 2007. While Monroe Freeling became the first Oceanside Collegiate Academy alum ever drafted into the NFL, he is not the only Landshark to make it to the league. Former Notre Dame and Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman signed with the Washington Commanders in 2024 as an undrafted free agent. As of this writing, Hartman was in training camp during the 2026 NFL preseason competing for a back-up QB spot on the Commanders’ roster behind starter Jayden Daniels. MLB Born in Mount Pleasant, catcher Nick Ciuffo played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Wando High School before transferring to Lexington High School in Lexington, South Carolina. In his senior year, Lexington won the Class 4A State Championship, and he was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year. The Tampa Bay Rays drafted Ciuffo 21st overall in the 2013 draft. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Rays and also had a short stint with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021. Travis Jervey graduated from Wando and played in the NFL. Barry Richardson is a Wando graduate and played in the NFL. Nick Ciuffo played at Wando and was drafted in the MLB. our sports
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