Chris Culliver

Culliver had a difficult start in life. His mother, although she would eventually graduate from Temple University, was single and only 16 years old when he was born. Culliver has a brother four years his junior and twin siblings, a boy and a girl, who are eleven years younger. In 1996, Culliver's stepfather and a cousin were shot to death, and his mother was wounded, in a Philadelphia bar fight. He did not play football until his sophomore year. He produced 127 tackles, seven sacks, and two interceptions as a junior. In his senior year, he was credited with 147 tackles and four interceptions, and, although he started only a handful of games on offense, he logged 1,500 all-purpose yards and returned four kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns. He accounted for over 270 tackles in his final two seasons at Garner. He was the MVP for the East squad in the Offense-Defense All-Star Game after catching three passes for 97 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown reception. He also played in the Shrine Bowl. Also a standout track & field athlete, Culliver was an elite sprinter. He posted a personal-best time of 10.69 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the 2007 USATF Jr. Olympic Championship, where he placed second in the preliminary rounds. He took second in the 55-meter dash at the 2007 4A NCHSAA Indoor State Championship at 6.45, but posted a PR of 6.08 seconds at the Clayton HS Last Chance Meet. Culliver was a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, and was the Gamecocks' first five-star signee since Demetris Summers in 2003. He was considered by Rivals.com as the top player in the state of North Carolina and the third-best wide receiver in the country. Rivals.com ranked him as the 19th-best prospect in the country regardless of position, making him USC's highest-rated recruit since Greenwood linebacker Ricardo Hurley was ranked No. 17 among the class of 2002. He was rated a four-star prospect and the No. 13 safety in the country by Scout.com. He was also rated the 37th-best defensive back in the nation and the seventh-best player in the state of North Carolina by SuperPrep. Culliver chose to attend the University of South Carolina over the University of Florida and North Carolina State University. ==College career==