The University of South Carolina and Stephen Panus have combined to honor the memory of the horse racing executive’s son, Jake, by awarding a scholarship to a Gamecock walk-on.
The second annual Jake Panus Walk-On Scholarship recipient has been revealed and it is Payton Mangrum.
When one succeeds, we all succeed 🤙
Congrats, @PaytonMangrum! pic.twitter.com/FH5UeiH1yE
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) August 15, 2022
The first player to receive the honor was long snapper Matthew Bailey.
The scholarship is in memory of Jake Panus, a Connecticut teen who tragically lost his life in an auto accident in 2020.
“I want you for a second to imagine a boy, who had a dream,” Stephen Panus said. “In his dream, he used every fiber of his being to have a goal. That goal was to attend the University of South Carolina and become a Gamecock. He was committed. He was determined. He had passion and love. He was a boy who had a heart. A selfless heart. He had a lot of courage and the will of a champion. A boy that who would have done anything to be in this room today with you guys. A boy who bled garnet and black. That boy, was my son Jake.
“In partnership with coach Shane Beamer and the athletic department, we created the college scholarship. This time, to bring Jake to the University of South Carolina and to reward a student-athlete who shares Jake’s leadership abilities. Who has a motivated work ethic and a fierce determination, team-first mentality, grit and toughness. Cares about his community. Today, Jake’s loss is going to become your teammates possibility.”
