AL USHER
Linebacker
1967 / 1971
Pageland, SC
Biography
Usher played in both the Shrine Bowl and the North-South All-Star Game following his senior season. He played fullback and linebacker for the 1967 USC freshman team before taking over as the starting weak-side linebacker in 1968. Usher led the team in tackles and forced fumbles that year. He picked off a pass against Virginia that year and returned it to set up a Randy Yoakum touchdown run in a 49-28 USC win. He earned All-State honors for his standout play in ’68. Usher began to fight injuries the next season, as an ankle injury kept him sidelined for several games during the 1969 season, though he did have strong performances against Duke and North Carolina. He bounced back in 1970, finishing seventh on the team in tackles despite missing the final few games with an injury. Usher’s heroics that year included a 59-yard interception return against Georgia Tech. He missed almost all of his senior season due to a knee injury. Usher went on to a long career in coaching, working as the head man at Pageland Central from 1976 through 2002. He served as athletic director during part of that era, and was elected to the South Carolina Coaches Hall of Fame in March 2003.
Prior Schools
SchoolLocation


Roster Listings
YearRosterNumPosHtWtYrGmsGS
1968 1968 Spring Game (Garnet & Black) 33 LB 5-11 193 So
1968 Game Program vs NC State 33 LB 5-10 191 So 9 9
1969 Program vs NC State 33 LB 5-11 201 Jr 4 4
1970 Media Guide 33 LB 5-11 214 Jr
1971 1971 Media Guide 33 LB 5-11 210 Sr
1970 Program vs Virginia Tech 33 LB 5-11 214 Jr 6 6
1971 Progam vs Wake Forest 33 LB 5-11 210 Sr 0 0
Depth Chart Appearances
DescriptionPositionRank
10/2/1971 vs. Memphis State StrongSide Linebacker 3rd String
Honors
AwardYear
1966 Shrine Bowl
Defense
YearSoloAstTklTFLSacksIntPBUQBHFRFFBKIPCDSRZSIPPYPT
1968 86 45 131 2 1 3 22 5 4 48.82 3.57
1969 18 6 24 0 0 6 1 4 14.11 4.53
1970 45 18 63 1 1 3 16 8 2 33.7 2.5
1971 4 0 4 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0
Tot 153 69 222 0.0 0.0 3 0 0 2 6 0 44 14 10 96.63

IP - Impact Plays; CDS - Conversion Down Stops (3rd & 4th Down); RZS - Red Zone Stops; IPP - Impact Play Points; YPT - Yards Per Tackle
Games Started
DateOpponentPosition
1968-09-21 Duke WeakSide Linebacker
1968-09-28 North Carolina WeakSide Linebacker
1968-10-05 Georgia WeakSide Linebacker
1968-10-12 N.C. State WeakSide Linebacker
1968-10-26 Florida State WeakSide Linebacker
1968-11-02 Virginia WeakSide Linebacker
1968-11-09 Wake Forest WeakSide Linebacker
1968-11-16 Virginia Tech WeakSide Linebacker
1968-11-23 Clemson WeakSide Linebacker
1969-09-20 Duke WeakSide Linebacker
1969-09-27 North Carolina WeakSide Linebacker
1969-10-04 Georgia WeakSide Linebacker
1969-10-11 N.C. State WeakSide Linebacker
1970-09-12 Georgia Tech StrongSide Linebacker
1970-09-19 Wake Forest StrongSide Linebacker
1970-10-03 Virginia Tech StrongSide Linebacker
1970-10-10 North Carolina StrongSide Linebacker
1970-10-24 Florida State WeakSide Linebacker
1970-10-31 Georgia StrongSide Linebacker
Game Defensive Stats
DateOpponentSOLOASTTKLTFLSKFFFRPBUQBHIPLCDPLRZPLIPP
1970-11-21 Clemson 3 0 0 0.0 0.0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 3.36
Scoring Plays
DateOpponentQtrTimeUSCOppPlay
Defense - Sacks
YearDateOpponentDownTo GoSideYdlinePlay
1968 1968-10-19 Maryland 2 9 UMD 45 Pastrana sacked for loss of 9 (Al Usher)
Defense - Tackles For Loss
YearDateOpponentDownTo GoSideYdlinePlay
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 1 10 CLM 36 Buddy Gore rush for loss of 2 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 2 10 CLM 6 Buddy Gore rush for loss of 1 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 3 3 UNC 31 Lewis Jolley rush for loss of 6 (Dickie Harris, Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-24 Florida State 3 8 FSU 14 Gary Parris, loss of 8 on pass from Gary Huff (Al Usher)
Defense - Passes Broken Up
YearDateOpponentDownTo GoSideYdlinePlay
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 1 10 DUK 26 Hart pass for Dearth incomplete (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 2 22 UVA 4 Frank Quayle pass for Bob Bischoff incomplete (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 3 4 USC 4 Amonns pass for Sursavage incomplete (Al Usher)
1970 1970-11-21 Clemson 3 7 CLM 30 Tommy Kendrick passes incomplete for Ray Yauger (broken up by Al Usher)
Defense - Interceptions
YearDateOpponentDownTo GoSideYdlinePlay
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 3 25 UVA 7 Gene Arnette pass for Joe Hoppe intercepted by Al Usher at UVA 22, returned 15 yards
1970 1970-09-12 Georgia Tech 2 10 USC 38 Eddie McAshan pass intercepted by Al Usher at SC 33, returned 59 yards (Healy)
Defensive Plays
YearDateOpponentDownTo GoSideYdlinePlay
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 2 12 USC 20 Carter, 15-yd pass from Hart (Al Usher)
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 3 6 DUK 14 Hart rush for 3 (Al Usher, Jimmy Pope)
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 3 11 DUK 19 Chesson, no gain on pass from Hart (Al Usher)
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 1 10 DUK 44 Chesson rush for 3 (Al Usher, Tim Bice)
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 2 7 DUK 47 Dearth, 16-yd pass from Hart (Al Usher)
1968 1968-09-21 Duke 2 10 USC 37 Courtillet, 8-yd pass from Hart (Tim Bice, Al Usher)
1968 1968-09-28 North Carolina 2 6 UNC 37 Borris fumbles, recovered by (Al Usher) at UNC 29
1968 1968-09-28 North Carolina 2 6 UNC 19 Berris rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-05 Georgia 1 10 UGA 27 Kemp rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-05 Georgia 2 6 UGA 39 Farnsworth rush for 5 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-05 Georgia 2 10 USC 25 Johnson rush for no gain (Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-05 Georgia 3 2 USC 25 Kemp rush for 1 (Rusty Ganas, Wally Orrel, Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-26 Florida State 2 21 FSU 44 Bailey, 15-yd pass from Cappleman (Al Usher)
1968 1968-10-26 Florida State 1 7 USC 7 Bailey rush for 1 (Al Usher, Rusty Ganas)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 3 8 UVA 33 Joe Hoppe, 10-yd pass from Gene Arnette (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 3 1 UVA 40 Jeff Anderson rush for 6 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 4 1 USC 9 Jeff Anderson rush for 1 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 2 5 UVA 37 Frank Quayle rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 1 10 UVA 20 Bob Bischoff, 11-yd pass from Gene Arnette (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-02 Virginia 1 10 USC 18 Frank Quayle rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-09 Wake Forest 1 10 WFU 32 Lee Clymer rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-09 Wake Forest 2 7 USC 45 Freddie Summers rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-09 Wake Forest 1 10 WFU 41 Jimmy Johnson rush for 7 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 1 10 USC 16 Buddy Gore rush for 6 (Pat Watson, Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 2 4 USC 4 Buddy Gore rush for no gain (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 1 10 CLM 20 Buddy Gore rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 2 9 CLM 44 Anderson, 19-yd pass from Ammons (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 2 7 USC 34 Buddy Gore, 1-yd pass from Ammons (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 3 1 USC 34 Buddy Gore rush for 1 (Al Usher)
1968 1968-11-23 Clemson 2 3 USC 26 Buddy Gore rush for 5 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 3 2 DUK 38 Phil Asack rush for 5 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 1 10 USC 10 Phil Asack rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 2 7 USC 7 Don Baglien rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 1 10 DUK 40 Phil Asack rush for 13 (Al Usher, Jimmy Nash)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 1 10 USC 48 Phil Asack rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-20 Duke 1 10 USC 24 Bob Hepler rush for 4 (Jimmy Poston, Benny Padgett, Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 8 UNC 30 Perry rush for 5 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 1 10 USC 40 Perry rush for 12 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 1 10 UNC 37 Don McCauley rush for 4 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 4 UNC 47 Lewis Jolley rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 5 USC 22 Don McCauley rush for 6 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 9 USC 15 John Swofford rush for 5 (Jimmy Nash, Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 2 USC 48 Sigler rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 1 6 USC 6 John Swofford rush for 2 (Pat Watson, Al Usher)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 2 5 UNC 33 Saulis Zemaitis rush for 5 (Al Usher, Jimmy Poston)
1969 1969-09-27 North Carolina 1 10 USC 45 Tony Blanchard, 9-yd pass from Miller (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-12 Georgia Tech 1 10 GAT 39 Healy rush for 3 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-12 Georgia Tech 3 8 USC 8 Harkey, 6-yd pass from Eddie McAshan (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-12 Georgia Tech 1 10 GAT 30 Southall rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-12 Georgia Tech 2 7 USC 30 McNamara rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-19 Wake Forest 1 10 WFU 10 Hopkins rush for 4 (Jimmy Poston, Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-19 Wake Forest 3 2 WFU 13 Johnson rush for no gain (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-26 N.C. State 2 6 NCS 20 Kenney rush for 4 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-09-26 N.C. State 1 10 USC 37 Kenney rush for 4 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-03 Virginia Tech 2 2 USC 31 Rousso rush for 1 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-03 Virginia Tech 3 4 VAT 15 Dobbins rush for no gain (Mack Lee Tharpe, Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-10 North Carolina 2 11 UNC 19 John Swofford rush for 2 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-10 North Carolina 2 12 UNC 43 Don McCauley rush for 10 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-10 North Carolina 3 1 USC 1 Don McCauley rush for no gain (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-17 Maryland 3 11 USC 31 Bob Tucker rush for 5 (Al Usher, Bo Davies)
1970 1970-10-17 Maryland 2 8 USC 15 Bob Tucker rush for 1, fumble, recovered by (Al Usher) at SC 14
1970 1970-10-17 Maryland 3 7 USC 47 Bob Tucker scrambles for 6 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-17 Maryland 2 6 USC 39 Shanks rush for no gain (Al Usher)
1970 1970-10-24 Florida State 3 2 FSU 39 Arthur Munroe rush for 2 (Rusty Ganas, Al Usher)
1970 1970-11-21 Clemson 1 10 USC 27 Tommy Kendrick passes to Ray Yauger for 7 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-11-21 Clemson 3 1 USC 24 Ray Yauger off right tackle for 2 (Al Usher)
1970 1970-11-21 Clemson 2 10 USC 22 Ray Yauger off left guard for 7 (Al Usher)