Birmingham, AL – South Carolina senior defensive back D.J. Swearinger has been suspended by the Southeastern Conference for one game.
Swearinger will sit out the Gamecocks' Sept. 22 home contest versus Missouri for an illegal hit that occurred last Saturday in a 49-6 blowout of UAB. He delivered a shot to the helmet of UAB's Patrick Hearn while breaking up a pass in the third quarter and was slapped with a personal foul penalty.
"These rules are for the protection of the health and safety of our players on both sides of the ball," said SEC Commissioner Mike Slive. "It is imperative that our student-athletes understand the importance of this rule. Our motivation in making these decisions is to protect our student-athletes."
In three games for the Gamecocks this season, Swearinger has 10 tackles and an interception.
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