GRAYTON BEACH, Fla. — Former University of South Carolina quarterback Chris Smelley was found safe around 8:30 p.m. on Thursday by the United States Coast Guard.
Smelley had been reported missing after authorities said he didn't retire from kayaking on the Gulf of Mexico.
Walton County, Florida, Sheriff's Deputies said Smelley, 37, went fishing in his blue and black kayak around 8:30 a.m. Thursday and did not return. The area where he went missing is off Grayton Beach, which is about 20 miles from Destin on Florida's Gulf Coast.
The Walton County Sheriff's Office and the South Walton Fire District confirmed they deployed jet skis in the water to search for Smelley. The United States Coast Guard out of Mobile was notified, and Florida Fish and Wildlife agents also joined the efforts.
Smelley is currently the head football coach at Sylacauga High School in Sylacauga, Alabama, about 60 miles southeast of Birmingham.
Smelley was a standout player in high school in Alabama and earned all-state honors. He played for the Gamecocks from 2006 to 2008 under Coach Steve Spurrier before transferring to the University of Alabama, where he played baseball.
Smelly was 9-6 for the Gamecocks in 15 starts and played in 21 games while in Columbia. He was named SEC Freshman of the Week twice for leading his team to wins over Mississippi State and Kentucky. In 2008, he was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week for a 31-24 win over Ole Miss.
Former Gamecock and NFL star Patrick DiMarco, a former teammate of Smelley, reacted to the news, saying on X, "Prayer Warriors, please pray for our friend Chris Smelley! Lord return him home to his family safely!"