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Last November, South Carolina football players were chest bumped by a Texas state trooper during a game vs. Texas A&M. The viral altercation made immediate headlines.
What was said during the interaction has now been revealed by Nyckoles Harbor, as has the trooper’s punishment following a six-month investigation.
Gamecock WR Nyck Harbor was flabbergasted when one of the kids at his camp asked, “What did the officer say to Harbor during the Texas A&M game?” pic.twitter.com/JIRjFyWrwX
— Famously Garnet Sports (@FamouslyGarnet) May 23, 2026
Nyckoles Harbor was bumped by a Texas state trooper.
The wideout hauled in an 80-yard touchdown pass right before halftime. His momentum carried him into the tunnel where the incident later occurred.
A few Gamecocks followed Harbor into the tunnel to celebrate the score. Near the tail end of the clip, you’ll see the state trooper make intentional contact with a pair of players before shouting a warning in the duo’s direction.
Following the spat, Harbor’s teammate Oscar Adaway threatened legal action while demanding a public apology. The trooper was reportedly relieved of gameday duties in College Station.
Harbor remained relatively mum on the interaction. He broke that silence last week.
The wide receiver was asked about the bump by a participant at his youth football camp over the weekend. He dished on the details of the trooper’s message to the Gamecocks.
“He just told us to get out (of the tunnel),” Harbor responded to the question. “Not in a polite way, though. He got in a couple curse words, but he told us to get out.”
The chest bump drew national criticism. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Office of Inspector General vowed to look into the incident. Its investigation has since wrapped up.
State trooper’s punishment revealed.
According to Chapel Fowler of The State, the trooper was not suspended, demoted, or fired as a result of the bump. He did, however, face “corrective action.”
An internal investigation “revealed that the trooper acted in a manner contrary to the department’s rules, regulations, and expectations of its employees,” per a Texas DPS spokeswoman.
Specifics were not released.
Texas’ open records law only requires the public disclosure of documents related to officer misconduct if an investigation “resulted in disciplinary action.” Under Texas open records law, a “disciplinary action” is defined as one of three things: A discharge (firing), a suspension or a demotion.
“The responsive records consist of an investigation that did not result in disciplinary action, as defined above, being taken against a commissioned officer,” a representative for the Texas DPS Office of General Counsel said via email. “Therefore, the requested records are confidential, and our office is prohibited by law from releasing this information.”
The newspaper says the trooper earns a salary of just under $100,000 per year. He’s worked for the Texas Department of Public Safety for more than two decades.
He will continue his duties with the department moving forward while looking to stay out of the spotlight.