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Clemson Tigers football
2011 Clemson Tigers football team
First season	1896
Head coach	4th season, 28–16 (.636)
Stadium	Memorial Stadium, Clemson (capacity: 80,301)
Field surface	Natural Grass
Location	Clemson, South Carolina
Division	ACC Atlantic Division (2005–present)
All-time record	648–444–45 (.590)
Bowl record	16–18 (.471)
Claimed national titles	1 (1981)
Conference titles	18 (14 ACC)
Division titles	2 (2009, 2011)
Consensus All-Americans	20
Current uniform
File:ACC-Uniform-Clemson.png
Colors	Clemson Orange and Regalia
Fight song	Tiger Rag
Mascot	The Tiger
Marching band	Tiger Band
Rivals	South Carolina Gamecocks Florida State Seminoles Georgia Bulldogs Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets NC State Wolfpack Boston College Eagles
Website	ClemsonTigers.com

The Clemson Tigers football team, known traditionally as the "Clemson University Fighting Tigers", represents Clemson University in the sport of American football. The Tigers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Formed in 1896, the program has achieved a Consensus Division I Football National Championship, 18 conference championships, 5 undefeated seasons and 2 divisional titles, and has produced 68 All-Americans, 15 Academic All-Americans, and 169 NFL players. Clemson has had six members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

With 18 total conference titles, Clemson is one of the founding members of the ACC and holds the most conference titles of any school at 14. The Tigers' most recent ACC championship came in 2011 with a 38–10 win over 5th-ranked Virginia Tech.

Among its five undefeated seasons, Clemson won their first and only poll-era national football championship in 1981 with a 22–15 win over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Tigers have 34 total bowl appearances. Former players Terry Kinard, Jeff Davis, and Banks McFadden have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Former coaches Frank Howard, Jess Neely, and John Heisman are also inductees into the Hall. The Tigers have finished in the Final Top 25 rankings 25 times in the program's history.

The Tigers play their home games in Memorial Stadium on the university's Clemson, South Carolina campus. The stadium is also known as "Death Valley" after a Presbyterian College head coach gave it the moniker in 1948 due to the many defeats his teams suffered there. Currently, it is the 19th largest stadium in college football.

History

Early years: 1896–1899

Walter Merritt Riggs can be characterized as the "Father of Clemson Football," as he brought the game with him from Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama (now Auburn University). The fact that Auburn and Clemson share the same mascot is no accident. Riggs allowed his players to pick the team mascot and, although he may have influenced their decision, the players chose Tigers because Princeton University had just won the national championship. Riggs helped organize and coach the infant Tiger team in 1896. Indeed, when the Tigers traveled to Greenville on Halloween to play Furman in their very first match, only Coach Riggs and backfield player Frank Thompkins had ever seen a football game played. Today in Clemson, the soccer field is named Historic Riggs field after Walter Riggs.

Riggs took the team to a 2–1 record in the inaugural year. He then stepped aside at the urging of the cadets, who felt that he should concentrate on his scholastic duties rather than coach the team for free. William M. Williams coached the Tigers in 1897, guiding them to a 2–2 record. In 1898, John Penton led the Tigers to a 3–1 record.

In 1899, when the Clemson Athletic Association could not afford a coaching salary, Riggs again took over the reins, one of only two Clemson football coaches to return to the position after stepping down. The 1899 squad went 4–2. Riggs' overall record of 6–3 gives him a .667 winning percentage. Historic Riggs Field is named for him.

After a decade as a Mechanical Engineering professor, he was named acting president of Clemson Agricultural College in 1910, being confirmed by the Board of Trustees as permanent president on March 7, 1911. He served until his untimely death on January 22, 1924 while on a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with officials of other land grant institutions.

John Heisman era: 1900–1903

John Heisman coached the Tigers to their first undefeated season (6–0) in 1900. Heisman stayed only four years at Clemson, where he compiled a record of 19–3–2, an .833 percentage, the best in Clemson football history. Following a 73–0 defeat of Georgia Tech in 1903, the Yellow Jackets hired Heisman as their first full-time football coach.

Post-Heisman era: 1904–1930

After Heisman left Clemson to become the head coach at Georgia Tech, the following coaches lead the Tigers football team:

• Shack Shealy (1904): 3–3–1 record - the only Clemson graduate (1899) to serve as head coach of his alma mater
• Edward B. Cochems (1905): 3–2–1 record
• Bob Williams (1906, 1909, 1913–1915): 21–14–6 record; only coach to serve as Clemson's head coach three times; also coached at South Carolina
• Frank Shaughnessy (1907): 4–4 record
• John Stone (1908): 1–6 record
• Frank Dobson (1910–1912): 11–12–1 record; also coached at South Carolina
• Wayne Hart (1916): 3–6 record
• Edward Donahue (1917–1920): 21–12–3 record
• E.J. Stewart (1921–1922): 6–10–2 record
• Bud Saunders (1923–1926): 10–22–1 record
• Josh Cody (1927–1930): 29–11–1 record; Tigers were undefeated at home (13-0-1) and against South Carolina (3–0) during Cody's tenure

Jess Neely era: 1931–1939

In 1931, Jess Neely (a former head coach at Rhodes and assistant at Alabama) became Clemson's head football coach. During his tenure, Neely led the Tigers to a 43-35-7 record. His final season at Clemson was the turning point in the Tigers' program. His team went 9-1 during that season, finishing second to Duke in the Southern Conference. The Tigers also received their first bowl invitation and bowl victory that year, defeating nationally ranked Boston College 6-3 in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic. The 1939 Tigers finished with a #12 ranking in the final AP poll. Clemson also had their first Associated Press All-American that year in Banks McFadden. Jess Neely, along with then athletic director Dr. Rupert Fike, founded the IPTAY Scholarship Fund, which supports the Clemson Athletic Department.

Frank Howard era: 1940–1969

After Jess Neely left to become the head coach at Rice, Frank Howard (an assistant coach under Neely) was named head coach. In his 30 years at Clemson, Howard compiled a 165–118–12 record, a 3–3 bowl record, won two Southern Conference championships, and six ACC championships. Seven of Howard's teams finished the year ranked in at least one final poll. He also incorporated the Single Wing, T-formation, and I-formation offenses at different points during his coaching career at Clemson. Clemson had two undefeated season under Howard, one in 1948 (11-0), and one in 1950 (9-0-1).

The tradition of rubbing "Howard's Rock" prior to running down the hill before home games began during Coach Howard's tenure. The playing field at Memorial Stadium was named "Frank Howard Field" in 1974 following his retirement to honor his many years of service for the university. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Clemson Hall of Fame, the Clemson Ring of Honor, the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame, the State of Alabama Hall of Fame, National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, the Orange Bowl Hall of Honor, and the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame.

Post-Howard era: 1970–1976

Clemson struggled during the years following Frank Howard's retirement. His successor, Hootie Ingram, only compiled a 12–21 record. During his tenure, the tradition of running down the hill was stopped from 1970 to the end of the 1972 season, when the team decided it wanted to come down the hill for the final home game against South Carolina. The traditional "tiger paw" logo was introduced by Ingram. Jimmy "Red" Parker coached the Tigers from 1973–1976, compiling a 17-25-2 record.

Charlie Pell era: 1977–1978

Charlie Pell coached the Tigers for two seasons, winning the ACC Coach of the Year award twice and leading the Tigers to the 1978 ACC Championship en route to a 18-4-1 record. In both seasons, Clemson earned berths to the Gator Bowl. However, Pell became involved in NCAA rules and recruiting violations that came to light under the tenure of his successor, Danny Ford. Charlie Pell would leave after 1978 to become head coach at Florida, where his coaching career would end in 1984 following more NCAA rules violations.

Danny Ford era: 1978–1989

In 1978, former Bear Bryant era defensive end and Stallings assistant Danny Ford took over as coach after Charlie Pell left for the University of Florida. Ford won his first game, the 1978 Gator Bowl, with a 17–15 victory over Ohio State and legendary coach Woody Hayes, who punched LB Charlie Bauman in the throat after making the game-clinching interception. In his first two seasons, Ford guided the Tigers to 8–4 and 6–5 records and a Peach Bowl bid in 1979. In 1981, Ford guided Clemson to the summit of college football by winning the National Championship, and recording the program's fifth undefeated season. The Tigers, who were unranked in the preseason, downed three top-10 teams (Georgia and North Carolina) during the course of the 12-0 season that concluded with a 22-15 victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl. Ford, named National Coach-of-the-Year in 1981, holds the record as the youngest coach to win a national championship on the gridiron.

Ford led Clemson to a 30-2-2 record between 1981-1983, the top record in the nation during those years. However, in 1982, the football program was placed on probation for a 2-year period to include the 1983 and 1984 seasons for recruiting violations that began during the Charlie Pell era. The ACC imposed a third year of conference penalty. After the probation period, Clemson won three straight ACC titles between 1986 and 1988, including a 35-10 victory over Penn State and a 13-6 defeat of the Oklahoma Sooners in the Florida Citrus Bowl. In 1989, Clemson registered a 10-2 season and top-12 national ranking for the fourth straight season, and ended his career at Clemson with a 27–7 win over West Virginia (and All-America quarterback Major Harris) in the 1989 Gator Bowl.

Ford compiled a 96–29–4 (.760) record at Clemson, 5 ACC Championships, and a 6–2 bowl record. He is second on the school's wins list, behind only Frank Howard. Ford was the third winningest coach in the country on a percentage basis after the 1989 season. Ford also coached 21 All-Americans and 41 players who went on to play in the NFL, during his 11 seasons at Clemson. While at Clemson, Ford defeated a number of coaches later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Joe Paterno, Tom Osborne, Barry Switzer, Bobby Bowden, Vince Dooley, and Woody Hayes.

After a few years away from coaching, Ford was hired by Arkansas in 1992, where he would spend five seasons guiding the Razorbacks.

Ken Hatfield era: 1990–1993

Ken Hatfield, former coach at Air Force and Arkansas. He had a 32–13–1 record with the Tigers and led them to three bowl games.

Hatfield worked to clean up the program's image in the wake of the Ford-era sanctions. However, Hatfield was never really accepted by Clemson's fans. A common saying among Tiger fans during this time was "Howard built it. Ford tilled it. Hatfield killed it."

Largely due to this discontent, school officials refused to grant him a one-year extension on his contract after the 1993 season, even though the Tigers had rebounded from 5–6 in 1992 to a solid 8–3 record that year and were invited to the Peach Bowl. Angered at what he saw as a lack of support, Hatfield resigned at the end of the regular season. He was later hired at Rice.

The purple home jerseys used by Clemson in special games made their debut during the 1991 ACC championship season.

Tommy West era: 1993–1998

Tommy West replaced Ken Hatfield at the end of the 1993 season, coaching the Tigers to a 14-13 victory in the 1993 Peach Bowl against Kentucky. West had a 31–28 record during his five seasons at Clemson and led the Tigers to three bowl games but no ACC championships. West was fired after a dismal 1998 campaign which saw Clemson go 3-8 and finish last in the ACC. West went on to be the head coach at Memphis.

Tommy Bowden era: 1999–2008

After Tommy West's dismissal following the 1998 season, Clemson hired Tommy Bowden, son of Bobby Bowden and coach at Tulane University. Bowden led the Tigers to a 6–6 record and a Peach Bowl bid in 1999, with the team that navigated its way through a schedule that included MAC champions and undefeated Marshall, Big East champion and BCS runner-up Virginia Tech (who went undefeated during the regular season), and eventual National Champion Florida State (who finished the year undefeated). The 1999 meeting between the Tigers and Seminoles was dubbed the "Bowden Bowl" and was the first time that a father and son coached against each other in Division I football. FSU won the game 17– 14 in front of the largest crowd in the history of Death Valley.

During Bowden's tenure, the Tigers were bowl eligible every season but didn't win any ACC championships (the 2004 team turned down a bowl invitation as punishment for a massive brawl during a game against the University of South Carolina). Despite this, Bowden has been criticized for his teams underachieving. The 2000 Tigers started 8–0 and rose as high as #5 in the polls before losing three of their last four. The same thing happened during the 2006 season following a 7–1 start and with the team on the verge of winning the ACC Atlantic Division. The Tigers have also shown great resolve at points during Bowden's tenure. The 2003 team won four games at the end of the season to finish 9–4, which included victories over #3 Florida State and #7 Tennessee in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl. The 2004 season saw the Tigers falter to a 1–4 start only to win five of their last six games (which included an overtime upset of #10 Miami), while the 2005 team overcame a 2–3 start to finish the season 9–4.

Tommy Bowden agreed to resign for $3.5 million on October 13, 2008, after leading the team to a disappointing 3–3 record (1–2 ACC) at the midpoint of a season in which the Tigers were an almost unanimous preseason pick to win their first ACC title under Bowden and were ranked #9 in the preseason polls. Assistant coach Dabo Swinney was named interim head coach.

Dabo Swinney era: 2008–present

Following the departure of Tommy Bowden, Dabo Swinney led the Tigers to a 4–2 record, finishing the 2008 regular season at 7–6. On December 1, 2008, Swinney signed a five-year contract as Clemson's head coach.

On November 21, 2009, Swinney and the Tigers qualified for their first ACC title game berth, only to lose to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 39–34. They were awarded a trip to the 2009 Music City Bowl, and defeated the Kentucky Wildcats, 21–13, avenging their upset loss in the 2006 Music City Bowl.

On December 31, 2010 Clemson was defeated by the South Florida Bulls, 31–26, in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina. In January 2011, Swinney hired new offensive coordinator Chad Morris, running backs coach Tony Elliott, and defensive line coach Marion Hobby.

On September 17, 2011, Clemson beat the 2010 National Champions, the #21-ranked Auburn Tigers, and ended Auburn's 17-game winning streak, the longest winning streak in the nation. On October 1, 2011, Clemson became the first ACC team to beat three nationally-ranked opponents in a row: #21-ranked Auburn, #11-ranked Florida State, and #11-ranked Virginia Tech. On November 12, 2011, Clemson defeated Wake Forest, winning the ACC Atlantic Division title. On November 26, 2011, Clemson lost to South Carolina for the third straight year, the first time Clemson had lost three straight to its instate rival since the seasons from 1968-1970. On December 3, the Tigers won their first ACC Championship since 1991, defeating Virginia Tech 38-10 in the Championship Game. #15 Clemson would go on to lose to the #23 West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2012 Orange Bowl 70-33, giving up an all-time record number of points scored in a quarter (35), half (49) and game (70) in the 109-year history of bowl games.

Current coaching staff

Clemson Traditions

• Howard's Rock In the early 1960s, the rock was given to then head coach Frank Howard by a friend, Samuel Columbus Jones (Clemson Class of 1919). It was presented to Howard by Jones, saying "Here's a rock from Death Valley, California, to Death Valley, South Carolina." Howard didn't think anything else about the rock and it was used as a door stop in his office for several years. In September 1966, while cleaning out his office, Howard noticed the rock and told IPTAY executive director Gene Willimon, "Take this rock and throw it over the fence or out in the ditch...do something with it, but get it out of my office." Willimon had the rock placed on a pedestal at the top of the east endzone hill that the team ran down to enter the field for games. On September 24, 1966, the first time Clemson players ran by the rock, they beat conference rival Virginia, 40-35. Howard, seizing on the motivational potential of "The Rock", told his players, "Give me 110% or keep your filthy hands off of my rock." The team started rubbing the Rock for the first game of 1967, which was a 23-6 waxing of ACC foe Wake Forest.

It is now a tradition for the Clemson Army ROTC to "protect" the Rock for the 24 hours prior to the Clemson-South Carolina game when held in Death Valley. ROTC cadets keep a steady drum cadence around the rock prior to the game, which can be heard across the campus. Part of the tradition comes after Gamecock fans attempted to smash the Rock with a sledgehammer before the 1992 game.

• Running Down the Hill Probably the most highly publicized traditions of the Clemson Tigers football team is the entrance, which has been referred to as "The Most Exciting 25 seconds in College Football." After exiting the stadium on the west side, the players load into 2 buses which, escorted by police officers, make their way around the stadium to the east side where The Hill is located. This scene is shown on the JumboTron inside the stadium. When the buses arrive at the east side the players get out and gather at the top of the hill and stand around Howard's Rock, once most of the players are out of the buses and ready to go a cannon sounds, the band begins to play Tiger Rag and the players make their way down the hill. The spelling out of C-L-E-M-S-O-N during this Tiger Rag is one of, if not the, loudest times it will be spelled out during the game.

• Ring of Honor Created in 1994, the Ring of Honor is the highest award given to former coaches, players, and other individuals who made a direct impact on the football program.

• The Graveyard The Graveyard is a mock cemetery near the football practice fields that features tombstones commemorating Clemson's victories over ranked opponents on the road.

• First Friday Parade The Clemson football season kicks off each year with the annual First Friday Parade. The once a year event takes place on the Friday afternoon prior to the first home football game. Floats from various fraternities and sororities and other campus organizations are represented in the parade that rolls down main street in Clemson. The parade culminates at the Amphitheater in the middle of campus where the first Pep Rally of the year takes place. The Grand Marshall of the Parade is featured at the Pep Rally. Recent Grand Marshall's have ranged from current PGA professional Dillard Pruitt, to College Football Hall of Fame legends Jess Neely and Frank Howard, to noted television announcers Brent Musburger and Ara Parseghian.

Rivalries

South Carolina

Georgia Tech

Clemson's rivalry with Georgia Tech dates to 1898 with the first game being played in Atlanta. The game was played in Atlanta for 45 of the first 47 matchups. When Georgia Tech joined the ACC in 1978, The series went to a more traditional home-and-home setup beginning with the 1983 game. When the ACC expanded to 12 teams and split into two divisions in 2005, Clemson and Georgia Tech were placed in opposite divisions but were designated permanent cross-divisional rivals so that the series may continue uninterrupted. The two schools are 127 miles apart and connected to each other by Interstate 85. This distance is slightly closer than that between Clemson and traditional rival South Carolina (137 miles). As of 2011, Georgia Tech leads the series 51-25-2. The Jackets also lead the series 15-14 since Georgia Tech joined the ACC.

NC State

The yearly conference and divisional matchup between NC State is known as the Textile Bowl for the schools similar missions in research and development for the textile industry in the Carolinas. The first meeting of the two schools occurred in 1899 and as of 2010, Clemson holds a 51-28-1 series advantage.

Boston College

The O'Rourke-McFadden Trophy was created in 2008 by the Boston College Gridiron Club in order to honor the tradition at both schools and to honor the legacy of Charlie O'Rourke and Banks McFadden, who played during the leather helmet era. The club plans to make this an annual presentation. Clemson first met Boston College on the football field in the 1940 Cotton Bowl Classic, the first ever bowl game for the Tigers and Eagles. Over the next 43 years, the teams met a total of 13 times. In 2005, Boston College joined the ACC and the Atlantic Division. Since then, the game has been played on an annual basis with Boston College winning 3 of the first 5 games as divisional foes. As of 2011 the Tigers lead the series at 10-9-2.

Florida State

Between 1999 and 2007 the ACC Atlantic Division matchup between Clemson and Florida State was referred to as the "Bowden Bowl" to reflect the father-son head coach matchup between Bobby Bowden (Father, FSU) and Tommy Bowden (Son, Clemson). Their first meeting, in 1999, was the first time in Division I-A history that a father and a son met as opposing head coaches in a football game. Bobby Bowden won the first four matchups extending FSU's winning streak over Clemson to 11 dating back to 1992. Since 2002, Clemson won 4 of the last 5, including a 26-10 win in Clemson over then-#3 FSU, the highest ranking opponent to ever be defeated by the Tigers. Also during this time the Tigers recorded a 27-20 win in Tallahassee in 2006 which broke a 17-year losing streak in Doak Campbell Stadium. 2007 was the last Bowden Bowl game as Tommy resigned as head coach in October 2008. As of 2011, Florida State leads the overall series 17-8.

Georgia

The Bulldogs and the Tigers have been perpetual thorns in one another’s sides; Clemson’s only regular-season losses of the 1978, 1982, and 1991 campaigns all came between the hedges, whereas Georgia’s only regular-season setback during the three years of the Herschel Walker era came in Death Valley during Danny Ford’s 1981 national championship run.

During the two programs’ simultaneous glory days of the early 1980s, no rivalry in all of college football was more important at the national level, as Scott Woerner’s dramatic returns in 1980 and the nine turnovers forced by the Tigers the following fall effectively settled the eventual No. 1 ranking. Likewise, no rivalry of that period was more competitive, as evidenced by the critical eleventh-hour field goals kicked by Kevin Butler in 1984 and by David Treadwell more than once later in the decade. Despite blowouts in 1990, 1994, and 2003, the series typically has remained competitive in more recent days, as two of the last three meetings were decided by two points in 1995 and three points in 2002. However, Georgia maintains a 41-17-4 lead in the series, including 5 wins in a row dating back to 1991. The rivalry will be renewed in 2013 as part of a two year home and home.

Auburn

These old rivals first played in 1899, but until 2010, had not faced each other in the regular season since 1971. Auburn leads the overall series 34-12-2 and had won 14 games in a row, dating back to 1952, before Clemson snapped the streak in 2011, by beating #21 ranked Auburn 38-24 in Death Valley, in front of a crowd of exactly 82,000. Along with snapping one streak, Clemson also snapped Auburn's seventeen game winning streak coming off of the 2009-2011 seasons. The Georgia Dome will host the Auburn-Clemson rivalry in the upcoming 2012 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff.

All-time record vs. current ACC teams

Bowl games

National championship

Clemson finished their undefeated 1981 season with a 22-15 victory over the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were named the national champions.

† Other consensus selectors included Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, National Championship Foundation, NFF, NY Times, Poling, Sagarin, and Sporting News

Undefeated seasons

Since its beginnings in 1896, Clemson has completed five undefeated seasons. This includes three perfect seasons in which the Tigers were undefeated and untied:

• 1900, 1906, 1948, 1950, 1981

Conference championships

Clemson won the Southern Inercollegiate Athletic Association in 1900 and 1902 along with the Southern Conference title in 1940 and 1948. Their 14 ACC titles (13 outright, 1 tied) is the all-time ACC football record.

Note: Bold years indicate outright conference titles

† In 1965, South Carolina violated participation rules relating to two ineligibile players and was required to forfeit wins against North Carolina State and Clemson. North Carolina State and Clemson were then declared co-champions.

Conference affiliations

• 1899–1921: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (charter member)
• 1921–1953: Southern Conference (charter member)
• 1953–present: Atlantic Coast Conference (charter member)

Divisional championships

In 2005, the Atlantic Coast Conference divided into two divisions of six teams each and began holding a ACC Championship Game at the conclusion of the regular football season to determine the ACC Football Champions. Clemson won its first outright ACC Atlantic Division championship in 2009, and its second championship in 2011.

† On 7/18/2011, Georgia Tech was required to vacate their victory due to NCAA violations and the game is considered by the NCAA and ACC to have no winner.

National polls

Clemson has ended their football season ranked 25 times in either the AP or Coaches Poll.

Year Record AP Poll† Coaches‡ 1939 9–1–0 12 – 1948 11–0–0 11 – 1950 9–0– 1 10 12 1951 7–3–0 20 – 1956 7–2–2 19 – 1957 7–3–0 – 18 1958 8–3–0 12 13 1959 9–2–0 11 11 1977 8–3–1 19 – 1978 11–1–0 6 7 1981 12–0–0 1 1 1982 9–1–1 8 – 1983 9–1–1 11 – 1986 8–2–2 17 19 1987 10–2–0 12 10 1988 10–2–0 9 8 1989 10–2–1 12 11 1990 10–2–0 9 9 1991 9–2–1 18 17 1993 9–3–0 23 22 2000 9–3–0 16 14 2003 9–4–0 22 22 2005 8–4–0 21 21 2007 9–4–0 21 22 2009 9–5–0 24 – 2011 10–4–0 22 22 † AP Poll began selecting the nation's Top 20 teams in 1939. Only the Top 10 teams were recognized from 1962-1967. The AP Poll expanded back to the Top 20 teams in 1968. In 1989, it began recognizing the Top 25 teams. ‡ UPI/Coaches Poll began selecting its Top 20 teams on a weekly basis in 1950 before expanding to the nations's Top 25 teams in 1990. Individual award winners College Football Hall of Fame inductees In 1951, the College Football Hall of Fame opened in South Bend, Indiana. Clemson has had 3 players and 3 former coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame. Name Years at Clemson Position Year Inducted Jeff Davis 1978–1981 Linebacker 2007 John Heisman 1900–1903 Head Coach 1954 Frank Howard 1940–1969 Head Coach 1989 Terry Kinard 1978–1982 Safety 2001 Banks McFadden 1937–1939 Halfback 1959 Jess Neely 1931–1939 Head Coach 1971 Retired Numbers Number Name Years at Clemson Position Year Retired 4 Steve Fuller 1975–1978 Quarterback 66 Banks McFadden 1937–1939 Halfback 1987 28 CJ Spiller 2006–2009 Running Back 2010 National award winners CBS/Chevrolet Defensive Player of the Year Terry Kinard (1982) John Mackey Award Dwayne Allen (2011) Ted Hendricks Award Da'Quan Bowers (2010) Bronko Nagurski Trophy Da'Quan Bowers (2010) National coaching awards AFCA Coach of the Year Danny Ford (1981) Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Dabo Swinney (2011) Woody Hayes Trophy Danny Ford (1981) Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Danny Ford (1981) Atlantic Coast Conference awards ACC Player of the Year (7) Buddy Gore (1967) Steve Fuller (1977, 1978) Jeff Davis (1981) William Perry (1984) Michael Dean Perry (1987) CJ Spiller (2009) ACC Coach of the Year (8) Frank Howard (1958, 1966) Red Parker (1974) Charley Pell (1977, 1978) Danny Ford (1981) Tommy Bowden (1999, 2003) ACC Offensive Player of the Year (1) CJ Spiller (2009) ACC Defensive Player of the Year (4) Keith Adams (1999) Leroy Hill (2004) Gaines Adams (2006) Da'Quan Bowers (2010) ACC Rookie of the Year (6) Chuck McSwain (1979) Terry Allen (1987) Ronald Williams (1990) Anthony Simmons (1995) James Davis (2005) Sammy Watkins (2011) Atlantic Coast Conference 50th Anniversary football team On July 23, 2002 in celebration of the Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary, a 120-member blue ribbon committee selected the Top 50 football players in ACC history. Clemson led all conference schools with the most players selected to the Golden Anniversary team. Each of Clemson's honorees were All-Americans and former NFL players. The nine selectees from Clemson were: Template:Multicol Joe Bostic, (1975–1978) Jerry Butler, (1975–1978) Bennie Cunningham, (1973–1975) Template:Multicol-break Jeff Davis, (1978–1981) Steve Fuller, (1975–1978) Terry Kinard, (1978–1982) Template:Multicol-break Michael Dean Perry, (1984–1987) William Perry, (1981–1984) Anthony Simmons, (1995–1997) Template:Multicol-end Current NFL players Thomas Austin - Offensive Line, New England Patriots Da'Quan Bowers - Defensive End, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Crezdon Butler - Cornerback, Pittsburgh Steelers Miquel Chavis - Defensive End, Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Clemons - Safety, Miami Dolphins Kavell Conner - Linebacker, Indianapolis Colts Jamie Cumbie - Defensive Tackle - Oakland Raiders Brian Dawkins - Safety, Denver Broncos Nick Eason - Defensive End, Arizona Cardinals Jacoby Ford - Wide Receiver, Oakland Raiders Maurice Fountain - Defensive End, Seattle Seahawks Marcus Gilchrist - Cornerback, San Diego Chargers Tyler Grisham - Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers Chris Hairston - Offensive Tackle, Buffalo Bills Mike Hamlin - Safety, Indianapolis Colts Jamie Harper - Running Back, Tennessee Titans Leroy Hill - Linebacker, Seattle Seahawks Jarvis Jenkins - Defensive End, Washington Redskins Byron Maxwell - Cornerback, Seattle Seahawks Phillip Merling - Defensive End, Miami Dolphins Michael Palmer - Tight End, Atlanta Falcons Barry Richardson - Offensive Line, Kansas City Chiefs Darell Scott - Defensive Tackle, St. Louis Rams C.J. Spiller - Running Back, Buffalo Bills Chansi Stuckey - Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals Charlie Whitehurst - Quarterback, San Diego Chargers References "Clemson Memorial Stadium". Clemson University Athletics. Retrieved 5 September 2011. "NCAA Football Award Winners" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. 2010. pp. 4–12. Retrieved 5 September 2011. "Clemson Color Palette". "2011 Clemson Media Guide & Supplement". Clemson Sports Information. 2011. pp. 182–188, 190–194. Retrieved 22 July 2011. "John Heisman". CBSSports.com COLLEGE NETWORK. Retrieved 2011-09-17. "John Heisman". John Heisman. Retrieved 2011-09-17. "Gift from Death Valley became "Death Valley" tradition". Mark Schlabach. Retrieved 2011-09-17. "Red Parker returns to The Citadel". Ken Burger/ The Post and Courier. Retrieved 2011-09-17. Sumner, Jim. Looking Back... A Walk Through Clemson's 1981 National Championship Season. TheACC.com, 2006-10-10. NCAA Public Infraction Report Partial quote of the NCAA press release For Release After 11 p.m. (EST) "2008 Clemson Football Media Guide" (PDF). Clemson University. 2008. "Coaches Bio: Danny Ford". Clemson Tigers. Clemson University. Retrieved 15 March 2008. Hanley, Brian. Clemson gets "Real McCoy". Chicago Sun-Times, 1990-12-30. Clemson coach quits. The New York Times, 1993-11-25. "HISTORY OF BOWDEN BOWL". MSN TV. Retrieved 2011-09-17. Mark Schlabach, Bowden ousted at Clemson; coach 'deserved' to be fired, QB says, ESPN.com, October 13, 2008, Accessed October 13, 2008. Associated Press, Clemson promotes interim coach Swinney to permanent job with 5-year deal, ESPN.com, December 1, 2008, Accessed December 1, 2008. "2011 Clemson Football Coaches". Clemson University Athletics. Retrieved 7 September 2011. Clemson Alumni Association, "Clemson Alumni: Today 2008", Harris Connect, Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, 2007, no ISBN , page 1904. ^ Howard, Frank, with Bradley, Bob, and Parker, Virgil, "Howard", Howard, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1990, ISBN 0-934904-22-7, page 132. ^ Bradley, Bob, "Death Valley Days", Longstreet Press, Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, 1991, Library of Congress card number 91-061931, ISBN 1-56352-006-0, page 17. Clemson Athletic Department, "2001 Clemson Football", Keys Printing, Greenville, South Carolina, 2001, no ISBN , page 340. Papanek, John (January 11, 1982). "Year of the Tigers". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 6 September 2011. "Past Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (Division I FBS) National Champions". NCAA. Retrieved 7 September 2011. "Clemson Yearly Totals". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved September 5, 2011. "Clemson Composite Championship Listing". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 6 September 2011. "ACC Champions" (PDF). 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Media Guide (PDF). Atlantic Coast Conference: Page 93. 2007. Retrieved 2011-09-05Template:Inconsistent citations{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) Alex Riley (October 11, 2009). "USC football's lost title team of 1965". The State. Retrieved September 5, 2011. ESPN.com (July 18, 2011). "NCAA places Georgia Tech on probation". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 5, 2011. "Clemson in the Polls". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved 6 September 2011. "Hall of Famers: Clemson". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved 6 September 2011. "ACC 50th Anniversary Football Team Announced". theacc.com. July 23, 2002. Retrieved 6 September 2011. Further reading Bob Bradley, Sam Blackman, Chuck Kriese (1999). Clemson: Where the Tigers Play - The History of Clemson University Athletics. Sports Publishing. ISBN 1-5826-1369-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) External links Official website v t e Clemson Tigers football Venues Bowman Field (1900–1913) Riggs Field (1915–1941) Memorial Stadium (1942–present) Bowls & rivalries Bowl games Alabama Auburn Boston College: O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy Florida State Georgia Georgia Tech NC State: Textile Bowl South Carolina Culture & lore History The Tiger "Tiger Rag" Marching band Clemson–South Carolina football brawl Safety The Fridge People Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders Seasons 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 National championship seasons in bold v t e Clemson University Academics Experimental Forest Graduate School CU-ICAR (Greenville) Charleston Innovation Campus (North Charleston) Athletics Teams Clemson Tigers Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Football Men's soccer Women's soccer Softball Men's tennis Women's tennis Venues Doug Kingsmore Stadium Jervey Athletic Center Littlejohn Coliseum McWhorter Stadium Memorial Stadium Riggs Field Other ACC "Tiger Rag" The Tiger & The Cub Clemson–South Carolina rivalry Football brawl Clemson–Florida State football rivalry O'Rourke–McFadden Trophy Textile Bowl 1985 steroid scandal Campus Campus of Clemson University Fike Recreation Center Johnstone Hall President's House South Carolina Botanical Garden Walker Golf Course Landmarks Clemson College Sheep Barn Fort Hill Hanover House Historic District I Historic District II Lee and Lowry Hall Old Stone Church and Cemetery Student life Clemson Area Transit Crescent Amtrak ESSO Club Fraternities and sororities Lake Hartwell Rugby club Spittoono Media Clemson Tigers Sports Network The Tiger WSBF-FM People Alumni Presidents Thomas Green Clemson John C. Calhoun Benjamin Tillman Other City of Clemson (adjacent to the university) v t e Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) football Current teams Boston College Eagles California Golden Bears Clemson Tigers Duke Blue Devils Florida State Seminoles Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Louisville Cardinals Miami Hurricanes NC State Wolfpack North Carolina Tar Heels Pittsburgh Panthers SMU Mustangs Stanford Cardinal Syracuse Orange Virginia Cavaliers Virginia Tech Hokies Wake Forest Demon Deacons Championships and awards Conference champions All-time standings ACC Championship Game ACC football honors Seasons 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

• Clemson Tigers football
• Sports clubs established in 1896