NCAA Football Team History

Clemson Tigers - History

Death Valley

Name synonymous with Clemson Memorial Stadium. The Stadium was dubbed this affectionate title by the late Lonnie McMillian, a former coach at Presbyterian. He used to take his teams to play at Clemson, and they rarely scored, never mind gained a victory. Once he told the writers he was going to play Clemson up at Death Valley because his teams always got killed. It stuck somewhat, but when Frank Howard start calling it that in the fifties, the term really caught on. It is now in its 54th year.

Many people think the name is derived from the fact that there rests a cemetary outside the fence on the press box site of the stadium. But, although it would make sense, the name was first coined by Lonnie McMillian.

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.

Homecoming

Clemson holds a classic homecoming every year. Displays by fraternities, sororities, and other student organizations that are months in the making, are built on Bowman Field the week prior to the Homecoming Weekend. It is an event that draws alumni and friends of Clemson from all over the country.

The Friday evening prior to the game, Tigerama is held in Death Valley, an event that attracts over 35,000 fans. The Homecoming Queen and her court are presented in addition to Homecoming skits, a pep rally and a large and loud fireworks display.

The first homecoming game played at Clemson took place on September 30, 1922 when Clemson met Centre. Clemson has a 56-19-3 record on Homecoming games over the years. The average margin of victory is 21 to 12. Clemson has been especially successful on Homecoming in recent years, posting a 26-3-2 record since 1971.

Orange Pants

The tradition of the Clemson team wearing orange pants is new according to tradition standards. The Tigers first wore the all orange uniform for the final game of the 1980 season against South Carolina. Clemson upset the 14th ranked Gamecocks and Heisman Trophy winner George Rogers, 27-6. The victory set the stage for Clemson's National Championship run of 1981.

Overall, Clemson is 29-6 in Orange pants since that 1980 game, including a 16-1 record ingames played in the month of November. The Tigers have won seven in a row in orange pants, including last year's important victory over North Carolina.

Clemson has nine wins over top 20 opponents when wearing Orange pants, including the 22-15 National Championship clinching win over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl.

Howard's Rock

When the Clemson team gathers to Run Down the Hill the players rub Howard's Rock because of the mystical powers it is supposed to give Clemson players.

The rock is mounted on a pedestal at the top of the hill and was given to Coach Frank Howard by a friend (S.C. Jones' 19) who picked it up in Death Valley, CA.

The Rock was first placed on the pedestal at the top of the hill on September 24, 1966, a game Clemson won 40-35 over Virginia.

The team started rubbing the rock for the first game of 1967, a 23-6 win over Wake Forest on September 23, 1967.

Running Down the Hill
One of the most exciting 25 seconds (about 35 seconds when Clemson dresses 120 players for homecoming) in college football from a color and pageantry standpoint. After Clemson's last warmup the team retreats to the home dressing room located under the West Stands. At about 12:50 ( for normal 1:00 P.M. game), the team boards two buses and drives around the periphery of the stadium to the east side of the field. After everyone is properly collected, the cannon sounds, Tiger Rag is played and Clemson charges down the hill (exactly 100 feet top to bottom) and onto the field. It is one of the most celebrated entrances in sport. The Tigers have done it for every game since 1942, except for 1970, 1971 and four games of the 1972 season. In all, the Tigers have run down the hill 249 times heading into 1996.

How in the world did the tradition of running down the hill start There is no long involved explanation, it used to be the quickest way to get to the field. When the stadium was built in 1942 the football locker rooms were up the street in Fike Fieldhouse.

When the players were finished getting dressed they used to walk out the front door and walk down the street to "The Hill". Coach Howard continued the tradition when locker rooms were finally built inside the stadium because Clemson fans used to get so fired up when they gathered at the top of the hill. That's when the buses came into use to spend the trip from the locker room to the other side of the stadium.

Chad Carson
Linebacker * 1999-2001 First-team Academic All-American in 2000 and 2001 after being selected as a second-team choice as a sophomore in 1999... first-team Academic All-ACC in 1999 and 2000... joins teammate Kyle Young as only three-time Academic All-Americans in Clemson football history... has a 3.9 GPA in biology, he was a Finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship in 2002... on the field, ranked fourth in the nation in tackles per game in 2000, he had the high total on the Clemson team with 156... the 156 tackles ranked seventh best in Clemson history... now has 311 entering the 2001 season, 12th highest in Clemson history... had 22 tackles against Georgia Tech in 2000, high total by a Clemson player that year... two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Week... had 18 tackles in the win over South Carolina... had 144 tackles as a sophomore to rank second on the team... third in the ACC in tackles... had 16 tackles in the Peach Bowl against Mississippi State.
Kyle Young
Center * 1999-2001
First-team Academic All-American in 1999, 2000, and 2001...second offensive lineman in college football history to be named a three-time first-team Academic All-American....just the third Clemson player in history to earn academic All-American and on-the-field All-American honors in the same year... recipient of team GPA Award in 1999 and 2000... graduated Summa Cum Laude from Clemson in May of 2000 with degree in secondary education... second-team All-American according to Football News and third-team selection by Sporting News in 2000... third in the voting for the Dave Rimington Award in 2000, the honor given to the top center in college football... first-team All-ACC on the field in 2000, first-team Academic All-ACC in 1999 and 2000... set Clemson record for knockdown blocks in a season with 120...had record tying 21 knockdown blocks in 100 plays against NC State in 2000... had just six missed assignments in 845 plays during the 2000 season... averaged 13 knockdown blocks per game over the last 13 contests of the season... has played 35 consecutive games, 28 in a row as a starter entering the 2001 season... won team dedication Award for his performance in the weight room for the 2000 season... grandfather was a member of Clemson's first bowl team, the 1939 Cotton Bowl team.

Charlie Bussey
Back * 1956
Clemson quarterback 1954-56... captain of the 1956 team that won the ACC title and played Colorado in the 1957 Orange Bowl... Academic All-ACC in 1955 and 1956... third-team Academic All-America choice in 1956... led the Tigers in passing, punting and interceptions in 1956, the last Tiger to pull off that all-around triple threat performance... served as Athletic Director at Louisiana Tech in the 1980s... entered Air Force where he served as an instructor-pilot for over eight years... works with IPTAY office, oversees Clemson Hall of Fame.

Harvey White
Back * 1957
Second-team Academic All-American as a sophomore... Academic All-ACC in 1957 and 1958... led the team in total offense during his sophomore and junior years... paced the club in passing for three straight seasons... All-ACC as a sophomore, he quarterbacked Clemson for three straight years and to three straight bowl games... co-captain for the 1959 team... had a 154 passing efficiency in 1957, second highest single season figure in Clemson history... 18th in the nation in total offense in 1957 with 1038 yards... still ranks fifth in Clemson history in passing efficiency... first Clemson quarterback to complete over 50 percent of his passes for a career... still in top five in Clemson history for touchdown passes.

Lou Cordileone
Tackle * 1959
Named to first-team All-American, Academic All-American and Academic All-ACC in 1959... first Clemson player to be chosen first-team Academic and on-field All-American in the same year... started on two ACC Championship teams that were nationally ranked 11th and 12th in 1958 and 1959, respectively... played in two 1959 bowl games, the Sugar Bowl and the Bluebonnet Bowl... right fielder in the College World Series for Clemson baseball team in 1959... played with the New York Giants (football) in 1960, he was a first-round draft choice, 12th pick of the entire draft... named to Clemson's Centennial Team in April, 1996.

Don Kelley
End * 1971
Three-time Academic All-ACC selection... first-team Academic All-American in 1971... holds single game return yardage record for Clemson and the ACC with 223 yards against Maryland in 1970... had a single game record 167 yards on punt returns in that game... his 389 punt return yards in 1970 rank as the second best for a single season in Clemson history... sixth in the nation in punt returns in 1970... played defensive back for two years, then switched to flanker for his senior year... his mother was 1970 IPTAY Mother-of-the-Year... Don is now a dentist in Greenville, SC.

Ben Anderson
Defensive Back * 1971
Second-team Academic All-American... President of Tiger Brotherhood while at Clemson... earned 1972-73 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award... won the Jim Weaver Award as the outstanding student-athlete in the ACC for the 1972-73 academic year... won Norris Medal in 1973 as Clemson's top all-around student... recipient of the Frank Howard Award for bringing honor to Clemson University in 1973... three-time academic All-ACC on the gridiron, he made the team in 1970, 1971 and 1972... attended South Carolina Law School... lives in Clemson and is the General Counsel for Clemson University... inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1997.

Steve Fuller
Quarterback * 1977-78
First-team Academic All-American as a senior, second-team in his junior year... made Dean's list six consecutive semesters at Clemson ... awarded NCAA and Jim Weaver Postgraduate Scholarships from the ACC... honored in 1978 as one of 11 scholar athletes by the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame... NCAA Top Five Award winner, given annually to the top five student athletes in the nation, regardless of sport... graduated with a 3.93 in Pre-Law (History)... just the second Clemson athlete in history to have his number (four) retired... played in East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl in 1979... played in the NFL for 10 years, including a stint with the Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears... named to Clemson's Centennial team in April, 1996... works in real estate in Hilton Head Island, SC.

Mike Eppley
Quarterback * 1983
A 1990 Clemson Hall of Fame inductee... honorable mention All-American in 1984... Academic All-ACC in football and basketball three times each during his celebrated career... participated in 1984 Blue-Gray game... threw for 28 career touchdown passes, breaking Bobby Gage's record... recipient of the Frank Howard Award in 1983-84 academic year and the Clemson IPTAY Athlete-of-the-Year the same season... third in the nation in passing efficiency in 1983, the highest finish ever by a Clemson quarterback... one of two Clemson QBs to rank in the Top 25 in passing efficiency twice... fourth-team Academic All-American in 1984, he was first-team All-ACC by AP for his on-field performance... doubled as basketball player for four years... also earned his master's degree from Clemson... heating and air conditioning vice president in Charlotte, NC.

Bruce Bratton
Offensive Tackle * 1991
First-team College Football Association Academic All-American for 1991 and a second-team All-ACC choice by AP/ACSWA at offensive tackle ... named to the Academic All-ACC football team for three straight years, he was just the sixth player in Clemson history to do so... received his degree in industrial engineering in May of 1991, he was a graduate student during his last year of competition... winner of the Bob James Postgraduate scholarship, the ACC's top academic honor... a senior leader of the Tiger offensive line that led the team to the ACC regular season title in total offense and rushing offense in 1991... a three-year starter for the Tigers.

Ed Glenn
Tight End * 1994
First team CFA Academic All-American... winner of ACC's Jim Tatum Award as top scholar-athlete among ACC football players... also winner of the ACC's Jim Weaver Award as a top scholar-athlete among all ACC athletes... starting tight end for Clemson in 1994, and third ranked blocker... First-Team academic All-ACC in 1994... graduated with a 3.9 GPA in biochemistry and a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School.

Andye McCrorey
Linebacker * 1995
First-team CFA All-American in 1995... winner of ACC Weaver-James Award for accomplishment on the field and in the classroom... played his final season as a graduate-student... first gridder in Clemson history to make Clemson academic honor roll four straight years... first-team academic All-ACC in 1995... fourth on Clemson's 1995 team in tackles, including career high 14 against Georgia... earned his masters in sociology at Clemson in May 1997... currently living in Atlanta, GA where he works for the secret service.