If you have read the newsletter, here are some fast facts about the Tigers since 1981... (if you haven’t then scroll down)
- Number of coaches: 5
- Number of Bowl Games played: 28
- Number of times the Tigers made it to the National Championship game: 3
- Number of times many times named ACC champs: 9
There have literally been hundreds of Clemson football players who have gotten drafted into the NFL so we wanted to highlight some of the top players since the last National Championship win in 1981.
⭐ William Perry “The Refrigerator” | 🐯 1981- 1984 | 🏈 Drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1985
⭐ Brian Dawkins | 🐯 1992 - 1995 | 🏈 Drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1996 then played his final three seasons for the Denver Broncos.
⭐ C.J. Spiller | 🐯 2006 - 2009 | 🏈 Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2010 and also played for the New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets.
⭐ Sammy Watkins | 🐯 2011 - 2014 | 🏈 Drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2014
⭐ DeAndre Hopkins | 🐯 2010 - 2012 | 🏈 Drafted as wide receiver for the Houston Texans
⭐ Victor Beasley | 🐯 2010 - 2014 | 🏈 Drafted as the 8th overall pick by the Atlanta Falcons in 2015.
⭐ Deshaun Watson | 🐯 2014 - 2016 | 🏈 Drafted 12th overall in the 2017 NFL Draft to the Houston Texans
I don’t know about y’all, but after this last season, I can’t wait to see what the Tigers do this year.
We’re also excited to follow the Paladians, Terriers, Crusaders and even the Gamecocks. (But that’s more COLAtoday’s expertise, so follow them, alumni). Oh, and did you know that pumpkin spice lattes are out Friday at Starbucks? Oh, and Christmas Decorations are already out at Target. 🙅
The weekend can’t get here fast enough.
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We’re coming up on (arguably) one of the most exciting weekends to end the summer and kick off football season, so, naturally, we studied up on the timeline of Tiger football history from their first National Championship (1981) to their most recent (2017). 🎉
Be armed with the football knowledge you need to sound like a pro or just get hyped for the season if you already know it all. (UofSC fans, we have your season preview here. And, Furman vs Wofford Saturday. #UpstateRivarly.)
- 1981: Started the year unranked but ended winning its first National Championship in the 48th annual Orange Bowl Classic under coach Danny Ford.
- 1985: Played against Georgia at Clemson in the program’s first nationally televised football game.
- January 2, 1989: Clemson became the first ACC team to defeat Oklahoma in the Florida Citrus Bowl victory. 🍊
- December 30, 1989: Beat West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. It was Clemson’s fourth straight bowl victory + the fourth consecutive year Clemson was ranked in the national top 20.
- 1990: Danny Ford resigned as head coach after 11 full seasons. Ken Hatfield became Clemson’s 22nd head coach. Ford was the youngest football coach to win a national championship at the time.
- January 1, 1991: First appearance at the Hall of Fame Bowl and won against Illinois. 🏆
- October 26, 1991: Purple jerseys were worn for the first time since the 1930s in a victory over N.C. State. In the 11 years from 1981 to 1991, the Tigers won the ACC seven times (they were ineligible to be crowned champions for one of them).
- 1993: Coach Hatfield was replaced with Tommy West, who took over the team in time for the Peach Bowl, in which the Tigers defeated Kentucky in the Peach Bowl.
- 1995: Wore replicas of the uniforms worn by the 1939 team that went to the Cotton Bowl (the first bowl appearance in Clemson history) for the game (and loss) against Georgia at Death Valley.
- 2008: Dabo Swinney took over as head coach after Tommy Bowden resigned six games into the season. 🙏 He previously worked as receivers coach for the Crimson Tide from 1996 to 2000 then left to become receivers coach and recruiting coordinator under Bowden at Clemson in 2003.
- Jan. 1, 2009: Nebraska beat Clemson in the Gator Bowl.
- December 27, 2009: Won the Music City Bowl against Kentucky.
- 2010 – 2012: Clemson lost the Meineke Bowl against South Florida: 31, 26 and lost to West Virginia in the Orange Bowl: 70, 33.
- 2012 – 2014: Back on their game. 🎉 Won Chick-fil-A Bowl against LSU Tigers at the Georgia Dome and won. Another win at the Orange Bowl against Ohio State then Clemson shut down Oklahoma with a 40-6 win at the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl.
- 2015: Made it to the Orange Bowl and beat Oklahoma again.
- January 2016: The CFP National Championship led to a loss against Alabama.
- 2016 season: Clemson made it back to the College Football Playoffs and won the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State, which led them to back-to-back National Championship appearances.
- January 2017: Took on Alabama again in college football’s first rematch between #1 and #2 teams in national championship game history – this time they won the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship. 👏🏽 👏🏽 👏🏽
- September 2, 2017: Tigers go into the upcoming season with Kelly Bryant as their starting QB against Kent State at noon. See the games you can’t miss here.
