Orange: The Experience by EDWARDS PUBLICATIONS

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Orange: The Experience

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Downtown senecA sc 6th

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26 4 mAy 2

Live in Concert Saturday May 26 at 8 p.m.

LIttLe RIveR BAnD

FRIDAY MAY 25

the JAMIe wRIght expeRIence

kIcks oFF senecA Fest thuRsDAY nIght At 6:30 p.M.

Beginning Friday May 25 at 6 p.m.

CLASSIC CAR CRUISE-IN 3 P.M. SoUL FEAthERS 6:30 P.M. pARt tImE pARty tImE 8:30 P.M.

sAtuRDAY MAY 26 5K RoAD RACE 8 A.M. BIKE Show 10 A.M. Prizes for Best of Show BLUEGRASS 10 A.M.-12 P.M. Featuring Chatuga Ridge, True Blue at 3 p.m and StoneEcho at 6:30 p.m.

96.3 wGoG The Promenade and Townville Walk featuring Artists Music and Flowers

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VISIT WWW.SENECA.SC.US fOR dETAILS WHILE YOU’RE HERE, VISIT OUR PARTNERS... 2 ❘ Orange: The Experience

CLEMSON

featuring

the tams

april 2, 2012

Volume 3, Issue 6

inside ...

departments 6 Terry Don Phillips

How do you measure success?

something in these hills 8

Keasha Rutledge and Chris Draft made each breath matter

10 Clemson wins Furman Invitational for third straight year 12 In focus: Clemson’s capital campaign for baseball 14 IPTAY Donor Spotlight

G. Julian Boardman

16 IPTAY Representative Spotlight

Martin Tiller

18 IPTAY New Donor Spotlight

Just Like Practice:

24 Spring Football Outlook More questions than answers for new season.

Clemson’s unit is the nation’s best

48 Men’s Tennis Continuing to

Improve and Grow

28 No Easy Move for Venables Journey to Tigertown similar to the one he had

Even as a young team, Tigers show great chemistry as they learn to rely on each other.

to Norman, OK 13 years ago.

Teacher Becomes the Student

Elden Campbell Comes Back to Clemson Campbell recalls his glory days being a Tiger.

Kevin Brady Defines Perseverance

Despite challenges, Brady shows his strength.

Women’s Tennis Prepares for Strong Stretch Run Bek, Wong lead Clemson’s efforts.

Swimming and Diving Head Coach Christopher Ip takes away the most important lesson his program taught — never give up.

56 Coming Home

Craig Eaddy

19 Leave your mark on Clemson ... buy a brick 61 Memorials 62 IPTAY Donor Photos 64 The Last Word

Bill Foster’s lasting legacy

Editor: Philip Sikes Assistant Editors Tim Bourret Lindsey Leonard Will Vandervort Graphics Coordinator: Melissa Bradley Contributing Writers Sam Blackman Chandler Carver Jeff Kallin William Qualkinbush Chief Photographer Rex Brown

There is no denying Clemson’s new ticket manager was born to be a Tiger.

58 NCAA Compliance

Warning: Do not contact prospects

IN THE NEXT ISSUE ... A record four golfers with ties to Clemson will play in the Masters, including current Tiger Corbin Mills.

Orange: The Experience is published eight times a year exclusively for donors to the IPTAY Scholarship Fund. A minimum priority contribution is $140, although contributions of any amount are welcome. To join IPTAY, call 864.656.2115 or go to www.clemsontigers.com and click on IPTAY. To advertise in Orange: The Experience, call 864.882.2375, fax 864.882.2381, call 864.656.2975 or e-mail to lsweval@exchange.clemson.edu. If you’ve had an address or phone number change, call the IPTAY office at 864.656.2115; go to www.clemsontigers.com and click on IPTAY; or send your name, IPTAY number, new address, new phone number and e-mail address to: IPTAY, P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633.

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Orange: The Experience

april 2012

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How do you measure success? Terry Don Phillips

clemson athletic director A successful season in sports can be measured in several different ways. Certainly, winning is the ultimate goal, but how one wins or the journey by which they get there also determines how successful a program is or will be. The men’s basketball and the track & field programs are two examples of what I’m writing about. First, let’s look at what Lawrence Johnson and his staff have done with the men’s and women’s track programs at Clemson. Last month, our women’s track team won their third straight ACC Indoor Championship and then finished fifth in the National Championships a few weeks later—the second-highest finish in the program’s history. The men finished fifth in the ACC Championships and were just four points away from third place, which is the continual improvement we need. The job Lawrence and his staff have done is tremendous. Our women were not competitive before they came along and built them into champions. That’s why Lawrence was named the ACC and Southeast Region Coach of the Year. The women are not only winning, but they are running away from the field. His teams are very well-coached and well-mannered as well. Their athletes represent themselves and the university the way student-athletes should. Brianna Rollins was named ACC Women’s Indoor Track Performer of the Year, while Dezerea Bryant received the Freshman of the Year award. Rollins became the first Clemson female student-athlete to be named Indoor Track Performer of the Year after she won her first individual ACC championship when she clocked a time of 8.07. She also claimed the 60-meter hurdles crown at the Reggie Lewis Track Center in Boston, MA last month. She followed that up with a runner-up finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships the next week in Idaho. Bryant is the third Tiger to win ACC Indoor Freshman of the Year honors, joining Liane Weber in 2007 and Rollins in 2010. Bryant took home ACC Meet Most Valuable Performer honors in February after winning the 60-meter dash and 200 dash in Boston. Bryant also became the first female student-athlete to earn All-America honors in both events in the same season. Like our track & field teams, our men’s basketball team is very wellcoached. Our team plays hard, and as he transitions through recruiting, Brad will build upon what he has done so far. I know the future is very bright for Clemson basketball. Though we were disappointed to see our men’s basketball program fall short of earning an NCAA Tournament or NIT bid for the first time since the 2003-04 season, the 2011-12 basketball year was still a success. Brad Brownell and his Tigers finished the season with a 16-15 overall record, the program’s eighth straight season with at least a .500 overall record. Clemson finished the regular season 8-8 in the ACC, the fifth straight season the Tigers were .500 or better in conference

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Orange: The Experience

play. It is the longest streak of break-even seasons in Clemson’s 59 years in the Atlantic Coast Conference. To reach that mark, the Tigers won five of its last seven conference games after starting 3-6 in league play. And Clemson joins Duke as the only ace program with at least five straight break-even or better ACC records. This past year, our men’s team beat three teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including ACC Tournament champion Florida State by 20 points – its worst defeat all season. The Tigers snapped an 18-game losing streak at Wake Forest’s Lawrence Joel Coliseum. Prior to this season’s 78-58 win, Clemson’s lone win in the facility came in 1990, its inaugural year. The Tigers also swept two ACC opponents for the second straight season, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest. It was the second straight sweep over the Yellow Jackets—the first time since 1982 that has happened. Clemson also defeated Iowa on the road in November by a score of 71-55 to improve to 9-4 all-time in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The win was Clemson’s fourth straight on the road in the Challenge, most by any school in either conference. The Tigers finished the year second in the ACC in scoring defense in 2011-12, yielding 60.6 points per game to the opposition. That was the second-best figure by a Clemson team since 1950. The Tigers committed just 12.1 turnovers per game in 2011-12, the third-best figure on record at Clemson. Those are things that happened on the court. Off the court, and most importantly in the classroom, our men’s team made big strides as they recorded a 3.13 team GPA for the fall semester, a program record for a semester. It was the highest GPA among men’s sports at Clemson, also a first for the program. Nine of the 12 squad members had at least a 3.0, another record for the Clemson basketball team. The previous best was a 2.96 GPA in the fall semester of 1983 under Bill Foster. All four of the seniors made the academic honor roll, including Catalin Baciu and Tanner Smith, who made the Dean’s List. Freshmen T.J. Sapp (Dean’s List), Devin Coleman and Bernard Sullivan all made the academic honor roll as well. We in the athletic department are going to do our part as well to make sure the future stays bright for our basketball programs. Presently, we are in the planning stages of a new basketball facility. We will be conducting a strong fundraising campaign so that we can get the project off the ground. That is something we must have to keep up with our competitors inside and outside the league. Though the Huckabee Annex is relatively new, it does not fit the total needs of the men’s and women’s programs. These improvements will be significant enhancements that will help both our programs progress and build consistent winners on and off the court. Go Tigers!

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something in these hills Keasha Rutledge and chris Draft

Made Each Breath Matter basketball. She always watched the games whenCollin Sarvis smiled perhaps brighter than she ever her Tigers were on television. He described ever has following the Rally Cats performance her as being, what Clemson Head Football Coach during a timeout in Clemson’s basketball game Dabo Swinney says, “All-In.” against the University of Maryland on Feb. 7. And Keasha even took Draft to his first Clemson though it was a performance that lasted no more football game this past year when they attended than 30 seconds, it was one that will perhaps rethe Homecoming game against Boston College. main in the dancer’s mind longer than any she has “A big part of who she is — is Clemson,” he ever had before. said. “It was really fun,” the senior nursing major said That led Draft to an idea that will help Keasha’s afterwards. “That was something we all wanted to loving spirit to always be remembered. He ando. It was special to all of us.” nounced on the same night the Rally Cats honored It was special because Sarvis, along with the his wife, that he was establishing the Keasha rest of the Clemson dance team, dedicated the Rutledge-Draft Memorial Scholarship, an underroutine to former Rally Cat Keasha Rutledge-Draft, graduate award that will allow future Clemson who passed away on Dec. 27, 2011 from lung canstudents to pursue their dreams. cer, just 30 days after marrying former NFL line“We want to celebrate her life by providing an backer Chris Draft in an emotional and memorable opportunity for someone else,” he said. ceremony in Atlanta on Thanksgiving Day. Draft also honored his wife by starting “Team Keasha had performed the moves the Clemson Draft” — a campaign to raise awareness to lung dance team used in the Maryland game during a cancer prevention and research — which the home video Draft made of his wife the day of her couple launched at their wedding as part of an first chemo treatments. initiative to raise funds for New York’s Memorial “In this video, she had really just found out she Clemson Rally Cat Collin Sarvis displays had cancer. She had just started treatments, but you the pearl earrings, pearl necklaces and Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “She always said, ‘Ok, where do we go next? How can I could see her strength,” Rally Cat senior captain Christi the pearl ribbons the dance team wore King said. “She still had a lot of strength left. When you against Maryland on Feb. 7 in honor of still bring joy?” Draft said. “Every day she grabbed hold of go through and look at the pictures and the videos, you Keasha Rutledge-Draft who died on Dec. that. She cared about her friends and was worried about them. She continues to bring this joy to us. can see the physical deterioration, but you can also tell 27 from lung cancer. Photo by Rex Brown “In the pictures of her from the past year, in most of that her spirit was so strong.” them she is smiling,” Draft continued. “That’s what this Keasha’s spirit never wavered even when as a healthy, scholarship is about — bringing that joy to someone else, and allowing them to active young woman who never smoked, she was diagnosed with Stage IV lung spread that joy to other people.” cancer last year. That’s why it was important for the Rally Cats to honor her with After growing up in nearby Williamston, SC, Keasha graduated from Clemson in the dance routine and by doing something that stood out even more. So they wore 1995 where she earned a degree in electrical engineering. After leaving Clemson pearl earrings, pearl necklaces and even had a pearl colored ribbon on their unifor Charlotte, NC she continued her dancing career as a member of the “Honeybees,” form. the dance team of the NBA’s Hornets when they were in Charlotte. “We wanted to do something that meant more than just doing a dance,” King Keasha did not meet her husband until 2006 when they met through a mutual said. “We looked up what the lung cancer research color is and it ended up being friend, while Draft was playing for the Carolina Panthers. Draft, a standout linepearl, which I thought was interesting so we ended up wearing pearl earrings and backer at Stanford University in the late 1990s, said it was no coincidence he had his necklaces. We wanted to do something that was just a little bit more symbolic than most productive season as a professional the year he met Keasha. just a dance. “There is only so much you can accomplish without someone by your side,” he “We wanted people to see we weren’t just doing something that we normally said. would be doing.” And though Keasha is no longer by his, her memory is still with him. And Draft knew what they were doing, and Keasha did too. through Clemson and the Rally Cats, her memory will live on for a lifetime to come. “It let folks know that’s her. That’s what she did,” Draft said. “She danced. It was a “There is a connection dance brings to all people,” King said. “Though we did not part of who she was. It was a part of how she moved — the grace and everything. know him before this and we did not know her, we were still connected. It brings a But the dancing was just the icing on the cake for her. She had a beautiful personalgreater hope for realizing what the world is truly about, and how much each breath ity that lit up the room.” really matters.” Part of Keasha’s personality was her love for Clemson University. Draft said she was obsessed with the Tigers. He said she always talked about Clemson football or — by Will Vandervort 8

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Orange: The Experience

april 2012

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Clemson Wins Furman Invitational for Third Straight Year When Larry Penley spoke to the Clemson Athletic Department during a staff luncheon last month, the Tigers’ Director of Golf told the group his team had a chance to be really special. It didn’t take long for Penley’s Tigers to prove him right, as the Tigers won consecutive tournaments in March, including the 43rd annual Furman Invitational in Greenville, SC on March 16-18. Thanks to Corbin Mills’ seven-under par 65 on Sunday and rounds of 69 from his teammates Thomas Bradshaw, McCuen Elmore and Crawford Reeves, Clemson cruised to a 15-stroke victory over Virginia Tech at the Furman University Course. The Tigers completed the final round with a collective score of 272 and established a tournament record with a three-day score of 857 (27-under par). “I think our team is real good,” Penley said. “We have a chance to cause all kinds of problems. I’m really confident in what we are doing.”

It was the second consecutive tournament victory for Penley’s team, who won the USC-Aiken Cleveland Classic in early March by one shot over Virginia. The Furman win over Virginia Tech was the largest margin of victory for the Clemson program since a 31-shot win at the Topy Cup in Tokyo, Japan in September of 2002. It was also the first time Clemson won back-to-back tournaments in eight years. “We have a special team that can shoot good numbers,” Penley said. “Whether we can keep this going, we will see. I’m hoping we are saving our best for the (ACC), regionals and nationals because we are going to need it. “But, we have a chance. We really have a chance.” It marked the third straight year Clemson won the Furman Invitational. In each of the last two years, the Tigers came from behind in the final round, but this year Clemson had a six-shot lead entering the final round and then shot 11-under par through the first

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Mills Prepared for Masters

nine holes to extend its lead. Virginia Tech never got closer than 13 shots after that. The Tigers, who also came in second at the Westin Rio Mar Classic in Rio Mar, Puerto Rico on Feb. 21, recorded back-to-back scores of 272 on Saturday and Sunday to run away from the field. On both days, Penley had to throw out scores of 70 for his team’s lowest marks. “I can’t remember kicking out a 70 two days in a row,” Penley said. “We have kicked out under par scores before, but the consistency of our guys was really amazing. Our guys did a good job.” Mills finished in third place with his 208 score, his second best finish of the year. Reeves and Bradshaw finished tied for fourth at Furman with a 209 score. It tied for Reeves’ best tournament of the year and was Bradshaw’s top event. Reeves missed all of the fall season due to a back injury. “Having Crawford back as a big positive for us,” Penley said. “He is a great leader for us and he works extremely hard. We are happy to see him healthy. To see golf clubs in his hand again, and him have a chance to go out and compete, is good to see. He is a grinder from the getgo. He is a very special player. He is a big player like Corbin.” Bradshaw, who finished third at Photo by Rex Brown the Furman Invitational last year, had rounds of 71-69-69. Reeves had four birdies and a bogey on Sunday, while Bradshaw had five birdies and two bogeys. Freshman Billy Kennerly continued his consistent play with a 213 score for his 54 holes, good enough for 11th in the field of 126 golfers. Kennerly shot the 70 on Sunday and had five birdies and three bogeys. McCuen Elmore shot a 69 on Sunday thanks to five birdies and two bogeys. He finished 21st overall with an even par 216 score. “I’m so proud of these guys,” Penley said. “They came into this tournament at Furman knowing we were the best team, but you still have to come in and play well. If we did not play well, Virginia Tech would have won this golf tournament. They played that well. “Having our guys come in and do that, it shows me these guys have a little something special. They are a good bunch. They are going to win a lot of tournaments.”

Corbin Mills knew when he birdied the first hole Sunday, March 18 at the Furman Invitational that it was going to be his day. And boy was it. Mills proceeded to eagle the second hole for a second straight day by hitting his second shot within five feet of the cup. On Sunday, he had 205 yards to the hole and hit his five iron within four feet and then made the putt for eagle. The junior’s round also included a 35-foot birdie putt on the par three 16th hole and a miraculous up-and-down from 130 yards on the 17th hole after he drove his ball into the woods. “The birdie on one got the momentum started right off the bat,” Mills said. The momentum never really went away, either. Mills finished the day with a seven-under par 65 to finish third overall. His score was the best of the three days, and it allowed Clemson to blow away the rest of the field by 15 strokes in winning its third straight Furman Invitational. “He is one of the best players in the country, if not the best in my mind,” Clemson’s Director of Golf Larry Penley said. “It was great seeing him get focused in his last round playing for us for a while. We are not going to have him again until the ACC Tournament.” Mills, playing in his final tournament for Clemson before he competes in the 2012 Masters this week, had seven birdies, an eagle and two bogeys on Sunday. The 65 tied for his best score as a Tiger. “It was solid. Everything came together,” he said. Mills took some time off his collegiate schedule to focus on the Masters, which he qualified for by winning the 2011 U.S. Public Links Championship last July. “This was really good,” he said. “I have been working hard here the past few months. In the last couple of tournaments, I started to see a lot of improvements and it was good to see it all come together. “My short game was really good at Furman. It was really hard chipping around these greens. The grass was growing in, but was still rough with the rain we have received. I was really pleased with my short game, but my ball striking was really bad in Aiken (at the USCA Cleveland Classic), so I worked on that real hard and it came together.” Mills knew his teammates would be fine without him, because he believed they have carried him instead of the other way around. “They have done a really good job of helping me out,” he said. “They know everything that I have going on, and everyone has been playing well. I don’t feel like I have needed to play great for us to win. I wanted to, but it was not there for me before Furman. “They have done a great job of going out there and taking care of business.”

— by Will Vandervort

Orange: The Experience

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april 2012

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In Focus:

Clemson’s Capital Campaign for baseball

Last year, the Clemson athletic department announced a $50 million campaign to enhance the facilities at Memorial Stadium, the Hoke Sloan Tennis Complex, Riggs Field, Doug Kingsmore Stadium and Littlejohn Coliseum. One of the bigger projects in this campaign is improving the facilities at Doug Kingsmore Stadium, especially in regards to the clubhouse and the locker room area for the players. The primary goal of this new facility, which will be located on the first-base side of the stadium, is to upgrade the current clubhouse and locker rooms and bring them up to speed with other schools in the ACC and in the Southeast. Recently, Orange: The Experience assistant editor and senior writer Will Vandervort sat down with Assistant Athletic Director of Major Gifts, Bob Mahony, to talk about why the baseball campaign is so important and what it means for Clemson’s future success in the sport. Q: Why does baseball need a new clubhouse? Mr. Mahony: “Let’s start out by first saying what has been done has really enhanced the environment for college baseball at Clemson. There are not many schools that have the environment we do when it comes to college baseball. We have the Thomas F. Chapman Grandstands. We have a new concourse out there that created a new entrance to the stadium, which has been good for the backside by Jervey Meadows, where most of our parking is located. That has really made that nice. They have enhanced the batting cages out there and have a turf field out there where you can practice, and a lot of teams that come here are really envious of that, especially when the field is wet. There are a lot of things we have done for the fans to really enhance the environment, but the one thing that has really got behind is our clubhouse. People don’t see that. They think when the players go back there towards their locker room area; the fans think it is as nice as everything else on campus. We have some nice facilities on 12

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Orange: The Experience

campus and they have done a lot to improve our locker rooms for other sports, but baseball is behind. In our conference, we are behind five other schools.” Q: Where Clemson behind with its baseball clubhouse? Mr. Mahony: “I’m not saying we have not done anything in recent years, because we have gone in there and patched things up. We have put in new carpet, put in flat screen televisions and some new furniture. It is a nice environment for the kids, but it is small and has low ceilings, and it is not up to speed, especially the locker room area. The lounge is okay. It could be better, but it is okay. But the locker room is really way behind.” Q: There are probably a lot of people out there that don’t understand why a new locker room for players is so important. Can you tell me why that is? Mr. Mahony: “Recruiting is part of the reason, but it is also helpful to provide a suitable environment for our current players. We don’t have adequate space down there for our players right now. We have 33 players, and we basically have 3,200 square feet for them to share. That includes the locker room, lounge, training area and very small coaches’ offices. They basically live in this space all year. Right now, they are down there every day, either practicing or playing.” Q: Will the training area and the coaches’ area be more up to speed as well when the new facility is completed? Mr. Mahony: “We will create a space in this new locker room that will have a new training room that will be used for practice and on game days. It is more than adequate for that. It has good square footage and good storage space, which

will be so much more than what we have right now. As for the coaches, they will have something new that will be something they will be able to work out of. There will be a small office for the head coach, but it will not be his main office. There will also be a small conference room that will be on the same level as the locker room. The one thing they will also have is a recruiting room. There is a team room and a meeting room that will be very similar to what the WestZone has, with the theatre-type seating with the big leather chairs and all the high-tech audio and video-type stuff. The conference room will be on the third level, which Head Coach Jack Leggett will use for recruiting. It will overlook the field and look back towards the rugby fields, so it will look really nice and allow Jack to take a prospect and his family to a nice area so they can talk.” Q: I know football plans to eventually have a museum in the WestZone, is that in the cards for the new baseball facility as well? Mr. Mahony: “Facing the front of Doug Kingsmore Stadium, there will be what we call ‘A Lobby of Legacies.’ We plan to have it open on game days where fans can go in and see the accomplishments of former teams, coaches, players, pro players and all that kind of stuff. Anything that is noteworthy of the program will be on display in that main lobby area. We think it is important because baseball is one of the sports that has a very rich history and right now we don’t have any place to show that off.” Q: The facilities at Doug Kingsmore right now are 3,200 square feet. How big will the new facility be? Mr. Mahony: “It will almost be 15,000 square feet. But before we get to how much it will cost, I want to mention that we do plan on having some kind of premium seating on the third floor that will look out over the stadium. We want to create some kind of box seating for baseball for some of our fans. We can rent it out to

fans over the weekend or highend donors or corporations that may want to come in and use it. We actually have two suites in the plan between the press box and this facility. Then the top floor of this facility in front of the team room will be about 30 bar seats that look out through glass with stools and those kinds of things. It could be revenue producing also, because we could rent them out on football weekends so those areas could be used for tailgating. That’s what we want to have in the building, too, so you do have some kind of premium seating for donors.” Q: How much will this new baseball facility cost? Also, how will you go about raising the funds to build it? Mr. Mahony: “We are in the middle of the campaign right now, and we have 14 members on the campaign committee. It is made up of nine former players that are doing a great job right now. Our goal is to raise about $6 million, but IPTAY has pledged that it will match what we can raise. So basically, if we raise $3 million then IPTAY will provide the other $3 million. Right now, we are over $2 million in pledges and cash. We are really working hard so, hopefully, by the end of the year we will have that $3 million raised. Then we can get that matched and get everything started.” Q: What is the time frame to have everything finished? Mr. Mahony: “I would hope in the next three years. But it is a long process, and there are things we have to go through and complete from the state to get the thing built. Robert Ricketts, Associate Athletic Director for Facilities and Grounds, is helping us with that right now. We are in the stage of trying to get the architecture reviewed and trying to get an architect on board so we can get this whole thing designed like it needs to be.” compiled by Will Vandervort

april 2012

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DONOR SPOTLIGHT

When did you become a Clemson fan? “My freshman year in 1983.”   Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “A lot of our friends were a part of it, and we have attended many games with them. We saw the value of joining IPTAY and wanted to support Clemson, which is ultimately why we became members.” What is your favorite game day tradition? “It has to be a full game day weekend at our Lake Keowee home with friends. We have brought many people from different parts of the country to a Clemson game day and they are amazed at the festival like atmosphere around Clemson and they always want to return.”

G. Julian Boardman

Who is your favorite all-time student-athlete? “Horace Grant, because he worked hard at his position with a positive attitude and carried that into a successful NBA career with the Chicago Bulls. He is a great individual off the court as well.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “It’s Jack Leggett because he has had a long successful coaching career and is a great guy. We know him personally and he makes you feel very comfortable and upbeat in his presence.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “We always bring someone new to Clemson during football season so they can see why we are so excited to be a part of such a great tradition.” Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “If you have not experienced it already, IPTAY provides much more than just an athletic event. It provides a bond and tradition that goes on for generations for families and friends, new and old, as well as being able to reconnect with people in a great environment.” — compiled by Victoria Reid

“If you have not experienced it already,

IPTAY provides much more than just an athletic event. It provides a bond and tradition that goes on for generations

Homecoming 2009 — Scott G., Julian and Kim Boardman an d Joe Rathbun.

Current Hometown

Atlanta, Ga

Years of Membership

15 Years

for families and friends, new and old, as well as being able to reconnect with people in a great environment.”

“Frank the Tank” and LB Tony Steward at Orange Bowl week.

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Orange: The Experience

Game day weekend on Lake Keowee.

april 2012

â?&#x2DC;

REPRESENTATIVE SPOTLIGHT

When did you become a Clemson fan? “I was born a Clemson fan — my mother, grandfather, as well as my uncle all attended Clemson University.” Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “I got involved with the IPTAY Collegiate Club my freshman year at Clemson for the ticket priority perks, but now for the purpose it serves in providing scholarships to our student-athletes and the great improvements it provides to our athletic facilities.” What is your favorite game day tradition? “I rub Howard’s Rock before every game. My tailgating spot and seats are conveniently placed on opposite sides of the stadium, so I go in the gate and rub the rock on the way to my seats. From my seats I give 110% on every play.” Who is your favorite all-time student-athlete? “Basketball’s Cliff Hammonds (2004-‘08), he was the epitome of a student-athlete. Double majored in architecture and psychology, while maintaining a 3.2 cumulative GPA. He was a great leader and player on the court, shooting over 46 percent in field goals and averaging 11.4 points per game his senior year.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “Dabo Swinney — I love the energy and leadership he brings to Clemson Football. I’m ready for that second National Championship!”  What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “Eat a double cheeseburger and fries at Mac’s.” Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “To help bring championships to Clemson; IPTAY members may not be able to compete directly on the field, but by providing scholarships and state of the art facilities, we contribute directly to making Clemson University athletics great.” — compiled by Victoria Reid

“Cliff

Hammonds (2004-‘08), he was the epitome of a student-athlete.

Double majored in architecture and psychology, while maintaining a 3.2 cumulative GPA. He was a great leader and player on the court, shooting over 46 percent in field goals and averaging 11.4 points per game his senior year.”

Tailgating and representing IPTAY with cousin, Will West.

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Martin Tiller

Orange: The Experience

Martin Tiller with fianc éé Teal Rosenlund (‘12).

Current Hometown

Pauline, SC

Years of Membership

5 Years

Senior year tailgating — L to R: John DuRant (‘11), Kenny Shockley, Martin Tiller (‘10), Andrew Godwin (‘11), Will West, Tyler Walker (‘11), Tim Levi (‘11) and Nathan Stone (‘11).

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NE W DONOR SPOTLIGHT

When did you become a Clemson fan? “My father has always been a Clemson fan for as long as I can remember, I think his enthusiasm for Clemson was infectious and gave me a touch of the bug.” Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “I’ve always pulled for Clemson but I was never a huge fan of watching football games, but a couple of years ago I went to my first Clemson football game. As soon as I entered Death Valley, I was hooked. Clemson fans are like no other in college football, the energy and excitement is unmatched.”

Craig Eaddy

What is your favorite game day tradition? “Hanging out with friends, tailgating, and watching the game together, and of course people watching.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “I would have to say Danny Ford, since he was Clemson’s head coach when I watched my first Clemson football game on television with my father.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “I’ll usually tailgate after the game or go out and have a few drinks at the Esso Club and discuss the game with friends.” Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “First and foremost, is to support the advancement of athletics at the University. Then, there is game day, when you can join 80,000 other fans that have the same energy, excitement, and pride that you have and are able to all express it at once. In one word, it is ‘awesome,’ everyone should have the ‘Clemson Experience.’” — compiled by Victoria Reid

Craig Eaddy (at left) an d friend John Hobbs at the Cle mson vs. Georgia Tech game.

Current Hometown “I’ve always pulled for Clemson but I was never a huge fan of watching football games, but a couple of years ago I went to my first Clemson football game. As soon as I entered Death Valley, I was hooked.

Clemson fans are like no other in college football, the energy and excitement is unmatched.”

Craig Eaddy (in hat) with (clockwise) Ann Windham, John Hobbs, Rebecca Rollins, Shannon Mcpherson, and Amy Stewart hanging out at the Esso Club.

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Orange: The Experience

A picture taken by Craig Eaddy during the start of a Clemson game and graphically altered as a miniature.

Florence, SC Years of Membership

1 Year

L to R: John Hobbs, Amy Stewart, Craig Eaddy, Rebecca Rollins and Shannon Mcpherson tailgating.

Leave your mark on Clemson ... buy a brick Looking for a way to leave your mark on Clemson? Buy a brick! Have your name, a family member’s name, or a friend’s name placed on a brick at certain athletic facilities! For a donation of $250 to Clemson University and IPTAY, IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University. For a donation of $390 to Clemson University and IPTAY, those who are not currently IPTAY members can have an engraved brick placed at one of the athletic facilities at Clemson University. This cost of $390 includes a $140 Purple membership in the IPTAY organization that funds student-athlete scholarships, athletic facilities, academic support for studentathletes, and operating expenses. Brick engraving can consist of 3 lines per brick with up to 20 characters (including spaces) per line. Bricks will be placed either at Memorial Stadium, Littlejohn Coliseum, Doug Kingsmore Stadium, or at the Rock Norman Track & Field Complex. You can mark your location preference on the order form, but bricks will be placed based on availability at these locations.

The printable brick order form can be found online by visiting clemsontigers. com, scrolling over “IPTAY,” and clicking “Brick Program.” Please mail the completed form to the address below. To request a brick order form in the mail, please call 864-656-2608 or email stump@clemson.edu. Your gift of $250 goes toward the Capital Campaign of Clemson University. The gift is registered in your IPTAY account and adds to your IPTAY priority point total. Please consult your tax advisor for tax deductibility information for this gift. Sustaining Tiger Cub Club members, open to all fans age 18 and younger, automatically have an engraved brick placed in their name in the Tiger Cub Plaza outside of the IPTAY office. No additional order is necessary to ensure that this brick is placed. Bricks are ordered as soon as the minimum order number is reached. After you place an order, please allow time for us to meet this minimum requirement, for brick delivery, and brick placement. We will soon have an online brick finder so that you can easily locate your brick.

To request a brick order form or to ask any questions about the program, contact Julia Stump in the IPTAY office at stump@clemson.edu, 864-656-2608, or P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633.

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a p7/12/2011 r i l 210:06:33 0 1 2 AM ❘ 19

Just Like Practice by Philip Sikes photos by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

Clemson’s talented, deep unit is the nation’s best in women’s hurdles

rianna Rollins had just finished her junior year of high school when she watched on television as a 400-meter hurdler from Virginia Tech by the name of Queen Harrison did the unthinkable and qualified for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. “That’s one of the goals I want to reach, and when Queen did it she was only a sophomore in college,” Rollins said. “That’s a high accomplishment, and I knew right then I had to be with him.” The “him” Rollins was referring to was then

Virginia Tech Associate Head Coach Lawrence Johnson, who had just transformed a 20-year old from collegiate great to Olympic qualifier. Nearly four years later, the man they call “Boogie” is doing the exact same thing within the Clemson track & field program. More specifically, he has taken a women’s program with very little history to speak of in the high hurdles and transformed it into one of the nation’s best. Consider the group of high hurdlers Johnson has on campus, both past and present. Rollins was the 2011 NCAA Champion in

the 60 hurdles and most recently, the 2012 ACC Champion in the event. Fellow junior Jasmine Edgerson was the 2011 ACC Champion and bronze medalist in February in the 60 hurdles. Bridgette Owens was an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships, and was a Pan American Junior Championships medalist last summer in the 100 hurdles. Monique Gracia was an All-American in the 4x100 relay last season, and would be the top hurdler on many units across the country. On top of all that, Clemson brought in the nation’s best freshman in Keni Harrison, who won multiple national

Clemson’s 2012 high hurdlers (L to R) Monique Gracia, Jasmine Edgerson, Brianna Rollins, Keni Harrison and Bridgette Owens. april 2012

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championships at the high school level. If that weren’t enough, Johnson also personally coaches a pair of protégés from his time at Virginia Tech, including Harrison. She and Kristi Castlin, the reigning USA Indoor Champion in the 60 hurdles, were elite-level athletes in college under Johnson’s tutelage. Another Johnson trainee, Michaylin Golladay, was fourth at the USA Championships and is a former All-American for the Tigers. This large, talented group constantly brings out the best in the Tiger hurdlers. “That’s a good advantage for us,” Owens said. “When we go to a meet, we treat it like practice.” Never was that more evident than in February at the ACC Indoor Championships in Boston, where Clemson became the first ACC team to have five hurdlers finish in each of the top five positions. “I will always remember that,” said Edgerson, who finished third behind Rollins and Owens. “I can’t believe we had the top five times coming into the meet, and we all made it to the final and finished one through five. It was a total team effort.” Building a championship-caliber hurdles program has always been a goal of Johnson’s ever since he arrived at Clemson in the fall of 2008. Believe it or not, though, Johnson didn’t take an immediate liking to the event. After a college career built in the 200 and 400 meters, he eventually learned the secrets to coaching the hurdles, and the rest is history. At Clemson, his building efforts have been expedited through top-notch recruiting. His first women’s class included Rollins and Edgerson. He then added Owens and Gracia, a transfer, in the next class. This past year, Harrison entered the fold. Each of them were dynamic hurdlers, but in their own unique way. “He treats each of us as individuals,” Harrison said. “We don’t all hurdle the same way, but we all run fast. He doesn’t try to do it a certain way, but he helps us find something that clicks for us.” Johnson pays attention to every detail, and focuses much of his teaching points to the technical side of the hurdles. But more than that, he has an ability to motivate and make it exciting for his pupils.

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Orange: The Experience

Above: Rollins (left) and Owens won the silver and bronze, respectively, in the 60 hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Championships in March.

Photo by Stanley Brewster

At right: Edgerson was the 2011 ACC indoor champion in the 60 hurdles. Photo by Rex Brown

It is that ability to motivate that always gives the Tigers an edge, Rollins believes. “The coaches are very motivating, and they help you believe in yourself,” she said. “When I was injured and didn’t believe in myself, Coach Johnson made me feel like I was great. Helping me believe in myself helped me in competition.” After overcoming a season-ending injury as a freshman, Rollins returned to the track in the winter of 2011 with a renewed passion. She posted some of the best times in the nation and, despite finishing fourth at the ACC Championships as a sophomore, went on to the win the NCAA championship with a Clemson-record time of 7.96 seconds. This season, her most consistent competition within the group has come from Owens,

who joined the Tiger track & field program in 2010 from Detroit. Her father, Steve Mitchell, was her hurdles coach from the time she was seven years old until she signed with Clemson. “When I was in high school, my dad was already keeping tabs on Coach Johnson,” Owens said. “I didn’t know he was interested in me until my senior year. I took his word and looked into it, and saw that they had good hurdlers here. When I took a visit, I really liked it.” Clemson coaches have really liked the results they have gotten from not only Owens, but all of the high hurdlers. Rollins was the

NCAA runner-up at the championship indoor meet in March, while Owens took home the bronze medal in the same final. Harrison also qualified for the indoor national meet, making Clemson the only school with three entries in the event. Qualifying multiple hurdlers for an NCAA Championships meet is a tough assignment. During indoor season, it’s all based on time and the field size is determined by the amount of qualifiers in all championship events. For example, the NCAA included Harrison was a just 16 student-athletes in its women’s hurdles second-team indoor field in March. All-American in the 60 hurdles. During outdoor season, the nation’s top 96 Photo by Rex Brown hurdlers are split into east and west preliminary sites. From there, just 12 advance from each site to the final rounds at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Last season, Golladay and Owens made it as Rollins’ season was cut short due to injury Gracia owns the again. seventh-best time in With more and more talent making its Clemson history in way to Tigertown, the common belief in the 60 hurdles. Photo by Rex Brown all the Clemson hurdlers is that the NCAA Championships will continue to take on an orange and purple flavor. “Based off how we train, it’s very possible for us to qualify at least three or four for the national finals in the future,” Edgerson said. “As we keep working harder, I believe at least three of us can make it into the final at nationals,” Owens said. “That might make history, and that would be very exciting to have it feel like practice again!”

Q&A With Clemson Director of Track & Field

Lawrence Johnson Since Lawrence Johnson was hired as Clemson’s Director of Track & Field in 2008, Clemson has won five ACC women’s championships and produced five straight top-25 NCAA finishes. A big part of the program’s success has been the hurdles unit, which has produced one NCAA champion, six All-Americans, two ACC champions and seven all-conference performers. Orange: The Experience caught up with Johnson last month to talk Hurdles 101. OTE › When did you first take an interest in the hurdles, and what intrigued you about the event in particular, given your background as a sprinter? Johnson: “When I was a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas, I had just come from a background in the 200 and 400 meters. Two events that I truly enjoy now, the triple jump and the hurdles, I didn’t like back then. I didn’t know much about the events. It was a challenge to myself. I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to be coaching track & field, I need to learn how to coach these events.’ I did a lot of research, watched a lot of film, talked to great hurdlers and great hurdles coaches that had been around for years. I took a serious interest in it from that point. I was like Steve Jobs experimenting in his garage – ‘I’m onto something!’ I started coaching them from my time at Southern Illinois and then Virginia Tech, to now at Clemson. My sister-in-law, Virginia (formerly Miller) Johnson, was a heptathlete and made the indoor World Championships team in the 400. I started coaching her up, and the whole nine yards. Being able to work with better athletes brought me to where I am today.” OTE › When you recruit a prospect, what are some of the most important qualities you look for in a hurdler? Johnson: “I look at a kid to see that they have a good inseam. Some are proportionally built, such as (2008 Olympian) Queen Harrison, who I coached at Virginia Tech. Some possess a lot of power, like Jasmine Edgerson. More than the physical ability, in talking to a hurdler, they can’t have that fear. There are times you will fall over a hurdle. It’s a lot like being a pole vaulter. Either you can vault or you can’t. They can’t have fear of heights. It’s the same thing with the hurdles. You can’t be scared to hit a hurdle, to run up on a hurdle, or fall. You have to have a passion and relentless attitude to be the best. If they have that, then they can do the hurdles.” OTE › What are the 3-4 essential teaching points you try to impress on young hurdlers that you coach? Johnson: “Body position is the first thing. You have to make sure they’re in a position to hurdle correctly. Takeoff, landing, and speed in between the hurdles are all things we talk about here on a daily basis. Those four things are essential to being a good hurdler, especially here at Clemson. We don’t try and tear them down, but we work with the tools that they possess. I take the things they bring to the table and morph them into a better way that fits them. It’s worked out well for us. They all have things in common, but none of the five have a hurdle style like the other.” april 2012

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Spring Football Outlook More Questions than Answers by Will Vandervort ll of a sudden the rain just poured out of the sky as if someone in the heavens turned on a water faucet following Clemson’s next to last practice before spring break last month. And as the rain dripped off his ball cap and down at his feet, Clemson’s new defensive coordinator Brent Venables never missed a beat as he answered questions for over 13 minutes from a pack of media members who surrounded him armed with umbrellas and digital voice recorders. The questions came from everywhere, as he was asked about his defensive line, his projected starters at linebacker, the secondary, his philosophy as a coach and back to the defensive line again. In short, it was a circus, but it was a circus everyone in the media wanted to see. Venables is the new hot topic at Clemson these days after he took over for former defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who left the program in January. The former Oklahoma defensive coordinator is now in charge of figuring out how to fix a defense that yielded 410 points in 2011, while giving up nearly 400

yards a game. “We have not talked about that at all,” Venables said. “Whether it is on the players’ mind or not, I cannot say. I think they are excited because it is a new year. It is a new team and it’s a new opportunity. I think there is a sense that there are enough quality players coming back. “If we do things right, and if we are willing to put in the work, we will have a pretty darn good team next fall. I think there is excitement from that standpoint as much as anything. They are not naive. They recognize that there are things we need to work on and there are things they need to work on individually, but there is a great willingness to put in the work, the time and the effort to do so. They are making some real sacrifices.” The tough part is Venables has to do it with a defensive line that is replacing three starters — defensive end Andre Branch and tackles Brandon Thompson and Rennie Moore — while also trying to shore up a linebacking unit that is filled with potential but lacks experience and, at times, confidence. Then there is the secondary, a unit that is without its leader

in safety Rashard Hall, who led the team with 89 tackles in 2011. Hall will miss all of spring practice after undergoing knee surgery following the Orange Bowl in January. “We are giving guys an opportunity to compete both mentally and physically. Things are wide open,” Venables said. “We have said it all along. We will judge by a body of work. It is one thing what you have done in the past, but it has zero to do with what you do in the future. “What matters is what you do now, so I want guys to know that there is a fighting chance and that there is an evaluation process going on every day.” Then, there is the proverbial learning curve as players try to learn a new system in only 15 practices. “Like anything, when you learn things for the first time, you are not quite as sure of yourself so they are no different than anyone else,” Venables said. “Learning a new language and a new system is a process, but I have been pleased with the players’ willingness to work and guys are making progress. “It certainly hasn’t been without error, but guys are competing hard and working hard off the field as well.” Some of those guys that are working hard are on the defensive line, where Venables and defensive line coach Dan Brooks have shuffled players in and out of the lineup to see who the most consistent players are. To date, names like DeShawn Williams, Tavaris Barnes and Grady Jarrett have made the most strides at the tackle positions, while Corey Crawford and Malliciah Goodman seem to be locked in at the defensive end spots. “It all starts up front,” Venables said. “That isn’t earth shattering news, but they have all Stephone Anthony will play a much bigger role from the linebacker position in 2012.

Photo by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

shown the ability to hold their own and make an improvement that we need in order to get enough snaps to make up for their lack of experience.” The defensive end positions will be a little bit different this year than in years past at Clemson. Venables chooses to run an unconventional strategy with his ends, and instead runs both the same way, meaning there is no strongside end or weakside end. Instead, they are called right side and left side. In other words, both will do the same things. “What we want our guys to do, and the other way you only play an open side and a tight end side, then people are going to pick up the tight end and trade him all day,” Venables said. “They are going to make your open side guy plays over the tight end. Or when they flip him, you have to start flipping him, and when you start flipping him like that then they will stop him and snap it. “That’s why you teach everything. Here is a technique. Here is what a five (technique) does. Here is what a six (technique) does. Here is what a nine (technique) does. Learn and master it. That’s what we teach our guys to do so offenses can’t get an advantage one way or another. You recruit one mold, instead of two different molds.” Speaking of molds, it appears the mold that made offensive coordinator Chad Morris might be broken. A year after taking over an offense that was described as lethargic at best, Morris used his up-tempo style and made Clemson one of the top units in the ACC, and the entire country for that matter. “This time a year ago, I barely knew where the practice field was,” Morris said. “At least I know where it is now.” He found it, and Clemson found the end zone often as well in 2011 because of it. The Tigers scored 470 points (33.6 points per game) and averaged 440.8 yards on their way to an ACC Championship. Much like the defense, Clemson’s biggest question mark comes up front where the offensive line must replace both its starting tackles (Phillip Price and Landon Walker) from a year ago as well as its starting right guard (Antoine McClain). The only starters returning on the offensive

line are Dalton Freeman at center and Brandon Thomas, who started at both left guard and left tackle at times last season. “We have a lot of young puppies now, and we have to force them to bite,” Morris said. “However we do it, we have to force them to bite. We do have some young guys that want to bite, and that is always promising. “You see those guys down there at Paw Drills, those young ones that should be going to a high school prom or hanging out a baseball game or track meet, but instead they are here and are playing physical. They don’t know what direction to go or what to do, but you line them up and tell them to go forward and they are going to do it with authority and with a bad attitude. I do like seeing some of that. “For most of them that are here right now, it is like running through a San Francisco fog,”

Brandon Ford (14 catches for 166 yards and two touchdowns) is the Tigers’ top choice to replace Allen, while Sam Cooper is next in line, followed by 6-foot-5, 250-pound redshirt freshman Eric Mac Lain, who impressed Morris and tight ends coach Danny Pearman in junior varsity practices during bowl preparations. “My big challenge to Brandon was be tough enough coming in to the spring to play that position 80 snaps a game,” Morris said. “He has tried to prove me wrong and prove all of us wrong, and is doing a good job of it. “We have challenged him to be physical, and to run and play fast. Brandon is going to be just fine. I’m really excited about him. He is a guy that wants to do right and wants to do some really good things.” On the offensive line, the answers are not quite as simple. Clemson moved former defen-

Above: Malliciah Goodman started every game last season and tallied 59 tackles and 14 quarterback pressures. At right: DeShawn Williams could see a prominent role in 2012 with the graduation of two starters on the interior of the defensive line. Photos by Rex Brown

Morris continued. “They can hardly see a step in front of them because things are happening so fast. I keep telling them to keep running and it will clear up. You might hit something along the way, but just bounce off it and keep going. Just keep playing fast and aggressive and all of that other stuff will take care of itself.” Clemson must also replace tight end Dwayne Allen, who opted to end his college career a year early so he could explore his opportunities in the NFL. Allen was a first-team All-American in 2011 and won the coveted John Mackey Award as the nation’s best tight end.

sive tackle Tyler Shatley over to help at right guard to provide some experience and depth. So far, the move has been a positive one, as both players and coaches say Shatley’s ability to grasp the blocking schemes so fast has made him the story of the spring thus far. “Tyler has jumped in there and given us an instant boost,” Morris said. “Obviously, his april 2012

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Bradon Ford, who caught a pair of touchdown passes in 2011, has earned reps as first-team tight end with the departure of Mackey Award winner Dwayne Allen. Photos by Dawson Powers

athleticism, toughness and demeanor have given us that. I have been pleased with him.” Morris said Kalon Davis and Gifford Timothy have also made strides early in the spring. “Kalon has done some good things,” Morris said. “Gifford is a guy that has shown us some flashes. He is like a sparkler on the Fourth of July. You light him up, he looks good, and then he burns out. We just have to keep him lit. That’s the thing with him. “The flashes we see are the good flashes. We just have to keep him in that middle ground and keep mentally pushing him.” With record-setting quarterback Tajh Boyd back under center for his junior year, as well as 1,200-yard rusher Andre Ellington at running back and 1,000-yard receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins, Morris and Head Coach Dabo Swinney feel comfortable about their skill position players. “These receivers are a year into the system,

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Orange: The Experience

Tyler Shatley has gone from chasing down quarterbacks to protecting them as the newest member of the offensive line. Photo by Rex Brown

so you would expect them to be better, and they are,” Morris said. “We are able to focus so much more on technique and fundamentals, rather than terminology. Now, we can break down the precise route running, keeping the shoulders low and the little things that we have talked about and drilled once or twice, but

things we could not spend the time with it because we had to progress. “We are able to really break those things down in the spring and see that. I’m excited about the direction of our skill guys, but we just have to keep getting better. And that is what our directions are every day.” With that said, both coaches want to see Boyd be a better game manager than he was last season, and they also want to see him limit his turnovers even more. “Tajh did a good job with that last year, but he has to do even a better job this year,” Swinney said. “We want to see him grow a little bit better as game manager. We want to see him take advantage of this time in the spring to become more efficient running the offense and protecting the football.” Boyd finished last season with a school-record 3,828 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He threw only 12 interceptions last year, but he led the team in lost fumbles.

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Coming to Clemson no Easy Move for Venables Brent Venables was hired as Clemsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s defensive coordinator in January. Photo by Rex Brown

Journey to Tigertown Similar to the one he had to Norman, OK 13 Years Ago by Will Vandervort 28

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Orange: The Experience

e sat there for a while pondering what his next move was going to be. For the first 28 years of his life, things had moved pretty smoothly for Brent Venables. There were no tough decisions. There was no pondering over this or that. It was pretty easy. Venables was doing what he loved. He was an assistant coach at his alma mater, Kansas State. In his six years as a coach, he had been a part of great success - success the program had never seen before. Under the leadership of Bill Snyder, the Wildcats had gone to six straight bowl games, including stops in the Fiesta and Cotton Bowls. They had been ranked in the top 10 and owned the No. 1 position for much of the 1998 season. Living in Kansas was all Venables knew at the time. He grew up in a relatively small town called Salina where he found great success as a linebacker at Salina South High School. During his senior year he earned 5A Defensive Player of the Year honors, while forming a relationship with someone who would become his defensive coordinator, mentor, boss, friend and brother for the next 23 years.

possible from two men that will one day most assuredly be in the College Football Hall of Fame. The Wildcats proceeded to make their move in the Big Eight and later the Big 12 standings, while playing in the Copper, Aloha, Holiday, Cotton and Fiesta Bowls over the next six seasons. With the success the Kansas State defense was having and most notably Venables’ linebackers, including three earning all-conference selections in 1997, it did not take long for someone to come calling for the young coach’s services. That someone was Stoops, who had left Kansas State three years earlier for Florida, where he won a National Championship as a defensive coordinator in 1996. Stoops was hired at Oklahoma in December of 1998, where he offered Venables an op-

Under the guidance of Bob Stoops, Venables became an All-Big Eight caliber linebacker at Kansas State as he recorded 124 tackles his senior year. When his playing career was over, he stayed on board as a graduate assistant coach, helping Snyder turn what was once one of the worst programs in college football into a consistent winner. With Snyder as the head coach and Stoops controlling the defense, Venables learned more about football than he thought was ever

portunity to help turn around a program that had endured five consecutive losing seasons. Newly married, and loving his life in Manhattan, KS, Venables had what was really his first tough choice to make, one he would not have to make again for 13 years. “He asked me to be a part of his program prior to the Big 12 Championship game that year,” Venables said. “I had agreed to stay on through the bowl game and think things through on whether I would stay at Kansas

State or not. “That was incredibly difficult. Most of my family, including my wife, was in favor of me staying because of how safe and secure it was because of my relationship with Coach Snyder.” So Venables went on out on a limb, and despite the wishes of his family, he accepted Stoops’ offer to become his co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. “You have to go out on a limb sometimes, that’s where they say the fruit is,” Venables

At right: Venables has coached at the FBS level for 16 seasons and during that time, Kansas State and Oklahoma won 81 percent of those games. Photo by Rex Brown

Below: Venables helped Oklahoma advance to four BCS National Championship games.

Photo courtesy of Oklahoma Sports Information

said. “I felt very confident in Coach Stoops, his leadership and his vision and knowing it was a storied program like Oklahoma, even though they had not had a winning season in five years.” And the fruit was plentiful at Oklahoma. In just their second season in Norman, Stoops and Venables took the Sooners to a National Championship. Over the next 13 seasons, they won 139 games together, including seven Big 12 Championships, while coaching april 2012

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in a bowl game every year. During that time, Oklahoma recorded one 13-win season, five 12-win seasons, three 11-win seasons, one 10win season and two eight-win seasons. Life was again easy for Venables, both professionally and personally. At home, he was married to his college sweetheart, Julie, and since moving to Oklahoma in 1999, they formed a family where all four of their children were born. But, Venables knew it was just a matter of time before he had to step out on that limb again.

t was Jan. 12 when Venables, who was sitting at his home in Norman, received a phone call from Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney. The Tiger coach had just parted ways with his former defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, and when talking to a few people, Venables’ name had come up as a possible candidate. Swinney was not sure if there was anything there or not. He did not know Venables prior to the telephone call and he did not know what to expect. But the two hit it off. So much so, neither realized they had been on the phone for nearly three hours when they finally hung up. The two had connected and two days later, Venables and his wife were on a plane to Clemson to meet Swinney and his wife, Kath-

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Orange: The Experience

The Venables hire brought a great deal of media attention to the Tiger football program. Photo by Rex Brown

leen. When he got off the plane, Venables said Clemson felt right. He said he did not know what it was at the time, but there was just something about the place that made him feel at home. “To be honest with you, when I left here that Sunday, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” he said. “I knew what I needed to do. The last obstacles were the issues that were back in Norman. You are always looking for a final justification or clarity or peace of mind. So, you get pulled back and forth. I would be lying if I did not say it wasn’t difficult. It certainly was for obvious reasons.” It was difficult because life was easy again. It was a situation that was very similar, maybe even better, than what he had in Manhattan, KS just 12 years earlier. “When you make a move in your professional life, it affects a lot of people,” Venables said. “I’ll never be defined by money or titles. It is about having a strong faith and putting family and friendships above all else. “In changing jobs, I have essentially had to leave a lot behind and start a new adventure without knowing anybody. Typically in the coaching profession, it is a big fraternity. You know people and somehow and someway, there is a connection. And though I did not know anyone at Clemson at the time, I felt a connection here, a magnetic pull, if you will. I needed to be here and certainly I felt I wanted to be here. I would be lying, though, if I thought the whole idea of leaving a successful and safe situation at Oklahoma was going to be easy. “In the coaching profession, it is very hard to find a place where you have great stability along with great success year in and year out. You always knew you were going to compete for a national championship there.” So, Venables and his wife prayed about the opportunity. And when talking to each other and getting advice from outsiders, going to Clemson always came Like many on back as the answer. Dabo Swinney’s “I felt a strong peace staff, Venables brings an intense of mind that this was definitely the right deapproach to the cision, but there were a sidelines. Photo by Rex Brown lot of things that made

Clemson attractive,” he said. “There were some of the same similarities as to when I left Kansas State to go to Oklahoma. “I left one great situation at Oklahoma and I feel that I have landed at another great situation.” Venables cited Clemson’s location, its commitment to being successful, facilities, tradition and the passion and the vision of Swinney as factors that lured him away. “I knew this is what I needed and wanted to do,” he said. No one was happier about Venables’ decision than Swinney. “Brent is a grand slam,” Swinney said. “The bases were loaded. You can get one run in, but why not go ahead and swing for the fence and bring them all in. That’s what we went after, and we hit a grand slam.”

he move to Clemson was a calculated one by Venables. Timing is everything in all professions, and though this move was a little scary because of some of the unknowns, it was still a move in which he feels can be as successful as or even more successful than his move from Manhattan to Norman. “When we left Kansas State, we were beating Oklahoma every year,” he said. “Kansas State was the better program. It was winning and competing for the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma had five straight losing seasons. Yes, Oklahoma had a great history and a great tradition, but at that time there were a lot of unknowns. The program was much different. “At Clemson, it is a different situation. I came here and the program already has a great foundation. They just won the ACC Championship. They beat Auburn, Florida State and Virginia Tech twice. Two of the last three years they have been division winners in the ACC with the second youngest team in the country.” Venables now hopes to be the final piece of the puzzle Swinney has been building at Clemson since he was hired in December of 2008. “Coach Swinney has done a terrific job in laying the foundation and has this program going in the right direction. I feel that things are only going to get better,” he said. And maybe that will make things a little bit easy, too.

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Orange: The Experience

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Orange: The Experience

Elden Campbell comes back to clemson by Tim Bourret

Campbell scored 1,880 points in his Tiger career, a record that still stands.

Photo courtesy of Clemson Sports Information

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t had been just over 22 years since the last time Elden Campbell had been to a basketball game in Littlejohn Coliseum. It had been 22 years, but he still remembered it like it was yesterday. And, he should have because on that Feb. 28, 1990 evening, he scored a team-high 22 points, with four blocks and three steals, to help the Tigers to a 97-93 victory over fifthranked Duke … as in Coach K, Bobby Hurley and Christian Laettner. It was an epic game, up and down, high energy for 40 minutes in front of an ESPN national television audience. Both teams had over 50 at the half (53-51, Duke). But, when the game was over Clemson had clinched at least a tie for the ACC regular season championship. At the game’s conclusion, the Tigers cut down the nets to celebrate the program’s first ACC title of any kind. “When I think back on my career, that night stands out,” said Campbell, who returned to Clemson this past Feb. 2425, to take part in the school’s 100-year celebration of men’s basketball. “Winning the ACC regular season had never been done, so it was a special night for sure.” It is still a very special night, because Clemson has not won the regular season title since he left. That victory gave Clemson a 10-3 ACC record. At the time of that Wednesday night game, people felt the best Clemson could do was a tie. All Duke had to do that next weekend was beat North Carolina at home on the Blue Devils senior night. But, Dean Smith came through for the Tigers that following Sunday and beat the Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium, giving Clemson the trophy outright. “We really had a talented, deep team,” Campbell said. “Dale (Davis) just got better and better as the season went on. He averaged a double-double (and had 20 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Duke). He was the best rebounder I had ever been around. Sometimes I just let him take the rebound because I was afraid of losing an arm.

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Orange: The Experience

Butch Zatezalo presented Campbell with a game ball after Campbell broke his career scoring record. Photo by Bob Waldrop

“Derrick Forrest was a great defender on the wing and could drive by anyone, David Young could hit the three, Marion Cash ran the point and we had guys who could come off the bench. Kirkland Howling and Sean Tyson were really terrific off the bench.” That Clemson team won 26 games, including a perfect 15-0 at home. It won the ACC regular season during a year in which two other teams advanced to the Final Four (Duke and Georgia Tech). The 1989-90 season was also special for Campbell because he became Clemson’s all-time leading scorer. In the victory over North Carolina on Feb. 24, Campbell’s first free throw put him ahead of Butch Zatezalo on the all-time list. The classy Zatezalo came all the way from Pennsylvania to be part of the afternoon. After Campbell scored the point, Zatezalo came on the court and presented Campbell with the ball to a standing ovation. Some great players have made a run at Campbell’s record (1,880). Terrell McIntyre, Trevor Booker, Greg Buckner and others have had outstanding careers, but Campbell’s record still stands. The ACC and the Big East were the best conferences in the country in the 1980s. The ACC had the national champion in 1982 (North Carolina) and 1983 (NC State) and the league was loaded in 1986 when Campbell was a senior in high school. “I thought about staying on the west coast,” said the native and still resident of California. “I looked at Southern Cal since it was so close, and Oregon State and Pepperdine. I also took a visit to Kansas. But, the ACC was so strong at the time. I had gone to Tifton, GA to see my grandCampbell spent 15 years in the NBA and was a first-round draft choice of the Lakers in 1990. Photo courtesy of LA Lakers

“When I think back on my career, (winning the ACC regular season) stands out ... it was a special night for sure.”

— Elden Campbell

mother when I was growing up. The entire family went for about a month each summer, so the South was a familiar place.” When Cliff Ellis made a recruiting pitch, Campbell was very receptive. “Clemson was one of the first schools to recruit me. Cliff had a good reputation when it came to big men, so it was a good fit.” When Campbell announced he was coming to Clemson he had the full support of the people closest to him - mom and dad. “My parents knew me better than anyone. They knew they raised me to be responsible and to be able to take care of myself far away from home.” The Campbells made many trips across country to Clemson to see Elden play. Elden’s father was one of my all-time favorites, and I remember interviewing him on the Clemson radio network at halftime of his senior night. Clemson did a good job of preparing Camp- Campbell returned bell for the next level to Clemson in and he was a first-round February and pick of the Los Angewas honored at les Lakers in the 1990 halftime of the NC draft. It was a perfect State game as one situation for Campbell, of the school’s 25 greatest players who was raised in Los in conjunction with Angeles and followed the school’s 100the Lakers. And, he got year anniversary to play with the legendof basketball. ary Magic Johnson. Photo by Rex Brown His first year in the NBA, he played in the finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. He came off the bench that year, but had one of his most memorable nights as a professional in the final game that season. In the game that Jordan clinched his first NBA World Championship, Campbell kept the Lakers in the game with 21 points on 9-12 shooting. It would be his high point night as rookie by eight points. Campbell went on to a 15-year NBA career with Los Angeles, Charlotte, Seattle, New Jersey and Detroit. In all, he played in 1,044

games, scored 10,805 points and had 6,116 rebounds. He still ranks 27th in NBA history in career blocked shots. He scored 14.9 points per game in 1996-97 and had some outstanding performances. One night against Patrick Ewing, he scored 40 points. Two nights later, he had 38 against Washington.

win a championship. It came down to San Antonio and Detroit. I put a lot of emphasis on winning that championship because I had not been to the finals since my rookie year. “Larry Brown was the coach and it took some time to reach clarity with what he was trying to do. But around February of that

But, what is most important to Campbell in his retirement years, he finally got a world championship ring with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. “When I was a free agent near the end of my career I sat down with my agent and made a list of all the teams and applied a maximum of five points for three categories: location, opportunity for playing time, opportunity to

year, the cloud was lifted and we believed in him and it led to a championship.” Campbell played one more year with the Pistons and that team advanced to the finals again, but lost in the championship to San Antonio, ironically the other team on Campbell’s wish list when he was a free agent prior to 2003-04. Since his retirement, Campbell has reapril 2012

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100-year anniversary of the men’s basketball program. He had been back to Clemson two of three times since his retirement, but never for a game. Campbell was able to spend time with former teammates and other legends, and even served as a coach for the Friday night alumni game. He even got a technical foul! He also enjoyed watching the Tigers defeat NCAA-bound NC State in a thrilling three-point game. Campbell also spent Friday afternoon meeting with Dr. Sam Ingram, the dean of Clemson’s Graphic Communications department. Campbell, who never red-shirted, did not finish his degree requirements 20 years ago when he was preparing for the NBA. “I really want to finish up my degree. Dr. Ingram was one of my professors when I was an undergraduate and it was great to see a friendly face. I plan to take a few courses in California and come back to Clemson in the summer.” While it is not the forefront of his motivation for coming back, a degree is all that is keeping Campbell from an induction into the Clemson Ring of Honor. “It is always good to come back to Clemson and see everyone,” he said. “The campus has grown so much since I was in school. The city really looks great. What has stayed the same, though, is the people. It is the same friendly, small-town atmosphere.” Campbell served as one of the coaches for the Orange team at the Feb. 24 alumni game, and then signed autographs for fans in attendance for over an hour after its conclusion. Photo by Rex Brown

turned to California. He has been involved in real estate investments with former Clemson teammate Kirkland Howling. Most of all, he has spent time with his wife raising their four children, Jaylee (14), Jay-el (12), Ariel (9) and Aaron (4). “They keep me going, it seems like they have a game every night,” he said. Campbell has also been involved in the NBA Retired Players Association. In 2007, he took a trip to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan with NBA contemporaries Tom Gugliotta and Shawn Bradley. “That was quite an experience. We stayed at a base for two of three days, and then moved on to another. We gave clinics and played a few games. It was smoking hot in June in Qatar, let me tell you. But it was one of the most rewarding things I have done.” Another rewarding recent experience took place when he came back to Clemson as one of the top 25 players in school history for the

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Orange: The Experience

april 2012

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Kevin Brady is Clemson’s No. 1 starting pitcher.

Photo by Tyler Smith

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Orange: The Experience

Kevin Brady Defines Perseverance by Chandler Carver

erseverance is something that is crucial for a collegiate student-athlete. It is something that can either make or break your college career, depending on the adversity thrown your way. One Clemson athlete who is no stranger to persevering through adversity is Tiger pitcher Kevin Brady. Brady has persevered through injury, tragedy, and other frustrations throughout his career as a Tiger. Coming out of high school in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Brady was a highly touted recruit for the Tigers and someone Jack Leggett was excited to add to the program. The No. 1 prospect in Maryland, Brady was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 44th round, but decided to pass up an early professional career for a chance to improve his game at the collegiate level. As a freshman in 2009, Brady started the season with four appearances, including three starts. He impressed everyone. Even though he did not record a decision, Brady posted a 1.69 ERA and the Tigers were 3-0 in his three starts. In 10.2 innings pitched, Brady allowed nine hits, including only one extra-base hit (a triple). He also struck out eight against only five walks. Then, tragedy struck. Brady’s father, John, lost his battle with cancer soon after the season started. His father’s death weighed heavy on his mind and heart, and Brady struggled to find the rhythm he opened the season with. After March 11 his season was done, and he was granted a medical redshirt. Over the next year, Leggett and pitching coach Dan Pepicelli worked hard to help Brady regain his control and get back in

his zone again. Pepicelli knew that sometimes it is hard for a pitcher to regain that control once he becomes wild, but he also had faith that Brady would persevere and get back to being himself on the mound. “We were patient with him,” Pepicelli said. “I told him to put baseball back in balance with his life. It got to a point that he was stressed so much about every single pitch he was throwing. I just wanted him to be where he could just let it go. “The thing that I noticed is when he would throw a couple of pitches he would be so hard on himself about the location of those pitches. He would look to see what I thought. I told him, `Kevin, it is an imperfect game. You have to let it go.’ The better he got at letting it go and trusting himself, the bigger his confidence got, and that is where he is at now.” After months of patience, perseverance, and hard work, Brady regained his confidence. By the end of the 2010 season, he had become the Tigers’ most reliable bullpen pitcher as he recorded 25 strikeouts and had only two walks in his last 21 innings. He finished the year with a 4.20 ERA with 39 strikeouts against six walks in 30 innings over 20 relief appearances. “He is a perfect example that you can come back from (control issues) like that,” Pepicelli said. “He is mentally a really, really tough kid and he just brought himself back. A lot of it was work he had to do, so he did it.” Brady found his control again, and his arm was becoming one of the strongest in the country. In his first two starts of the 2011 season, he totaled 19 strikeouts in 12.1 innings of work

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while allowing only one run. Then, when in-state foe South Carolina came to town, Brady continued his dominance through the first four innings, striking out four and allowing one run on three hits. But, after the fourth, Brady felt something wrong with his forearm and was taken out of the game. He had suffered a muscle strain and missed the next 71 days. “He handled that really well,” Pepicelli said. “I think the bottom line is that the physical part in a lot of ways can be easier because you know that you are waiting for that to heal. Kevin certainly did not lack any confidence last year. He really trusted his stuff.” Brady returned towards the end of the regular season, pitching one perfect inning in a win over Davidson, then coming in and retiring all five batters he faced, with four strikeouts, in Clemson’s win over Florida State. At top: Brady is second in Clemson history in walks per nine innings. At left: Brady is among the best in school history in strikeouts per nine innings. Photos by Tyler Smith

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Orange: The Experience

Then, after being drafted in the 17th round of the MLB draft by the Cleveland Indians, Brady decided to take the summer off and return to Clemson for a fourth year. “He threw for us at the tail end of the year, but he really could not throw a breaking ball. It was just his fastball,” Pepicelli said. “He went up to the Cape Cod League and was starting to get his breaking ball back a little bit. But between physical therapy and us being in the postseason, it was rush, rush, rush. He never got that time to shut it down and give his arm a chance to get back to full strength. He had to get his mind out of the rehab mode, which is what he needed.” Through the summer of 2011, Brady rehabbed and worked out and prepared enough that head coach Jack Leggett gave Brady the ball to open the 2012 season for the Tigers. “I have been rehabbing and I have been in treatment. Everything feels really good,” Brady said. “I communicate with Coach Pepicelli on how I pitch and how my arm feels after I pitch. I have normal tightness, but that is it. Everything feels really good.” This season, Brady has been the Tigers’ Friday starter in each of their five weekend series, but had an 0-1 record through the first four weekends of the season. A tough start to the

season for the Tigers meant Brady would have to persevere through more adversity. In Brady’s first three starts of 2012, he allowed 12 hits, four runs (two earned), four walks and 16 strikeouts, but did not record a decision. In his fourth appearance of the year, against North Carolina, Brady pitched five strong innings, but was knocked around in the sixth. Brady left the game after 5.2 innings, giving up six hits, four runs, no walks and six strikeouts. The Tigers were defeated by the Tar Heels, handing Brady his first loss of the year. “I struggled in that sixth inning against North Carolina,” Brady said. “It was one of those frustrating innings. Coach Pepicelli told me later that the first through fifth innings were the best innings I had pitched all year. It’s just baseball.” Then, when the Boston College Eagles came to Clemson on March 16, the Tigers recorded their first Friday night win of the season, and Brady’s first win in over a year. “It’s been a long road,” he said. “I just have to keep working. I knew a win would come along sooner or later.” Brady went 6.2 innings for the Tigers, allowing five hits, three earned runs, five walks, and nine strikeouts. When he neared 100 pitches, Brady left the game to a standing ovation from the Tiger faithful. “Brady worked hard for us against BC,” Leggett said. “I’m glad to see him finally get that win. He hung in there for a long time and pitched well. “Kevin’s an unselfish guy,” Leggett continued. “He doesn’t think about wins and losses just from his standpoint. He just goes out there to get us in a position to win. He hasn’t been dwelling on not getting wins this year. I know he’s glad to get this one behind him, and he’ll be ready to go the rest of the way.” So far this season, Brady has persevered through losses and lingering stress from his injury, but has managed to stay strong for the Tigers. All of his pitches are improving, which will only help the Tigers from here on out. “I’m starting to be able to use all three pitches again,” he said. “I’m using the changeup a lot more and it’s allowing me to keep guys off balance. I’ve always had the curveball and fastball, but my change-up is really working for me right now.” Brady has persevered through many challenges throughout his Clemson career and that isn’t going to change. He knows he has to keep working and using his ability to keep hitters off balance. If he does that, then the wins will start to pile up. Brady is first in Clemson history in career strikeout-to-walk ratio. Photo by Rex Brown

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Women’s Tennis Prepares by Jeff Kallin | photos by Rex Brown

or the past eight seasons, head women’s tennis coach Nancy Harris has enjoyed consistent success virtually unparalleled. The run includes two Final Fours, a current streak of five straight NCAA Round of 16 appearances, an ITA Team National Indoor Round of Eight appearance, the nation’s No. 1 ranked singles player and doubles team, as well as two ACC titles. Those runs have largely been fueled with major contributions from underclassmen, with greats such as Julie Coin, Ani Mijacika or Carol

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Orange: The Experience

Salge leading the way. In 2012, Harris’ group is attempting to take advantage of a measure of stability not seen in the program in some time. Clemson’s top four singles players all return from last season, while another extremely talented group of underclassmen are making their mark on collegiate tennis. The Tigers are known for scheduling one of the most difficult slates in the nation, and this season has been no different, with seven top-25 opponents already behind them, and no fewer than five still to come. The Tigers played eight consecutive road dual matches, and a stretch of

12 matches with just one at home, a 5-2 win against conference foe Florida State. “I think we have one of the toughest schedules in the nation,” Harris said. “We’ve always chosen to have a tough schedule because we believe that if we are competing with the best, you get to know your opponents, and you know what to expect at the highest level. That’s one thing that Clemson is very fortunate for. The other side of that is that we have to be careful in terms of training because they can get hurt.” The squad features arguably Clemson’s most decorated player in history in senior Josipa

Opposite page: Bek, who for threeplus seasons has Keri Wong, a senior from Jackson, MC. reached previously unmatched heights within the program At right: Josipa Bek is one of the most standards. Fellow sedecorated players nior Keri Wong has in program history. quietly been one of the most consistently excellent pieces in what has been a storied program in her time as well, as she is off to a hot start in ACC play with a top-50 national ranking. Junior Nelly Ciolkowski entered her third season in the best shape of her career, coming off two terrific outings in the off-season, including representing her home country of France in the World University Games. This past winter, she also defeated Florida’s Lauren Embree at the Master’U BNP Paribas in Rouen, France, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Embree ranked 25th in the nation to start the NCAA season. Ciolkowski has carried that into the 2012 dual match season, where she is 15-8 overall, and approaching her 70th career singles victory. “Nelly is very hungry to have a great year,” said Harris. “She’s practicing very hard. She had a great win over the holidays, including a win over Embree from Florida, and she’s playing the best tennis I’ve ever seen her play.” Klara Vyskocilova has gotten off to a 3-0 start in ACC play, maintaining her national ranking, following an outstanding freshman campaign that saw her win 21 singles matches

for Strong Stretch Run and 20 doubles matches. The rangy sophomore leads Clemson with 22 doubles wins this season, and her 17 singles wins are second only to Wong. She has played nearly everywhere in the lineup and appears to be entering her best form heading into April. For the third straight season, Bek and Wong have held down the top of the singles lineup. The two have combined to win 196 singles matches and 223 doubles matches. Bek has been an All-American in singles and doubles for each of her three seasons, becoming the first six-time All-American in school history. The fiery Croatian brings an intense energy to the court, often relying on here tremendous hands and aggressive strategy to put pressure on her opponents. She recently became just the second Clemson tennis player to record at least

100 singles wins and 100 doubles wins. She is the school’s all-time leader in doubles wins, followed closely by Wong. Wong takes the opposite approach, playing at a methodical, controlled pace. Wong is able to dictate the tempo of her matches in many cases, and uses superb ball control to her advantage in moving her opponent. Her game is very much finesse, and is wildly different from most other players because of the ability to spin and manipulate the court to her liking. She has won 96 singles matches in her career, primarily from the top two spots in the lineup, and is a two-time All-ACC and doubles All-America selection. She has been a rock in the lineup at No. 2 this season, with 14 wins in her 16 outings in 2012. This group of players represents the core on

development of the group, which will be relied upon as the Tigers make their push for both league and national championships. “We have a very strong core. Even some of the best teams that I have had, we’ve usually had four or maybe five solid players, and those four are our core this year,” Harris said. “All four of those players could be used interchangeably and used at No. 1 (singles) for us, and could have winning seasons there.” Newcomers have played a big role early on, with two freshmen and a sophomore contributing early and throughout the lineup. “When you have freshmen that come in that are hard workers and enthusiastic with a smile on their face, you get excited as a coach, because that’s the foundation for the future,” Harris said. april 2012

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Wong has been solid all season long from the No. 2 singles position.

ship skills have surfaced as she continues to motivate her teammates through her intensity and on-and-off-court attention to detail. “She’s a big hitter, and a good hardcourt hitter. She’s also a team player. One thing that we are excited about is that we think she has some leadership qualities. She has the same spirit and enthusiasm that we like to see in freshmen.” Clemson certainly has the stage set so far this season to advance to an 11th straight NCAA Tournament, and will try to extend the streak to six straight Sweet 16 appearances. To do that, however, Clemson must take advantage of the first six competitions taking place at home before heading on the road for eight of the next nine matches. “I don’t think it will be up to us as coaches to establish how good we can be, I think that’s up to them. I think we have all the components to be very successful. The enthusiasm can sometimes replace that inexperience and the drive to achieve that national championship. I believe we have a very solid team, and that the key for us is to get off to a solid start and build on the momentum.” Monika Kochanova enrolled at Clemson in 2010, sitting out a season while restoring her eligibility. She had a strong fall before suffering a minor injury. When she played, however, she showed that she was gritty and solid, and made few mistakes to hurt herself. She has recovered in the off time and is ready to bolster the lineup. The Bratislava, Slovakia native has a big game, and that showed as she has won nine matches, while grinding out four matches in which her match was completed due to the team results. She has also teamed with Vyskocilova in doubles, where the two have compiled 16 wins, and had a streak of 11 straight wins snapped in March. “Monika is another great, solid player. We were very excited about her fall in doubles with Klara, and really showed the capacity. She’s just so solid, which is beautiful to watch.” Three new faces, Beatrice Gumulya, Yana Koroleva, and Romy Kölzer, have graced the lineup this spring. Koroleva is sitting out the 2012 dual match season, beginning play in the fall of 2012. Gumulya has now found her stride, winning back-toback ACC matches after getting acclimated to college life. She has a 3.5 GPA in her first semester, and has become a steadying force in the middle of the lineup. “Beatrice is a very solid player, a great team player. She’s excited to be a Tiger, and has a very enthusiastic personality, and is an excellent student. She’s the foundation of future great teams, and I am excited about that.” Klara Vyskocilova Kölzer, a January addition, has been leads the team in a great pick-up for the Tigers, as she doubles wins and won nine of her first 10 matches to is among the team start her career. As she continues to beleaders in singles come acclimated, the German’s leaderwins this season.

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Orange: The Experience

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www.MyOrangeUpdate.com For more information on how to receive MyOrangeUpdate, contact us at 864-656-2115 • Donornet-L@clemson.edu • P.O. Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633 april

2012

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Men’s Tennis

Continuing to Improve and Grow by Sam Blackman | photos by Rex Brown

Head Coach Chuck McCuen, pictured with freshman Hunter Harrington, has molded a young team into a competitive unit.

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Orange: The Experience

t the midway point in the men’s tennis season, Clemson Head Coach Chuck McCuen is pleased with the progress of his team thus far. “I’m very satisfied where we are at this point in the season,” said McCuen. “It reminds me so much of building a house. We have laid the foundation and now we are working on the first floor. “We have the talent, youthfulness, desire, and passion for not only a good season, but the building of a quality program. This year, we have a good group of guys who want to achieve. We are realizing how good we are and how good we can be, as we are now executing with confidence. “A prime example is when we were down 3-0 at Georgia Tech, and we came back and won it 4-3…a great win. We then beat a very good Miami team, 6-1. When we win that convincingly over a good team like Miami that shows that we are maturing.” McCuen sees the most progress within his doubles groups. “A key to our success is the improvement of our doubles play,” he said. “We have worked hard in doubles and have gained confidence as the season progressed. We have stressed that in early season practices, and it’s paying dividends.

Individually, Clemson has been led by the Maden brothers, Yannick and Dominique, as the spring season has moved forward. “Right now, I am so happy with the play of everyone and their improvement,” McCuen said. “I am particularly happy with the play of the Maden brothers. They have been our anchors this season playing very solid in singles and doubles. Yannick has done a great job at No. 1 singles and Dominique has done great at No. 4 singles. They are playing well and have been very consistent. “Hunter Harrington, a freshman out of Spartanburg has come in and worked hard. He is leading by example with his work ethic. One player that I am particularly proud of is freshman Cedric Willems. Can you imagine coming to this country in January to a different culture, a different country, and start competing right away and making an impact? He is a quality young man and we look forward to him helping our program in the next few years.

“What is so exciting about this team is the future is bright. We are going to try to win as many of these tough ACC matches as we can, and keep moving up the ACC standings and establish where we should be in the ACC. We will continue to strive to show achievement in the classroom. We had an excellent fall in the classroom and this is imperative to our program.”

“Our motto this season is calm and steady. We don’t want to over react when we have a big win or get down with a tough loss. We want to stay mentally sharp as the second part of the season starts and tournaments come to the horizon. We want to stay in the zone. If I had words to describe this team it would be resiliency and character. They love representing Clemson and they are going to do the best they

can every match. They come back and fight hard with character.” Yannick Maden has played No. 1 singles for the Tigers this season. He has won 20 matches in singles competition so far - a quality benchmark for a collegiate player. He had an impressive 11-3 record in individual competition during the fall. A highlight of the fall for Maden was advancing to the second round of the Main Draw of the ITA All-American Tournament. This event brings some of the nation’s best collegiate players together in the fall in Tulsa, OK. He also advanced to the final four of the ITA Carolina Regional in Chapel Hill, NC. This tournament brings together the best players in the mid-Atlantic area. “This season, our success has been about us believing in ourselves, and relying on your

Below: Dominique Maden, a sophomore from Stuttgart, Germany. At right: Yannick Maden, a junior from Stuttgart, Germany.

teammates,” Maden said. “When you start winning a lot it can’t help but give you confidence. To me, tennis is mostly confidence and having the mindset to do good things. “As far as this year, we want to keep doing well in the ACC. We want to forget the losses, but learn from them and keep rolling. Confidence is very important in this game.” When asked how he made the season special, april 2012

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Maden stressed how important it was to put in the hard work he did last summer. “I got ready for the season in Germany,” he said. “I played a lot there and played with my brother and other players in Germany during the summer. “I like our prospects for this team — I like our chemistry,” he said. “Just like last year, we are a very close team. We fight for each other and each of us gives his best.” Cedric Willems a freshman from The Hauge, Netherlands, came to school in early January and has made an immediate impact. In the Tigers’ first match of the season on January 14, just days after he arrived on campus, he clinched the match for the Tigers by winning at No. 6 singles to claim a 4-3 win over the College of Charleston. Hunter Harrington, a local star and freshman from Spartanburg, SC, has started a majority of the matches as a freshman. Gerardo Meza has started at No. 2 singles for the Tigers this season as a sophomore. Ayrton Wibowo, a junior, has started at No. 3 singles and Zachary Rigsby has been a starter at No. 6 singles at times. The Tigers’ lone senior, Wes Moran, Above: Zachary has been a starter in doubles, and has Rigsby, a junior from helped the Tigers improve in that phase of Simpsonville, SC. the game. The doubles team of Yannick Maden At right: Gerardo Meza, a sophomore and Rigsby has been nationally ranked this season. They have anchored the Tigers’ top from Tampico, Mexico. doubles team. The pair upset Georgia’s team of Wil Spencer and Garrett Brasseaux, who were ranked eighth nationally at the time. Clemson started fast out of the gates against its 2012 ACC schedule. The Tigers defeated Georgia Tech 4-3 and Miami 6-1 in early March to provide momentum heading toward the conference championships in April. “At the start of the season, as I mentioned earlier, this team has quality depth and they have not disappointed me,” McCuen said. “We are solid at positions one through eight, and there has been a lot of competition for the starting positions. This team may be young, but we have a lot of players who have local, national and international experience and success. That added experience has made a lot of difference this year. “This team has bought into our goals and what we are tying to achieve, not only on the court but off the court as well. Our coaching staff’s philosophy stresses a total student-athlete’s well-being, and academics are a big part of this. Again, we have been doing well in the classroom, and this transcends to our performance on the court.” McCuen also raved about the chemistry on his team as it prepares for the ACC Championships and beyond. “One of the most important aspects of creating a championship environment is great chemistry, and these players get along so well,” he said. “They have become a unit, and they take practice very seriously. They are well-disciplined, structured, and understand what it takes to reach our goals. They are a goal-oriented team and are a hard-working group that we really enjoy coaching.”

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Orange: The Experience

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n most conceivable scenarios, the educational environment is predictable. Teachers teach, coaches coach, and students learn. There is rarely any blurring of the lines. In Christopher Ip’s swimming and diving program, things are no different. Up until April 2010, he was the coach, a man placed into a position of authority that was hired to pass his knowledge along to studentathletes that would then take his wisdom and translate it into strong performances in the pool.

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Orange: The Experience

Then his philosophy was turned upside down. When Clemson decided to phase out the swimming and diving program — minus women’s diving — as a varsity sport over a two-year period, it changed everything. Top recruits began to find other schools to represent in the water. Mainstays in the lineup transferred to places that would allow them to compete past the two-year window. Coaches began to pursue more secure employment options. All the while, Ip was asked to captain the

ship. Instead of allowing it to sink, the veteran head coach facilitated one of the greatest 24-month stretches in the history of the program. Ip has consistently minimized his role in the program’s success, marked by individual conference titles and NCAA Championship prowess. Instead, he has chosen to reflect on how his outlook on the condition of young people has changed over the past two seasons and how each member of the team — students and coaches alike — were able to work together to bring forth achievement.

Teacher Becomes the Student by William Qualkinbush

Christopher Ip is in his 10th and final season in charge of the swimming and diving program. Photo by Annemarie Jacques

“As a coach, sometimes, you get cynical about whether student-athletes still like to swim and if they still have the passion and the commitment,” Ip said. “From top to bottom, every athlete wants to perform. They’re not in it for the ride. “We were partners all the way. We negotiated back and forth. We talked things out. Sometimes, as a coach, you think that you know it all and you want to make sure things are done a certain way. These last two years, we sat down as partners with this team and decided what we could do to get things done.”

In this partnership between coach and pupil, Ip has been the one who has come away stronger and more enlightened. He says the lessons have come in a variety of ways on a plethora of subjects, both in the pool and out of it, and the whole process has been surprising to him. “A lot of times as a coach, you want to be the educator,” Ip said. “You want to be the one who’s giving those little jewels of information. But these guys taught me a lot.” Many of the lessons Ip learned came about after observing his teams compete well under

adverse circumstances throughout the past two seasons. In December 2010, it was discovered the team’s home facility, McHugh Natatorium, was not fit for use and would require significant repairs. For the next 14 months, the Tigers had to be resourceful, holding practices in multiple states and hosting meets in several locations. The stresses placed on the student-athletes were immense, but they did not fold. In fact, Ip says it strengthened the team by forcing each individual member to bond together. “It was amazing to see the ability of these april 2012

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athletes to rebound and the resourcefulness they had to get things done,” he said. “If it means training until 10:30 at night and getting home at 11 and doing work to make sure that they maintain a good GPA, they’re going to do it. If it means waking up at 4:30, they’ll do it. “To watch them stay together no matter what and fight through and push each other hard and find a way to set personal records and keep their team morale up was very, very nice. I think that brought the men’s and women’s teams even closer together. The women shared in the success the men were having, and the men provided that encouragement to the women’s team to improve.” The women’s team took the brunt of the attrition as a result of the phase-out. Transfers and graduation have forced the number of female swimmers down from 38 in 2010 to 17 this season. “Women want to be tight,” Ip said. “That core strength that they gain from being a team was totally eviscerated. To look across the pool at the ACC Championships and see their teammates — our top recruits — winning events would hurt most teams. But the women’s team sat down and found out what they could be competitive in.”

“A lot of times as a coach, you want to be the educator. You want to be the one who’s giving those little jewels of information. But these guys taught me a lot.”

— Christopher Ip

Ip says he is proud of his female student-athletes because they have continued to excel in other areas. They have done a significant amount of community service hours. They have posted some of the top grade point averages in school history, figures that have led the entire athletic department. The men’s program underwent a different kind of transformation, losing its younger members in favor of a veteran-laden roster that is more than half-full of seniors. Individual accolades have come more freely to this group, but according to Ip, the awards and titles are a secondary purpose within a larger framework. “The ones that have stayed have all stayed because they want to complete the mission,” he said. “They want to make sure they fulfill their promises and commitments. I’m giving back as much as I can to see how far they can go.” Despite the human tendency to potentially have hard feelings toward the school, Ip says he has been impressed with the Ip has handled way his swimmers have continued to love and reprethe phase-out sent Clemson University with pride and honor durprocess of the ing the past two seasons. He says it speaks to their program in character and dedication that the passion for the Tia first-class ger Paw and what it represents still burns within the manner. very fabric of his team. He also thinks the impact Photo by Rex Brown

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Orange: The Experience

of hearing words of encouragement and support from tons of alumni has further convinced his team about the worthiness of their cause. “It’s about honoring a program and honoring tradition,” Ip said. “They all made the right choice to come to Clemson. We just had to channel them in the right direction.” Perhaps the best evidence of the outpouring of alumni support came on Senior Day, when hundreds of former swimmers and divers came to newly-renovated McHugh Natatorium to enjoy one final home meet. Ip says the day “put the bow on” the program and indicated that it was one of the most memorable moments of his coaching career. “It was the fusion of the future and the past coming together,” he said. “It doesn’t happen all the time. It was that little sweet spot where everything clicked. I think the athletes delivered, and I think the families and the alumni also delivered. That made it a very special occasion.” As Ip reflects on what has been during the Clemson swimming program’s final days, he is able to reflect on his own personal growth, not just a series of events. With all of the emotion that has been poured out from student-athletes, coaches, parents, alumni, and fans, it has been an exhausting exercise at times. But wherever his coaching career continues, it will be a place that enjoys a better coach and a better leader because of the trials of the past two seasons. “It was a pleasure to come to practice every single day,” Ip said. “I looked forward to it because these guys and gals came into it with an open mind to do anything — travel anywhere, swim anytime, do whatever was necessary. They just wanted an opportunity to take advantage of.” More often than not, the opportunities were met with enough resolve to garner as much as possible from each one. This Ip’s teams have not mentality that took hold in Ip’s program may have only shined in the led to perhaps the most important lesson of all he pool, but also in the can take from his team. classroom as well Never, ever give up. Photo by Rex Brown

Announcing the 2012 Prowl And growl tour StoPS Plan to join fellow alumni, IPTAY members and Clemson friends in your area for these exciting events. For more information on dates and locations for the Prowl and Growl in your area, go to clemson.edu/alumni.

April 9 — greenwood

May 1 — greensboro

April 16 — greenville

May 3 — columbia

April 17 — Aiken

May 8 — Myrtle Beach

April 23 — lexington

May 12 — orlando

April 24 — charleston

May 21 — rock hill

April 26 — Florence

May 22 — Atlanta May 31 — charlotte

For ticket information visit clemsontigers.com

864-656-5896 clemson.edu/giving

864-656-2345 clemson.edu/alumni

1-800-CLEMSON clemsontigers.com

april 2012

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Coming home

There is no denying Clemson’s new ticket manager was born to be a Clemson Tiger by Will Vandervort | photos by Rex Brown

hen people say they were born to be Clemson Tigers, it is usually said tongue-in-cheek. But Kate McCrary, Clemson University’s new Ticket Manager, was born a Clemson Tiger — literally. First of all, she is the daughter of two Clemson graduates, Dennis and Debbie McCrary, who were married while attending Clemson in the early 1980s. It was not long before they decided to start their own family, giving birth to Kate, while they finished their education. Though she does not remember any part of it, McCrary spent the first two years of her life at Clemson, while her father earned his degree in mechanical engineering in 1982 and her mother finished up her degree in education in 1984. “They would take me to the Y-Beach a lot, but I really don’t remember that too much,” McCrary said. After her mother graduated, the family moved to Greenville, SC, where McCrary was raised until returning to Clemson as a full-time student in the fall of 2000. “I knew I would never go anywhere else,” she said. “In fact, I did not apply anywhere else when I was applying for college. Clemson is all that I really knew, and it was the only place I wanted to be. “I knew I wanted to come here. I did not know what I wanted to be, but I knew I wanted to come here.” McCrary really did not know what she wanted to do with her life until her senior year at Clemson, when an internship with Roberta Balliet in the Clemson Athletic

“I knew I would never go anywhere else. In fact, I did not apply anywhere else when I was applying for college. Clemson is all that I really knew, and it was the only place I wanted to be.”

— Kate McCrary

Department sparked an interest. During that year, McCrary met Assistant Ticket Operations Manager Tina Middleton, and soon after she started helping with tickets. She had an instant connection with what she was doing in tickets, and she fell in love with it. After graduating from Clemson in 2005, McCrary was hired as a full-time employee in the ticket office in 2006, where she stayed on through 2010, while working un-

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Orange: The Experience

der Travis Furbee, who is now the Director of IPTAY’s Annual Fund. Under Furbee’s guidance, and with the help of Middleton, McCrary learned the ins and outs of the ticket office, while also seeing how it correlates with the rest of the athletic department. That soon brought her to the realizations she had learned all she could at Clemson and the time had come for her to leave the one place her life has been centered around since she was born. “It was kind of like going away to college,” she said. “I never really went away to college. This was my first time away (from Clemson).” McCrary went to the University of Arkansas, where she was the assistant ticket manager. While at the Southeastern Conference school, she took on a lot of new responsibilities as Arkansas sold tickets for eight sporting events, including women’s gymnastics. One of McCrary’s main responsibilities was taking on the chore of establishing a seat equity plan for football, something she had experience with during her time at Clemson. Though some things were familiar, much of it was still new for a girl who grew up only seeing one color for the majority of her life. “It was very different, though the fans are just as passionate at Arkansas as they are here, but they are all cheering for something else,” McCrary said. “I remember the first game getting out of my car, and everyone was wearing red instead of orange. It was the strangest thing to me. But the fans were great, and the people I worked with were awesome. “It was very strange calling the Hogs. I only did that once or twice while I was there, but it was a great experience. I learned a lot about myself having to move 800 miles away from everybody that I knew.” It was a worthwhile experience, though, and one that allowed McCrary to gain enough experience, experience she would need when Furbee left his position to become Director of IPTAY’s Annual Fund last fall. “I wanted the opportunity to open up, but I did not think it would happen as quick as it did,” said McCrary on how she felt when she first learned of the job opening. “I figured I would be gone for five or 10 years before I got that chance. “I’m very excited to have the opportunity to be back. It is very strange coming back into town and seeing everything that you knew. When I was in Arkansas, I did not know anything so I was driving around trying to figure out where everything was. “But here, Clemson is home. That was the easy part about leaving. I wasn’t going somewhere new, where I did not know anyone. I was coming back home.”

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Warning: Do Not Contact Prospects! D

id you know, your actions may cost Clemson University a 5-star recruit? The NCAA has strictly limited the role a representative of athletics interest may take with regard to prospects. The limitation prohibits representatives of athletic interest from making in-person, on- or off-campus recruiting contacts (i.e., attending a contest and speaking with a prospect), or written (posting a message on a prospect’s Facebook or Twitter site), or telephonic communications with a prospective student-athlete (any student that is a 9-12 grade high school student, two year college transfer, or a four year college transfer that has been released by his or her institution) and the prospective student-athlete’s relatives or legal guardians. This prohibition also includes contacting high school coaches and guidance counselors to seek information on prospects. Remember, Clemson University coaches and staff are the only group that may have recruiting contacts with prospects or the prospect’s relatives or legal guardians. Are you a representative of athletics interest? Yes, if you have ever: • Attended Clemson University; • Participated in or been a member of IPTAY; • Contributed to the athletics department or IPTAY; • Assisted or have been requested by the athletics staff to assist in the recruitment of prospective studentathletes; • Assisted in providing extra benefits to enrolled studentathletes or their families, or • Been otherwise involved in the Clemson University athletics program. Once an individual is identified as a representative of the

institution’s athletics interest, that person remains a Clemson University booster forever. What can a representative of athletics interest do to help? Representatives of athletic interest are permitted and encouraged to provide articles and email our coaches about a prospect and help Compliance Services by reporting rules violations and protecting the prospect’s eligibility. Clemson University is held responsible for any actions taken by a representative of athletics interest relating to prospects or current student-athletes. The penalties for breaking these rules, whether by accident or intentional, is severe. Any violation may jeopardize a young person’s opportunity to attend and compete for Clemson University as a student-athlete, no matter how minor it may seem. In addition, Clemson University will be exposed to NCAA sanctions and the representative of athletics interest could be disassociated from our program.

Please contact Compliance Services at compliance-l@clemson.edu or at (864) 656-1580 with any questions. We thank you for your continued cooperation and support. 58

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Orange: The Experience

Do you have

Oconee Physician Practices

welcomes Daniel Boxwell, DO (Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist) Dr. Boxwell graduated with

honors and a double Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry and psychology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Boxwell went on to complete an internship and residency in otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery at POH Regional Medical Center, a medical facility of Michigan State University. Prior to his arrival in Seneca, Dr. Boxwell practiced otolaryngology in Toledo, Ohio. In addition to general adult and pediatric otolaryngology (ENT), Dr. Boxwell specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of a wide variety of conditions including hearing loss and ear diseases, sleep apnea, chronic strep throat, ear infections, allergy treatment and parathyroid disorders.

Dr. Boxwell is accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment or for more information, please call (864) 482-3122.

105 Carter Park Drive • Suite B • Seneca, SC 29672 • (864) 482-3122 april 2012

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Celebrating Clemson’s Greatest Current Washington Wizards starting forward Trevor Booker, who starred at Clemson from 2006-10, coached in the Feb. 24 alumni game and was honored a day later at halftime of the NC State game as a member of the school’s 25-man all-time team. Photos by Rex Brown and Dawson Powers

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Orange: The Experience

IPTAY Mrs. Mary Cannon passed away October 17. She was an IPTAY Member for 55 years.

Mr. Earl DuPriest Jr. passed away January 30. He was an IPTAY Member for 40 years.

Mr. Neil Bates passed away February 25. He was an IPTAY Member for 65 years.

Mr. James Outzs passed away October 18. He was an IPTAY Member for 36 years.

Honorable Mayor Larry Abernathy passed away February 11. He was an IPTAY Member for 7 years.

Mr. Tommy Crowe passed away February 28. He was an IPTAY Member for 36 years.

Mr. Garland Shaffner passed away October 30. He was an IPTAY Member for 6 years.

Mr. Warren Kenrick passed away February 12. He was an IPTAY Member for 32 years.

Mr. Clarence Gramling passed away March 1. He was an IPTAY Member for 46 years.

Mr. Donald Stone passed away November 8. He was an IPTAY Member for 51 years.

Mr. Frank Barnes Jr. passed away February 19. He was IPTAY Member for 66 years.

Ms. Katie Rhodes passed away March 4. She was an IPTAY Member for 19 years.

Mr. Joseph Fairey II passed away November 18. He was an IPTAY Member for 65 years.

Mr. Hugh Ratterree passed away February 19. He was an IPTAY Member for 24 years.

Mr. James Brown passed away March 9. He was an IPTAY Member for 53 years.

Mr. Joe Ivester passed away January 30. He was an IPTAY Member for 60 years.

Mr. Samuel Buist passed away February 22. He was an IPTAY Member for 42 years.

april 2012

â?&#x2DC;

IPTAY DONOR otos ph

Lily is a new Tiger Cub. She is the great granddaughter of Woody Aydlette of Charleston. Woody played football from 1956 to 1959 .

hiking 2181 miles of the Brock Cooke (‘08)after inger Mountain, GA. Spr at il Tra an Appalachi

Lance Corporal Sam Galloway (far right), grandson of Glenn (‘50) and Betty White, with fellow U.S. Marines and dog Snap in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, March 2012.

Catie Ebert and Kendal l Boyd tailgating at the Clemson vs. Auburn game.

Tara Cherry (‘95), Lee Safrit (‘94), Amy Safrit (‘07), and Ross Cherry (‘95) with daughters Haley and Savannah Cherry (in glasses) at Foxy’s in the British Virgin Islands in February 2012.

ure Emma Kate Call (2), fut Tigers cheerleader is the ) and daughter of Richard (‘04 mer for ) ,’03 (‘00 l Cal son Aly Clemson cheerleader.

Sebastian Smith (18 months) displaying his Tiger Cub Club sticker!

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Orange: The Experience

Mason Si White just hou rs before the Orange Bow l. Mason was born on Dec . 12, 2011 to Peter and Brooke Wh ite (‘04).

t. 19, 2011), daughter of Miah Grace Fowler (Oc ) Fowler, says I’m ALL Jeremy and Amanda (‘02 IN! GO TIGERS!

Bob Klepper (‘86) and his son Andrew after reaching the 19,340 ft summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in February 2011.

Orange Bowl baby! Cle mson Annabelle Byrd, born Oct . 31, 2011 parents are Heather and Ryan Byrd.

s born Sept. 30, 2011 to Alexis Ross Rochester wa and her big brother ter, hes Roc el Ang Bruce and already loves her she , tell can you Samuel IV. As ! ers Tig on ms Cle

Clemson alumni at the wedding of Kristen Howell Mills (‘03) & Floyd S. “Trey” Mills III (‘00) on April 30, 2011 with Tiger Cub.

Wyatt Ginn Smith, age 3, son of Beth Smith (‘07 ) and Elsen Smith (‘06), tailgat ing at a 2011 Tigers hom e game. Submitted by pro ud grandfather, Joe Gin n.

n Dec. 26, 2011. She Isabella Houston was bor a Tiger Cub. They are as ie proudly joins sister Lan ards. Jim (‘73) and Hale Edw the granddaughters of

Tiger Edward Prophet was born on Jan. 20, 2012. Tiger’s parents are Abbie Franks Prophet and Edward Scott Prophet.

The staff of Memorial Chr istian Hospital in Werko k, South Sudan — built in memory of The Lost Boy s of Sudan. Clemson wre stling team captain, Bra d Gregory ‘83, represent ing the medical mission , Cutting Edge Foundation .

Walt & Lily Mauer are new Tiger Cubs. Their dad, Matt, was a swimmer at Clemson. (They were recruited by Woody Aydlette, IPTAY Rep.)

E-mail photos, information & IPTAY number to Lindsey Leonard at lsweval@clemson.edu, or mail IPTAY, Attn: Lindsey Leonard, PO Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633

april 2012

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Bill Foster’s Lasting Legacy by Tim Bourret he weekend we celebrated 100 years of Clemson basketball in February was a special one. It started with a Friday evening alumni game that featured a battle between former teammates Terrell McIntyre and Greg Buckner. McIntyre led his team to victory with 30 points, including eight three-point goals, but Buckner kept his team in it until the very end with 28 points. The competitiveness of the game brought a smile to my face. We used running clock time until the last minute of each half. With three minutes left Buckner came to me and asked, “Can we play normal time starting with two minutes left. A lot of us came a long way to play this game.” Buckner, who is now an assistant with the Houston Rockets, wanted more time for a comeback and he wanted to win. We granted his wish. Saturday began with a brunch on the old practice court at Fike Fieldhouse where Clemson teams from the 1940s, 50s and 60s used to play. What a fitting venue for a celebration of 100 years of Clemson basketball. The appearance of all-time leading scorer Elden Campbell, who traveled from California, Trevor Booker, who took time out from his busy schedule as a starting forward for the Washington Wizards, and seven other members of Clemson’s all-time team, was a highlight of Saturday’s halftime ceremony. And, it was all capped by a thrilling 72-69 overtime win over an NC State team that would go on to the NCAA Tournament. In many ways, we started our recognition of Clemson’s best when Cliff Ellis brought his Coastal Carolina team to town in November. We presented Ellis with a plaque prior to the game for his positive impact on the program from 1984-94. He coached Clemson to its only ACC regular season championship in 1990 and won a record 177 games. As I look back on our year, there is another coach who deserves some recognition. While he is second in school history with 156 wins, Bill

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Orange: The Experience

Foster, head coach between 1975-84, was the most significant coach in the history of the sport at Clemson. When Bill Foster became the head coach at Clemson in April of 1975 he inherited a program that had just been informed it would be on probation for three years - no NCAA or NIT appearances until the 1978-79 season. How do you recruit anyone in that situation? Perhaps Foster’s best recruiting efforts centered on the players who were still on the team, in particular 7-foot-1 center Tree Rollins. Rollins could have turned professional after his sophomore year, but Foster convinced Rollins to stay for his junior and senior seasons. In 1976-77, Rollins’ senior year, the Tigers finished with a 22-6 record, including a 20-point victory over a North Carolina team that would go to the NCAA Championship game against Marquette. Foster signed just one player for the 1976-77 season and that one player was Bobby Conrad, an unknown point guard from Illinois who would serve as a backbone of the program from a leadership standpoint from 1976-80. Foster had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough. His recruiting class of 1977-78 included junior college transfer Billy Williams and 6-foot-7 stringbean forward Larry Nance. Clemson fought off Anderson Junior College for Nance’s services. Foster always told me that he looked at a player’s feet and his hands. If he was only 6-foot-7 as a high school kid, but had big feet (size 14 in Nance’s case), he was going to grow into those feet. Nance would be 6-foot-10 by his sopho-

more year. Behind these diamonds in the rough, he somehow weathered the storm of a three-year probation and took the Tigers to 19 wins in 1978-79 and a berth in the NIT. Clemson won 68-67 in overtime at Kentucky in front of over 23,000 fans in Rupp Arena on March 7, 1979. He used his innovative Tiger Paws offense to control the tempo against Joe B. Hall’s defending National Champions. The following year, he led the Tigers to a 23-9 record. That 1979-80 season was epic as the Tigers defeated six top-20 teams, still the most in one season in Clemson history. That included a win over sixth-ranked North Carolina and Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith, and a win over No. 1 ranked Duke, in the same week. The Tigers then made an unprecedented run in the NCAA Tournament. Wins over Utah State and BYU in the state of Utah took Clemson to the Sweet 16. Then, the Tigers defeated Lamar, an upstart team coached by Billy Tubbs. The Tigers then met UCLA and Head Coach Larry Brown in the West Regional final. Clemson was one win away from the Final Four in its first NCAA Tournament appearance. What an accomplishment, especially when you consider this program was still on probation just two years earlier. Foster won 100 of his first 147 games as Clemson head coach, still the fifth fewest games required to reach 100 wins in ACC history. His slogan as head coach was, “Our program is bigger than basketball.” He knew it was important to prepare his players for life after basketball. He emphasized the student in studentathlete. In 1983, his team’s record GPA of 2.96 was not broken until this year’s Tigers had a 3.13 cumulative average in the fall semester. I could sense the level of respect Foster had among his peers. Whether it was Dean Smith, a young Coach K, Lefty Driesell or Bobby Cremins, they all respected Foster. I saw that from close range because when I came to Clemson in September of 1978, my main responsibility was basketball. Coach Foster treated me like a son and furthered my professional career by introducing me to key media and administrators of the era. There are many other coaches, sports information people, trainers and student-athletes who will tell you a similar story. Bill Foster couldn’t make our reunion this year as he battles the early stages of Parkinson’s disease. As we close our 100-year anniversary, he deserves significant recognition. He changed the national perception of the Clemson program at a time when the program could have virtually died. His tenure must be considered the most important in school history.

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Orange: The Experience

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