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ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE
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DECEMBER 23, 2013
Volume 5, Issue 4
DEPARTMENTS 6 Davis Babb
Exciting new IPTAY opportunities can help Clemson Athletics reach new heights
SOMETHING IN THESE HILLS 8 Pawsitive Press
Inaugural Clemson Distinguished Athletes Award
10 Coaches Corner
Brad Brownell
12 Beyond the Game
Chelsea Lindsay
14 IPTAY Donor Spotlight
Ernie Trammell
16 IPTAY Representative Spotlight
Shane Walker
18 IPTAY New Donor Spotlight
Kat Loftus
19 IPTAY Gift Planning
IPTAY Quick Facts
20 Jim Riggs Raises Triplets in the Clemson Family
INSIDE 26 Doing It the Right Way
Tigers reach 10 wins in regular season for fifth time in school history.
36 Discover Orange Bowl Ticket Info 38 Tigers Giving Back
Tiger athletes are reaching out to the community.
40 Living the Dream
Memory of fallen friend drives Rod Hall to succeed.
44 Back Where We Belong
Men’s soccer program returns to NCAA Tournament for first time since 2006.
47 The Social Media Age
Clemson Athletics increases efforts to interact with Tiger fanbase.
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61 Memorials
Bowl Preview:
Clemson faces Ohio State in Discover Orange Bowl.
62 IPTAY Donor Photos 64 The Last Word
Tim Bourret’s favorite moment of the football season
50 Diving Outlook
Editor: Philip Sikes
52 Men’s Track & Field Outlook
Assistant Editors Tim Bourret Steven Bradley Lindsey Leonard
Ten divers return from program’s inaugural season looking to build on foundation.
Deep pool of sprinters and jumpers lead the Tigers into a new era.
54 Women’s Track & Field Outlook Graduation, turnover challenges Clemson’s ACC Championship streak.
56 McFadden Donor List
Graphics Coordinator: Melissa Bradley Contributing Writers Schuyler Easterling Joey Johns Davis Simpson Chief Photographer: Rex Brown
57 Year-End IPTAY Donations 58 Car Dealer List 59 NCAA Compliance
IN THE NEXT ISSUE ... Jack Leggett inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame.
Orange: The Experience is published eight times a year by IPTAY Media 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 or e-mail to jerry@myiptay.com, or 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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EXCITING NEW IPTAY OPPORTUNITIES CAN HELP CLEMSON ATHLETICS REACH NEW HEIGHTS Davis Babb
chief executive officer of iptay
T
his is an exciting time for IPTAY and Clemson Athletics, and I would like to use this space to share information with our members about recent developments that can allow us to continue to elevate our program. One of those is the development of the Riggs level, an annual fund level to support a full scholarship for a Clemson student-athlete. The IPTAY Board voted in August to approve the creation of the new level, and we are excited with our early marketing efforts, as we have reached an encouraging number of 15 donors so far who have made a $25,000 annual commitment. We’re very appreciative of Coach Dabo Swinney for creating a video for us, and we followed that with written communications and many phone conversations with people who have understood the importance of providing a new level. Knowing we had not made a change in our donor levels in almost 10 years, we wanted to promote the need for a full athletic scholarship. In order to ask people to think about a $25,000 giving level, we knew we needed to provide some benefits to make it worthwhile. First, we will provide a golf package with head coaches and assistant coaches in June at the Reserve at Lake Keowee. This will be an opportunity for the Riggs donors to get to know the coaches better and have a much more up-close-and-personal day. Secondly, we thought it would be great to give them an opportunity to have access to our coaches and the behind-the-scenes thought processes that go into National Signing Day. On both Tuesday night prior to signing day and Wednesday morning of signing day in February, we will hold events for Riggs donors. They will be able to enjoy a meal with coaches, talk about the potential recruits that are being courted, and then on Wednesday morning, have an opportunity to realize the actual conclusion of the recruiting process when we receive the National Letters of Intent. The third of the Riggs level benefits is the opportunity to attend team practices with coaches that otherwise might have been closed, followed by a meal with the team or coaching staff. Finally, the fourth benefit would be a high-end, donor-type gift. With the $25,000 Riggs level, it puts us in the top half of the ACC with our top donor level. Prior to this change, we were tied for last in the conference when it came to our top donor level. We are extremely blessed to have more than 350 Heisman level donors, and they — like all of our donors — have been critical to the growth of IPTAY. The Riggs level opportunity came at the right time to continue to elevate the program. Another exciting initiative I would like to discuss is IPTAY’s role in supporting the athletic facilities plan that Dan Radakovich presented to the Board of Trustees and was approved in October. We are very
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excited to work with our donors in messaging the importance of the new facilities to the overall improvement of the program. We think one of the most critical issues is to educate our donor base on the value these facilities will play in recruiting and developing our student-athletes, providing coaches with the best possible venues to conduct practices and game preparation, providing our student-athletes with the best academic support services, and providing great game-day experiences for those fans in the premium seat areas through improvements in suites and creation of club areas. We look at this as a comprehensive plan that benefits studentathletes, coaches and fans. It touches our entire constituency, and because it takes into account numerous sports, these facilities will have a year-round impact on the athletic program here at Clemson. Our role is to work with those friends of the program who have a heart for philanthropy and who will help us reach new heights. While some giving to athletics is somewhat transactional — a gift is made, and the donor receives immediate benefits of football tickets or parking — there is other giving that is purely philanthropic. The donor is helping the program to build facilities without necessarily getting an immediate quid pro quo response. We understand that the program is at an elevated state right now, and we want it to remain there. We need to have the best possible facilities to attract the best and the brightest to Clemson because we know the competitive landscape is extremely strong. If we’re recruiting against South Carolina, Georgia, Florida State, North Carolina and others, we need to have facilities that are equal to or better than the competition if we realistically expect to be able to consistently recruit these athletes to Clemson. IPTAY’s role in this is to help raise the funds to help make it happen. This all gets back to the concept of a “One IPTAY” umbrella that we’ve been talking about the last six months. IPTAY donors support the annual fund, major gifts and planned giving, and it all works for the benefit of Clemson Athletics. While we are in the early stages of our major gifts and capital fundraising efforts, we are identifying those we believe might have an interest in hearing more about this opportunity. We also believe there will be those in our donor base who see the projects on the table and want to let us know of their interest. If you have an interest in learning more about the facility initiatives, please call and ask to speak with our Director of Major Gifts, Bobby Couch. We would love to visit with you about how you can help support this project. IPTAY has risen to the challenge for Clemson Athletics for the past 80 years with passionate and loyal donors. We need your help, and given our history, we are on a mission to pave the way once again and show that Tiger pride!
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SOMETHING IN THESE HILLS PAWSITIVE PRESS Highlighting Clemson’s top performers in athletics
CONRAD, CREEL PRESENTED INAUGURAL CLEMSON DISTINGUISHED ATHLETES AWARD
Chandler Catanzaro Football • Greenville, SC Clemson’s all-time leading scorer enters bowl season with 400 career points, one of only two players in ACC history who can make that claim. He has made 39 of his last 41 field goals dating to the 2011 season.
Kyle Fisher Men’s Soccer • Easley, SC The Tiger defender was named third-team All-ACC after a stellar season. He scored the game-winning goal on a header against North Carolina to send Clemson to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
K.J. McDaniels Men’s Basketball • Birmingham, AL The Tigers’ starting small forward was named to the all-tournament team at the Charleston Classic after leading Clemson to the championship game. He averaged 18.7 points per game in the event, including a pair of 20-point games.
Leah Perri Volleyball • Richland, MI Clemson’s right-side hitter was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team. She also earned two ACC Freshman of the Week honors and led the Tigers in hitting percentage.
Charmaine Tay Women’s Basketball • Irvington, NJ The Lady Tiger junior set career highs in both points (21) and rebounds (12) in Clemson’s road upset over 2013 NCAA Tournament participant South Florida on Nov. 24.
Chelsea Uranaka Diving • Windermere, FL The 5-foot-7 junior qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships with a total score of 291.30 in a fifth-place finish on the three-meter board at the Georgia Tech Invitational on Nov. 23.
Above, from left: Carolyn Willis Creel, Executive Director of Tiger Letterwinners Association Bill D’Andrea, Margaret Bond and Bobby Conrad prepare for a ceremony honoring Creel and Conrad as the inaugural recipients of the Clemson Distinguished Athletes Award on Nov. 14 during the Tigers’ football game against Georgia Tech.
Former basketball star Bobby Conrad and Carolyn Creel, the first coed to receive an athletic scholarship at the university, were presented rings honoring them as the inaugural recipients of the Clemson Distinguished Athletes Award on Nov. 14 during the Tigers’ football game against Georgia Tech. The award was created by former Clemson golfer Steve Bond, who died in August after a battle with cancer, and wife Margaret to honor Clemson’s greatest athletes who had become great citizens after their collegiate career ended. Conrad, who was the starting point guard for the 1980 NCAA Elite Eight team and is seventh all-time in Clemson history with 402 assists, is now a federal judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Creel was Clemson’s first feature twirler as a majorette who Frank Howard put on football scholarship. As a graduate, she became the first female to receive the Clemson Distinguished Service Award (1996). “I have always said that I learned life’s lessons best through my athletic experiences — dealing with adversity and the concepts of teamwork and putting others first and delayed gratification,” Conrad said. “All those things come from participation in sports, and so I do think your athletic career can really prepare you for success in life. This award sort of makes that connection, and I think it’s a very important one.” — by Steven Bradley/IPTAY Media, photo by Dawson Powers
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CORNER
Q&A with Men’s Basketball Head Coach Brad Brownell In our latest installment of Coaches Corner, “Orange: The Experience” Editor Philip Sikes sat down with Head Coach Brad Brownell, now in his fourth season in charge of Clemson’s men’s basketball program. In the question and answer session, Brownell discussed the expectations of a growing program, the improvement of star junior K.J. McDaniels, his staff’s efforts on the recruiting trail and the importance of a rebuilt basketball facility. Q: With only one non-conference game left this season, where is your team relative to your expectation coming into the season? Brownell: “Defensively, we’ve been better than I anticipated. By and large, our players have maintained discipline and executed game plans. Our shot-blocking has certainly helped. Our attention to detail – in terms of taking away teams’ best shooters – has been very good as well. As a result, we’re one of the better teams in the country defensively right now.” Q: What other areas have you been better in so far this season? Brownell:“Rebounding falls under the category of wait and see. We rebounded very well at Arkansas, but South Carolina was not a good game. UMass hurt us with some offensive rebounds. Rebounding is an important facet to end your defensive possession. Offensively, we have done a good job on the boards. We have to work on finishing more plays with our offensive rebounds. Sometimes it’s putting the ball back in the basket or drawing a foul, but other times it’s a great opportunity to kick the ball out for an open threepointer. We need to be more efficient with our offensive rebounding. That’s one of the areas we’re concentrating on. Our free throw shooting has been better this year as well. Hopefully, that will continue as an important facet of our game.” Q: Have you ever coached a player that has improved as much in two years as K.J. McDaniels? Brownell: “I’ve had one other guy, but even he didn’t make the same kind of strides. T.J. Carter was a guy we recruited as a good athlete at UNC Wilmington. He didn’t have a great skill level entering our program, either. What makes K.J. unique is his athletic ability. It’s off the charts. He goes and gets baskets on his own, either with rebound putbacks or transition dunks. You can’t coach those situations. K.J. has improved as much as anybody I’ve ever coached in terms of productivity. His ability to put the ball in 10
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the basket is extraordinary. He has had some of that since he came here, but since he’s gotten stronger his confidence has improved. Obviously, his overall basketball ability is where you’ve seen major improvements from him.” Q: What is his ceiling? Brownell:“He’s got a lot to still improve on – consistency as a shooter and driver. He needs the most work in the area of passing and seeing the floor better. That will happen as he gets more comfortable driving the ball.” Q: This past signing period was especially fruitful for your program. Do you believe you’ve made in-roads in that area? Brownell: “I’ve said all along, the longer we are here the better we will do with recruiting. It’s all about building relationships, and we’ve built positive ones with people. You have to earn their trust, and we’ve done that the last couple of years. We’ve done a better job within the last year of isolating on some factors we look for in players and people. We’ve identified some young men earlier in the process, and it’s paid off. I’m excited with the guys we signed this fall, and with the type of guys we’re recruiting now. We have a little better idea of the landscape and have built more positive relationships with the people we needed to that could help us with recruiting in this area.” Q: How crucial to leveling the playing field was the announcement of a rebuilt basketball arena in the near future? Brownell: “Clemson needed to make a statement that basketball is important. There are times when it looks like it, and times when it doesn’t. We have fallen behind with the basketball facilities arms race. This is a signal to people that basketball is important to Clemson. We want to provide the best possible facilities for our players and coaches, for them to be successful. In a few short years, I anticipate you’ll see one of the better facilities in the Southeast right here at Clemson. It’s a great time to be associated with our program. We’ll reap the benefits with recruiting when we start seeing some dirt move. We’ve talked about doing things for a few years, so it will be exciting when people can actually see some progress. It’s a huge step for our program, and should reap benefits for many years to follow.” Q: As you evaluate where you are with the program, what positives do you see moving forward? Brownell: “I really like Clemson. It’s a great place to go to school. It’s a close-knit family atmosphere that is appealing to people, especially parents and young people
who are focused on accomplishing much in life. It doesn’t take long to be on campus and figure out how passionate people are about Clemson and what the Tiger Paw means. The longer I’m here, the more I understand it. We use that in recruiting, and it’s evident. The opportunity to play in the best basketball conference in the country is appealing to prospects. Now that we’ve made a commitment to create a level playing field with our facilities, it makes Clemson an attractive place for players and coaches. We have a very good fanbase that supports us well. As we continue to win and improve, fans will be rabid and get behind our program even more. “We’ve done a good job cultivating relationships with people who want to be involved with supporting the basketball program. We’ve built strong ties with some donors in that regard. In turn, they have built momentum within the program in other areas. There are more positives in the program than the average fan sees. It’s through recruiting, more donors involved with enthusiasm for basketball, facility enhancements forthcoming, players graduating, former player interest increasing. We’ve worked on all these different things since I got here. It’s not always visible with wins and losses. Some good things have come out of the last year or so that have us moving in the right direction.” Q: In terms of fan support, what is one message you want to send to IPTAY members regarding this team and why it is imperative to support them moving forward? Brownell: “First of all, I think we have one of the most exciting players in college basketball on our team in K.J. McDaniels. He’s unbelievably special. He’s a lot like Sammy Watkins in football. Sammy can outrun guys and turn a regular pass pattern into an 80-yard touchdown. K.J. can turn an offensive rebound into a SportsCenter Top 10 moment. If people aren’t careful, they won’t realize what they have in him in terms of a highlight player until he’s gone. Combine that with a hard-working group of guys that defend, compete and fight. We are one of the county’s top shot-blocking teams. We have a group of guys that really care about each other and care about our school. They play a pretty exciting style. We want to play a little faster, and we will at Littlejohn Coliseum when we can get a lot of deflections and get out in transition with the crowd behind us. I really urge the students to come out and support this team. We need them out on a regular basis, helping make Littlejohn one of the toughest places to play in the ACC.”
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��� Beyond the Game with ...
Chelsea Lindsay
Your major is psychology, which is a pretty uncommon major among athletes, I’d imagine. What about that area of study appealed to you? “My mom works in the business at a mental health agency, so she thought it was best if I get into that. When I need to have a job after my basketball career, I can help with her business, so that’s how I got into that.” How do you envision putting your degree to use once your playing career is done? “I want to be a sports psychologist.” With such an ambitious major, you are obviously someone who has made academics a priority, as well as athletics. How difficult has it been juggling the two? “It’s been a little hard, but I think I’ve managed it pretty well. What’s helped me succeed in school is most definitely getting study hall hours all the time, making sure I’m staying on top of my work and staying up-to-date with my teachers.”
Do you have a favorite sports team … other than Clemson, of course? “I do like the (New York) Knicks. I really want them to win and get one, but right now they’re not doing too good, so that kind of stinks.” Are there any other basketball players you really enjoy watching or try to model your game after? “I look up to Ivory Latta (WNBA guard for the Washington Mystics). She plays the point guard position, which I play. She works hard — she would run through a wall. She’s small like me, so that really motivates me to let me know that even though I’m small, I can still play out there with those big girls and strong girls, just like she can.”
How much have the resources available at Vickery Hall helped in that regard? “Tutoring would be the biggest thing that I take advantage of.” When you get time away from the basketball court and classroom, what are some of the things you like to do in your spare time? “Just chill at home. Sleep. Get caught up on my sleep, mostly.” What is your favorite genre of music? Why that kind? What are your favorite groups or artists? “I don’t really have a favorite kind, but I love Beyonce as an artist. I love her. When you strip away the music, and you see all the behind-the-scenes things, you notice her work ethic. That’s the biggest thing. I work hard, and I see that she works hard, so that motivates me.” Do you have a favorite movie? TV show? “Right now it would be ‘The Best Man Holiday.’ It just came out, and I saw it recently. My favorite TV show is ‘Scandal.’” Are you a social media person? “Yes, but we don’t really get to use it right now. But I do have social media. It’s a team rule that we can’t use it during the season. During the offseason, I like Instagram. I’m not really too much of a Twitter fan. I like Instagram for posting pictures, and you actually get to see what people are doing in their lives.”
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� Junior Guard, Women’s Basketball
What was it about Clemson that appealed to you when you were making a decision on where to attend college? “I really like the atmosphere and the students here. It’s a fantastic campus, but the atmosphere is what really got me.” What is your best memory from your career here at Clemson? “The football games. They’re pretty exciting, and I love being out there cheering on the football team.” Outside of basketball, what do you think you’ll remember most about Clemson once you’re done? “The football games and tailgating. That’s the most exciting thing, I think, for everybody here.” — by Gavin Oliver photos by Rex Brown/IPTAY Media
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DO N O R SPOTLI G H T
When did you become a Clemson fan? “Growing up in Anderson made it easy for me to become a Clemson fan. Although I did not attend Clemson, I married into a Clemson family. My wife’s father was a graduate of the class of 1939. Two of her three brothers graduated from Clemson, and her brother, Allen Martin, currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Clemson University Foundation. We also have four nieces and nephews who graduated from Clemson. As for me, I went to Mercer University to play college tennis. The real turning point that led me to become a diehard Clemson fan occurred in 1977. During my sophomore year in college, I came home specifically to attend the Clemson-Notre Dame football game. I sat on The Hill for the first time during that game and was overwhelmed by the school spirit of the students and fans. Even though Clemson did not win that game, I loved the gameday experience and have been attending Clemson athletic events regularly since then.”
Ernie
Trammell
Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “For many years, I purchased season tickets to football and basketball games from very close friends who were IPTAY members. I enjoyed the Clemson athletic experience so much that I bought a condominium at Tiger Park in 2007 so that my wife, Louise, and our family could spend more time on campus. Despite my love for Clemson I never joined IPTAY until two years ago. My only explanation for not joining IPTAY was that I was not an alumnus of the school. I finally realized that even though I had not attended Clemson, I had benefited from my association with the school over the years, professionally and socially, in countless ways. Clemson had enriched my life so much that I decided to become a yearly Heisman Donor and a member of the Benjamin Ryan Tillman Society as a way to give back to Clemson.” What is your favorite gameday tradition? “I would have to say that watching the Tigers run down The Hill before the game is my favorite gameday tradition. I also enjoy spending quality time with my friends and family before and after the games.” Who is your favorite all-time student-athlete? “C.J. Spiller is my favorite student-athlete because I admire the way that he has represented Clemson on and off of the field. I must admit, however, that my opinion is being challenged by Tajh Boyd, Andre Ellington and Brandon Thomas. Tajh and Andre worked for my law firm two summers ago, and Brandon worked with us last summer. Tajh, Andre and Brandon are fine young men, and it was my pleasure to work with them. They also are, and will continue to be, outstanding representatives of Clemson University.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “I have always liked Danny Ford, but I must say that Dabo Swinney is my favorite coach because I am impressed with his story, his character; his positive influence on the lives of his players and others in the community, and last but not least, the direction that he is leading the football program.” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “We love to go to Clemson on Friday afternoon, open up the condominium and greet our friends and neighbors. We can actually watch the sunset from our balcony and see the stadium. We usually go to the Blue Heron for dinner with friends that night, or if we eat in, we’ll get pizza at the Mellow Mushroom. On Saturday morning, we get up to the wonderful sight of Clemson fans streaming in and setting up their tailgates. It doesn’t get any better than this, and I dare say there’s no better place for a ballgame in the country.” Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “We all want Clemson teams to win championships. To field a championship team, you have to recruit the top student-athletes. To recruit these athletes, you must have top-notch facilities, coaches and programs. Since everybody wants to win, colleges are now embroiled in a virtual arms race to offer the best of everything to their student-athletes in order to compete at the highest level. One needs only to look at Oregon to see how the support from boosters like Phil Knight and Nike has transformed the athletic programs at that school. For Clemson to remain athletically competitive in today’s environment, it is imperative for all supporters of the school to join IPTAY. Also, for folks like me, joining IPTAY is a means to give back to the school that has positively impacted our lives. Clemson fans are the greatest and deserve the best, but it is only through our continued financial support that we can guarantee that the great athletic traditions of excellence at Clemson will continue.”
Ernie Trammell and wif e Louise in the Bank of America box in Charlotte after Clems on won the ACC Championship against Virginia Tech.
Current Hometown:
Anderson, SC
Years of Membership:
2 Years
— compiled by Victoria Reid
Ernie and family with Congressman Joe Wilson (holding Trip Roberts) before a game.
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Trammell family: Jenny Martin Roberts (‘98), Jay Martin, Leigh Martin Blalock (‘91), Louise, J. Allen Ernie and Louise standing at the foot of Martin (‘69, Board of the CU Foundation), Dwight a glacier in Southern Chile. Roberts, Jr., Trip, Barry Blalock and Ernie.
Basketball fans follow the action.
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DECEMBER 2013
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REPRESEN TATI V E SPOTLI G H T
When did you become a Clemson fan? “I can honestly say I was born a Clemson Tiger. I can remember being 5 or 6 years old and hanging on to every word of the radio play by play from Jim Phillips. Even at that early age, I would wake up on Saturdays with my blood pumping for Clemson football. It is amazing that at age 40, I still get this excited every Saturday in the fall. My favorite childhood memory was the night of the 1981 Orange Bowl. After winning the game, my father, who was a volunteer fire chief at the time, took a group of Clemson fans on a ride around my hometown of Walterboro on top of a fire truck, sirens and lights flashing of course.”
Shane Walker
Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “In 2005, I met (IPTAY Associate Director of Major Gifts) Bob Mahony through mutual friends whose sons were playing baseball for Clemson. I knew that I wanted to support Clemson in ways other than simply writing a check. Bob introduced me to the Rep program, and I found it to be a great way for me to share my passion for Clemson.” What is your favorite gameday tradition? “Getting in the stadium early and watching the entire running down The Hill production. It truly never gets old.” Who is your favorite all-time student-athlete? “I just could not find a way not to pick Tajh Boyd. He chose Clemson at a time when we were down. He believed in Clemson and Dabo Swinney, and has taken on the role of a leader on and off the field. I truly respect the love he has for Clemson and all that he has given to our university.”
The Walkers tailgatin g before a game.
Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “Without a doubt, Dabo Swinney would be my all-time favorite. Although he is an Alabama graduate, he truly gets what it is to be a Clemson Tiger. He is a great family man and his story of how he fought through so many adversities is truly an inspiration. I love the fact that he believes in Clemson and that he is not willing to accept anything but the best for our program.”
Current Hometown:
What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “Ride through the heart of campus, because it brings back so many great memories. Hit the Esso Club if time allows.”
19 Years
Simpsonville, SC Years of Membership:
Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “All Clemson supporters should contribute to IPTAY because our scholarship dollars give a young adult an opportunity that they may not have had otherwise. Being a member of IPTAY allows you to truly make a difference in a studentathlete’s life.” — compiled by Victoria Reid
Shane and daughter Maggie after Clemson’s win over Georgia.
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The Walkers and their great tailgate friends; Chris and Ed Purkerson, Greg and Jenny Edwards, and Bill and Angie Neal.
Based on 2013 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index®. Hyundai is a registered trademark of Hyundai Motor Company. All rights reserved. ©2013 Hyundai Motor America.
Rain or shine. Hot or cold. Win or lose.
That’s loyalty.
#1 in cusTomeR loyalTy
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DECEMBER 2013
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N E W DO N O R SPOTLI G H T
When did you become a Clemson fan? “Clemson was my favorite team when I was a little girl growing up in Greenville, SC. My mother would never miss a Clemson football or basketball game being broadcast on the radio or TV. Listening to her yell and scream for her beloved Tigers made all my sisters and brother excited about being Clemson fans. She would always drive us over to Clemson for one or two football games every year. We would also drive over to Greenville/Spartanburg Airport to greet the football team when they flew back into town after away games. Our mama was so proud to see all five of her children graduate with degrees from Clemson University.”
Kat
Loftus
Why did you get involved with IPTAY? “A longtime Clemson supporter that I have known for about 20 years has always offered his Clemson football tickets to my family when he was not able to make it up to the games. This year when I went into his business to pick up some football tickets, he asked me to join IPTAY and handed me the application. It was that simple. I finally felt the tug of responsibility to join IPTAY after so many years of enjoying Clemson Athletics. Having our daughter there too probably made me empathize with what the student-athletes have to accomplish on a daily basis. I am so proud to be a Clemson graduate and to be a part of what Clemson University stands for. I want to be able to support those student-athletes who are there pursuing their degrees while also representing Clemson playing the sport they love.” What is your favorite gameday tradition? “Being able to tailgate with my family members before a game is a wonderful experience. It’s such a treat to be able to see all the orange on campus, all the different kinds of tailgating that is going on, all the families and students, and to see old friends and make a few new ones. But without a doubt, being in the stands surrounded by all the other dedicated fans with the Tiger Band playing, seeing the buses pull up, the football team crowding around Howard’s Rock and then seeing them running down The Hill after the cannon is fired, well, there is nothing else that makes my heart so happy and proud to be a Clemson Tiger.” Who is your favorite all-time student-athlete? ”What a tough question to answer. There have been so many great student-athletes to attend Clemson University — Banks McFadden, Tree Rollins, Michael Johnson, Steve Fuller, Jerry Butler, Terry Kinard, Obed Ariri, Deliah Arrington, D.J. Trahan, Tajh Boyd, Chandler Catanzaro, Nuk Hopkins, Sammy Watkins and Daniel Rodriguez. My favorite male athlete would have to be C.J. Spiller because he stayed at Clemson to graduate before going on to a successful NFL career. My favorite female athlete is currently attending Clemson — Grace Barnett. Grace is on the ladies cross country and track & field teams. She is one of the most hardworking, happiest, deeply spiritual and selfless young ladies that I know.” Who is your favorite Clemson coach? “I attended Clemson during the Danny Ford years so he is a pretty tough act to follow. Coach Bill Wilhelm was a mighty baseball coach for the Clemson Tigers. But without a doubt, I am shamelessly a Dabo Swinney fan through and through. I love his commitment to his players as a coach and a mentor. I like that he includes the children of the coaches during the football practices. I believe he loves and cherishes his wife, and most importantly to me, Dabo Swinney loves the Lord. Can I get an amen?!” What is one thing you always do when you come to Clemson? “I have to drive by Bowman Field and see Tillman Hall. That area brings back great memories of fun times as a Clemson student.”
Kat with Dabo Swinney at his Ladies Clinic.
Current Hometown:
Pawleys Island, SC Years of Membership:
1 Year
Why should someone who is not an IPTAY member join? “The Clemson Athletic Department dedicates its energy to taking care of the student-athletes both on and off the field. They do everything they can to see that their athletes succeed in the classroom and on the playing field. It is a privilege to be able to support such a quality program at our outstanding university. Joining IPTAY is easy and you only have to contribute what you can afford.” — compiled by Victoria Reid
Kat with her brother at the Spring Football Game.
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Kat with one of her students in 2013.
Kat with Pat and Anna Margaret at a game.
Do you have the Will to Lead? ��� Your Bequest and IPTAY
A time-honored method of supporting IPTAY is through a bequest. In its simplest form, your will provides that IPTAY is to receive a specified sum of money, a specific piece of property, or a stated percentage of your estate. Each of these bequest methods has certain advantages. We have a valuable website that explains some basic facts about wills – and the timeproven methods of making a bequest to IPTAY. Go to clemsontigers.com/iptay and click on IPTAY Gift Planning.
DID YOU KNOW? Calhoun Lemon of Barnwell, SC and George & Nancy Alley of Columbia, SC were the first $2,000 donors of IPTAY. IPTAY card # 1 was given to Cecil Roper of Laurens, SC in 1934. Cecil was the owner of a men’s store in Laurens. Dr. Rupert Fike, Founder of IPTAY, was also the personal physician for Margaret Mitchell (author of Gone With The Wind).
If you would like more information on gift planning, please contact Bert Henderson at 864-656-2973 or berthso@clemson.edu.
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DECEMBER 2013
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Riggs’ change of heart leads to raising triplets in the Clemson family New Year’s Day 1982, Jim Riggs was watching the Orange Bowl at his home in North Carolina. One of the top high school tight ends in the country, Riggs had committed to Georgia, but held offers to write his ticket pretty much anywhere he wanted to go. That included Clemson, where he’d taken an official visit and Danny Ford had tried to sway him to reconsider his decision. At halftime of the National Championship game between Clemson and Nebraska, the telephone rang at Riggs’ house and his mother answered. It was Ford. “He said, ‘We’d love you to come to Clemson and we’d love you to wear number 99,’” Riggs said. “That was a special number at Clemson. He said, ‘Jeff Bryant is wearing it right now,’ and I just want you to think about it and enjoy the rest of the game. That stuck with me — the guy’s going to call me at halftime of the biggest game of his life.” Of course, Ford and the Tigers went on to win the national title after he hung up the phone, and Riggs went on to win three ACC Championships at Clemson wearing No. 99 on his jersey as a bruising tight end in Ford’s smash-mouth offense. “I always felt like it was family down there,” Riggs said. Fast-forward 31 years from that fateful phone call, a moment came that made it clear the impact Riggs’ change of heart had on his life. Before the final home game of Clemson’s 2013 season against The Citadel, the Riggs family had a reunion of sorts on the field at Memorial Stadium. Jim and wife Liz, who was Miss Clemson 1984, have triplets. Zach is a freshman tight end for the Tigers, Jake is a receiver for the Bulldogs — both boys are redshirting — and Abby is a Rally Cat. All three were in their uniforms for the game that day. “They’ve grown up in the Clemson family,” Jim said. “We came to all the games, and we’re fortunate enough to be able to be up in the WestZone since that’s been open, so they’ve been watching the games up there with us, with the exception of last year when we had to do a lot of traveling with recruiting with the boys.” After Riggs left Clemson, he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, and his rookie season is perhaps best remembered for being affected by a players’ strike. 20
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The next season, Riggs and the Bengals — a team that featured quarterback Boomer Esiason, future Hall of Fame offensive lineman Anthony Munoz and running back “Ickey” Woods — made it all the way to Super Bowl XXIII. “We had the best record in the NFL, and then we ran into the Joe Montana buzz saw down in Miami,” Riggs said. “We were 34 seconds away from winning the game — one of the top five Super Bowls in NFL his-
“I was able to play 26 years from little league to when I retired, and never had an injury and never had a surgery,” Riggs said. “With my wife pregnant with triplets, there was no time for me to keep playing, and I had already done pretty much everything I wanted to do.” And unlike many professional athletes, Riggs had a plan for retirement. During his second year in the NFL, he and younger brother Matt — who played at Clem-
tory. But to be able to participate in that and to be able to watch the replay of that game every year — and you see me in several clips, and every year my friends will call and say, ‘Hey, I saw you on the Super Bowl replay last night.’ That’s pretty cool.” Riggs spent seven seasons in the NFL as a tight end with the Bengals (1987-92) and Redskins (1993) before retiring from the game at what he felt was the perfect time: right before he became a father.
The Riggs family is pictured at Memorial Stadium prior to the Clemson football team’s game against The Citadel on Nov. 23. Jim was a standout tight end at Clemson under Danny Ford and Liz was Miss Clemson 1984, and they eventually married and had triplets. From left, Zach is a freshman tight end for Clemson and Abby is a Rally Cat, while Jake is a freshman wide receiver at The Citadel. Photo by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
son from 1984-87 — started a business together. Hot Springs Pools & Spas in Greenville will celebrate its 25th anniversary in March. The company builds swimming pools in four states — North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee — and has stores in Asheville, NC, and Greenville, where both Jim and Matt call home. “He lives right behind me,” Riggs said. “We’ve never had a fight in our entire lives, and he’s 48 and I’m 50. So, we’ve been blessed enough to have a good relationship, work together and had very little conflicts in our life.” As the parents of triplets, Jim and Liz have been busy the last 18 years, and Jim credits his wife for keeping them organized through all the games, practices and dance lessons they’ve attended as their children were growing up. Zach had several offers to various colleges, but even though Clemson didn’t have a scholarship available for a blocking tight end at the time, he was quick to accept when Head Coach Dabo Swinney offered him a grayshirt opportunity. “His heart was in Clemson to begin with,” Jim said. “As far as Jake, he was recruited by The Citadel and recognizes it’s a full-time commitment
Jim Riggs won three ACC Championships during his career at Clemson. Photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications
down there. He’s not looking to go into the military, but he fully believes that if he’s totally dedicated to that university — which he is — it will help him in his future endeavors.” Abby also ended up at Clemson, the school where her parents met, and Jim pointed out her role as a Rally Cat requires the same time and dedication as her brothers. “Anybody that looks at the cheerleaders and the Rally Cats down there and doesn’t pay any attention to them, I would ask you to watch what they do,” he said. “They have given their heart and soul to that university.” These days, Jim gets to spend plenty of time at the place he did the very same thing. “What was really neat was at the Georgia Tech game when I was an honorary captain,” Riggs said. “To be able to wear my jersey on the sidelines, a lot of those guys didn’t know I was Zach’s dad or what I had done at Clemson, but that put it all in perspective that, ‘Hey, this is Zach’s dad and he played here, too.’ I just can’t emphasize enough the honor it was for me to be able to play here and the privilege it was to be a part of the Clemson family.” — by Steven Bradley/IPTAY Media
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SOMETHING TO PROVE
BCS clash with Buckeyes presents Clemson a chance to validate elite status
by Steven Bradley , IPTAY Media photos by Rex Brown , IPTAY Media
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ome 35 years later, Danny Ford can’t help but be amazed how far Clemson football has come since his first game as its coach. Not that he’s looking to take much credit. Ford points to the coaches who came before him, such as Frank Howard, Red Parker and Charley Pell, for laying the groundwork that allowed him to lead the Tigers to a National Championship and credits the players and coaches since then for returning Clemson to the brink of being one of the nation’s elite programs. “Poor old Coach Howard, he was like, an FCS team is to Clemson today,” Ford said. “Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Auburn would pay us to come play them at home, and Clemson would be 0-4 and have a fistful of money — and go back and win the conference at 7-4. And Coach Howard would have enough money to operate his program, and that’s what it was like back then. “It’s changed a lot because of the players like Steve Fuller and coaches like Coach Pell and Coach Parker up to today like Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins and all those good players and Coach (Dabo) Swinney and his crowd. So it’s improved a heck of a lot.” Ford’s first game as Clemson head coach, of course, was the 1978 Gator Bowl, when he took over after Pell left for Florida and led the Tigers to a 17-15 win over Ohio State 19 days later in a game best remembered for legendary Buckeyes Head Coach Woody Hayes punching Tigers middle guard Charlie Bauman on the sideline. “We had a very fine group of players put together by Red Parker’s coaching staff and Charley Pell’s coaching staff, and I was fortunate enough to be able to coach them in the Gator Bowl against Coach Hayes,” Ford said. “So, everybody knows what happened. He was certainly a great man and a great coach, and it was his last game.” The Tigers and Buckeyes haven’t met on the gridiron since, but that will change Tajh Boyd broke the on Jan. 3, 2014, when they square off in ACC’s career record for the Discover Orange Bowl in Miami. touchdown passes and Clemson has won 31 games over the touchdown responsibility past three seasons, the most over a threeas a senior.
year span in school history, but the Tigers believe they still have plenty to prove when they take the field at Sun Life Stadium. While Clemson won its only national title in the Orange Bowl with a 22-15 win over Nebraska under Ford on New Year’s Day 1982, its most recent trip to Miami did not end nearly so well. And the players who were on the team for a 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the 2012 bowl game are eager to erase some of those bad memories. “You can’t dwell on the past,” junior safety Robert Smith said. “But in the back of our minds, we know we’ve got something to prove. Last time we were in a BCS bowl game, it wasn’t a good ending. I don’t think we’re dwelling on it, but we’re going down there knowing that we have something to prove. We want to be one of those elite teams in the nation.” In the 2012 Orange Bowl, Clemson trailed just 21-17 in the second quarter and was on the West Virginia one-yard line looking to take the lead with a touchdown. But a fumble on the goal line was returned 99 yards for
a score to flip the momentum, and the Mountaineers pulled away by scoring 35 consecutive points aided by four Tiger turnovers. “It was a tremendous experience for our team,” Swinney said. “We had great preparation, great practice, but we just turned the ball over. If I could do something different, that’s what it’d be. I wish we could’ve hung on to that ball a little bit better. But we were a little bit different team when we went down there a couple years ago.” For starters, Clemson had 42 freshmen on the roster for that game and was making its first-ever BCS bowl appearance. That stands in stark contrast to this year’s team, which is
led by a host of veterans who have been part of three straight 10-win seasons. The Tigers have 30 players on the roster who played in the 2012 Orange Bowl. That includes 12 on offense, 12 on defense and six who played special teams only. There are six players on the current team who started that game: Boyd, Watkins, offensive lineman Above: With defenses keying on Biletnikoff Award finalist Sammy Watkins the entire season, Martavis Bryant accumulated career highs in receptions (39), receiving yards (800) and touchdowns (5) as a junior. Below: Brandon Thomas was a first-team All-ACC performer at left tackle for the Tigers.
Brandon Thomas, defensive backs Bashaud Breeland and Martin Jenkins and kicker Chandler Catanzaro. “We’ve got a lot of guys who have been there,” Swinney said. “We’ll have a great plan and great preparation. Our guys have prepared well all year, but we’re going to have to play a great ballgame to have a chance to compete with a team like Ohio State.” Clemson will also be looking for a redemptive performance in terms of this season, as well. While the Tigers won 10 games for a third straight season for the first time since the 1986-90 era, losses to Atlantic Division foe Florida State and in-state rival South Carolina
put a damper on the stretch run. Against Ohio State — the fourth top-10 team Clemson will face this season and one of the nation’s true powerhouse programs — the Tigers know they have a shot to make a serious statement. “It’s a great opportunity to show what we have,” All-ACC tackle Thomas said. “They have a great team and a great coach, and I think we’re all pretty excited about it.” The game bears a remarkable similarity to last season’s bowl matchup, when a Tiger team that was smarting from a disappointing loss in the regular-season finale got an opportunity to redeem itself against a highly regarded LSU program. After beating the seventh-ranked Bayou Bengals 25-24 in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl, if Clemson can beat Ohio State, it will be the only program in the country to defeat a top-10 BCS team in a bowl game to end both the 2012 and 2013 seasons. “When you get to the end of the year and get to play one of the best programs in the country over the last couple years — over all the years of college football — it will be a good game for us to have on our résumé,” junior defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. “We’re looking forward to it. We’ve already proven we can win big games against really good opponents, so it’s going to be a nice challenge for us.” Beating the sixth-ranked Buckeyes would be a major boon for the No. 12 Tigers, of course, but actually doing it is a tall order. Most every analyst in the nation had penciled Ohio State into the BCS Championship before it suffered its only setback of the season in the Big Ten title game to Michigan State. It was also the Buckeyes’ first loss in two seasons under coach Urban Meyer. “They were a couple plays away from playing for a national championship,” Swinney said. “The BCS represents the best of the best, and I really believe that both of these teams deserve to be there. We hadn’t been to one since ’81, and now to be able to go to our second one in three years is a great credit to our team for how they’ve competed and the consistency we’ve developed within our program.” DECEMBER 2013
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While Clemson has built much of its consistency around a high-powered attack, Ohio State ranks even higher in scoring offense (46.3 points per game), led by dynamic quarterback Braxton Miller, who has thrown for 22 touchdowns and rushed for 10 more, and 235-pound back Carlos Hyde, who has rushed for 1,408 yards and 14 scores. “First of all, (Miller is) a great winner,” Swinney said. “The guy has lost one game in
two years. He’s just an outstanding player that can beat you a lot of different ways, and that’s why they’ve rushed the football so well this year — that quarterback going along with that big back is just a very potent combination.” Clemson has a pretty potent combination of its own, of course, in Boyd and Watkins. They are the top passing tandem in school history, as Boyd is the program’s all-time leading passer and Watkins its all-time leading receiver in terms of yardage. Other veteran standouts include leading rusher Rod McDowell, who has tallied CLEMSON VS. OHIO STATE 956 yards on just 177 carries — good for a 5.4 per carry avClemson Category Ohio State erage — and senior offensive 40.2 Points Per Game 46.3 linemen Thomas and Tyler 502.0 Total Offense 518.5 Shatley. 172.7 Rushing Offense 317.5 The Tigers come into the 329.3 Passing Offense 200.9 bowl game ranked 11th na25 Rushing Touchdowns 42 tionally in scoring offense 34 Passing Touchdowns 36 (40.2 points per game) and 15th in total offense (502.0 162.1 Passing Efficiency 158.8 yards) led by a passing attack 21.1 Scoring Defense 21.3 that ranks 12th in the country 350.8 Total Defense 362.2 (329.3 yards). 152.6 Rushing Defense 102.6 “The athleticism at receiver 198.3 Passing Defense 259.5 is ridiculous, and their quar16 Interceptions by Defense 14 terback — the element of a 33 Sacks by Defense 40 quarterback that can run and 37.6 Net Punting 40.0 throw is something that we’ve 29-242-8.3 Punt Returns 28-248-8.9 had for years, and it’s just dif26-472-18.2 Kickoff Returns 27-620-23.0 ficult to defend,” Meyer said. 22 Turnovers 15 Of course, Clemson is any44.0 Third-Down Conversion % 49.4 thing but a team that relies solely on its offense to win.
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN
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Above left: Stephone Anthony was a third-team All-ACC selection and led Clemson with 120 tackles during the regular season, including 13.5 for loss, the second-highest total on the team. Above right: Bashaud Breeland was a second-team all-conference pick at corner after leading the Tigers with four interceptions and 13 pass breakups in the regular season.
The Tigers rank 17th in scoring defense (21.1 points per game), 19th in interceptions (16), 22nd in sacks (2.75) and 23rd in total defense (350.8 yards). Juniors Vic Beasley and Grady Jarrett lead a defensive line that helped Clemson lead the country in tackles for loss by a significant margin (9.4 per game), while veterans Spencer Shuey and Stephone Anthony are the leaders at the next level and the team’s top two tacklers. Clemson is one of only three teams in the country — Florida State and Baylor are the others — that ranks in the top 25 nationally in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense and total defense. “Our guys are excited about the postseason,” Swinney said. “We had a 10-2 regular season with a couple of tough losses, but we’re trying to get an 11th win. It’s going to take a lot of great preparation, and I don’t have any doubt that once these guys get back on the field they’ll be excited. “You’re playing very possibly the best team in the country (that was) a couple plays away from having a chance to go prove that. This is a huge challenge for us, and I don’t have any doubt that they’ll be very focused.”
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“DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY” Tigers reach10 wins in regular season for fifth time in school history by Steven Bradley , IPTAY Media abo Swinney makes no secret what Clemson’s goals are each season. They are on display as soon as you come through the door to the team room in the WestZone where he meets with the media prior to each game. The Tigers have five goals, and they all begin with the phrase “win the.” The goals are, in order, to win the opener, the Atlantic Division, the state championship, the ACC Championship and the bowl game. After accomplishing the first in impressive fashion with a 38-35 victory over then-No. 5 Georgia, two defeats have kept Clemson from achieving the next three goals. While there’s no sugarcoating that fact, Swinney knows all his team can do now is make sure it accomplishes goal No. 5. “We’ve got two painful losses this year, and we can’t ignore that,” Swinney said. “But we can’t make it feel like we’re a bunch of failures, either. It’s hard to win, and I think as we catch our breath and step back, we’ve got to celebrate the success that we’ve had and not sit and magnify the failures that we’ve had.” As it gets set to face Ohio State in the Discover Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, 2014, Clemson will have a chance to win an 11th game for a second straight season for the first time in school history. “This football team is about the right things,” Swinney said. “We’re building a great program here one season at a time, and I know we’re going to get over the hump and get to the top.
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We’ve just got to keep grinding, keep growing, keep learning, keep believing and keep doing it the right way.” Swinney admitted the Tigers’ regular-seasonfinale defeat at rival South Carolina was particularly disappointing because the team had put a “tremendous amount” into winning that game, especially the senior class. “But at the end of the day, I really believe our job as coaches is to develop men,” he said, “and when it comes to that, we’re batting a thousand — because this senior group is a bunch of great men that have great futures.”
• • • • • • NO. 8 CLEMSON 38, NO. 5 GEORGIA 35 Aug. 31 at Memorial Stadium Clemson became the first non-Southeastern Conference team in college football history to defeat top-10 SEC opponents in consecutive games with its 38-35 win over Georgia. But that factoid had little to do with what transpired on the field, according to Swinney. “We’ve got all the respect in the world for the SEC, but it’s not about a league — it’s about a program, bottom line,” Swinney said. “We’re worried about Clemson, and these guys don’t feel like they take a backseat to anybody.” A back-and-forth affair throughout, the Tigers opened up a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter on Stanton Seckinger’s nine-yard touchdown grab from Tajh Boyd and hung on to win in the first season-opening clash of top-10 teams in school history. Clemson also defeated No. 7 LSU 25-24 in the Chick-fil-A Bowl to end last season. Seckinger’s decisive score was fitting in that
his jersey number is No. 81, and it came on the night Danny Ford, the legendary coach who led Clemson to its only National Championship in 1981, was inducted into the Ring of Honor. “This was a special night for Clemson,” Swinney said. “I’m happy for Coach Ford to finally be inducted into the Ring of Honor. It was awesome to see all of our former players back tonight, too. This was just an awesome night.”
• • • • • • NO. 4 CLEMSON 52, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 13 Sept. 7 at Memorial Stadium Cole Stoudt took his turn as Clemson’s record-setting quarterback in its 52-13 home win over South Carolina State. The junior came on when Boyd had the wind knocked out of him with the Tigers already up 24-7 in the second quarter and went on to finish 19-for-20 passing for 143 yards and three touchdowns. “I’d think we’ve got us a quarterback controversy, if I didn’t know better,” Offensive Coordinator Chad Morris joked. Stoudt’s completion percentage of .950 set a single-game school record, besting the previous mark of .941 set in 2000 by Woodrow Dantzler, who was on hand as an honorary captain. In the win, Martin Jenkins and Darius Robinson became the first duo to ever return interceptions for touchdowns in the same game in school history. “For some strange reason we were both up at 3 or 4 in the morning, and he (Martin) sent me a really long text about the game,” Robinson said. “It just really stood out when we
came out here today; we just knew we were going to have a good game.”
• • • • • • NO. 3 CLEMSON 26, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 14 Sept. 19 at Carter-Finley Stadium Dabo Swinney emerged from Clemson’s locker room, walked to the front of the postgame interview room and studied a stat sheet for a moment. Then he breathed a big sigh of relief. “I’m glad to get that one over with,” he said with a smile. “We can’t load the buses up soon enough, I’m telling you.” Boyd and Martavis Bryant hooked up for a pair of second-half touchdowns, and Clemson overcame a shaky start and pulled away for a 2614 win against a pesky NC State squad in the ACC opener for both teams. The Tigers’ defense gave up 378 yards, but only allowed the Wolfpack to convert 3-of-16 third downs, had five sacks and also forced the game’s only turnover. After a week of insisting it was a different team than the one that went into Carter-Finley Stadium as a top-10 team two seasons ago and departed with a devastating defeat, Clemson went out and backed those words up. The difference the Tigers kept talking about had little to do with talent — they went on to win the ACC title in 2011, after all — and everything to do with maturity and mental toughness. “Two years ago, we were definitely a really young team, and we definitely wouldn’t have pulled together as a team as strongly as we did tonight,” linebacker Spencer Shuey said. “We’re a lot more mature this year, and it definitely showed.”
• • • • • • NO. 3 CLEMSON 56, WAKE FOREST 7 Sept. 28 at Memorial Stadium Morris walked past the throng of reporters huddled around a jovial Boyd in the tunnel outside Clemson’s locker room after its 56-7 victory over Wake Forest, and the two pointed in unison at each other and nodded in the another’s direction. Only that gesture was exchanged between the offensive coordinator and his senior quarterback, but the message was clear. Mission accomplished. After Morris said it took 59 plays for the Tigers’ offense to find its rhythm the week before against NC State, he had preached the importance of a fast start against the Demon Deacons.
Best friends Darius Robinson (8) and Martin Jenkins (14) became the first duo in Clemson history to return interceptions for touchdown in the same game in the Sept. 7 win over South Carolina State. Photos by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
“It was a huge focus — to pick up where we left off, to get Tajh in a rhythm, get this offense in a groove that we saw against Georgia and get them back going again,” Morris said. It took Boyd and company exactly three plays from scrimmage to reach the end zone and, for all intents and purposes, three drives to put the game away. Boyd hit Sammy Watkins down the sideline on a pump-and-go for a 64-yard scoring strike to make it 7-0 just 46 seconds into the contest, and Clemson quickly quashed any doubts about an upset on its Homecoming by taking a 21-0 lead less than halfway through the first quarter. When it was all over, Clemson had notched its largest margin of victory since it beat South Carolina State 54-0 in 2008 and its largest margin of victory over an ACC foe since it defeated Duke 58-7 in 1999. “We played outstanding in all three aspects of the game,” Swinney said. “I’m really pleased with the growth, and it was just a great day for our football team.”
• • • • • • NO. 3 CLEMSON 49, SYRACUSE 14 Oct. 5 at the Carrier Dome Just when it looked like Syracuse might make Wide receiver Adam Humphries had a career day against Syracuse, hauling in 118 receiving yards on three receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. Photo by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media DECEMBER 2013
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This third-quarter touchdown grab by freshman tight end Jordan Leggett helped the Tigers to a 40-27 victory at Maryland on Oct. 26. Photos by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
things interesting, Boyd and Watkins made absolutely sure there would be no late drama at the Carrier Dome. Late in the third quarter, the Orange were driving inside the red zone and looking to trim a 28-point halftime deficit back to two touchdowns. Instead, the defense halted Syracuse on downs, and two plays later, Boyd went over the top to Watkins for a 91-yard score that put the game away. “That’s what great players do,” Swinney said after the 49-14 win. The play gave Boyd 455 passing yards on the day, a school record. He completed 20-of27 passes and threw for five scores, none bigger than the final one to Watkins. “I had to run as fast as I’ve ever ran to get it, but it was a great ball,” Watkins said. Clemson served as the welcoming committee for Syracuse to the ACC on the day, but there was little welcoming about what transpired on the field. Boyd became just the third quarterback in ACC history to reach 10,000 yards of total offense. “(Boyd is) something special,” Swinney said. “Teddy Bridgewater brought his top-10 team in here and couldn’t get it done. Geno Smith brought his top-10 team in here and couldn’t get it done. And Boyd did, and I think that’s just a credit to him and his focus.”
• • • • • • NO. 3 CLEMSON 24, BOSTON COLLEGE 14 Oct. 12 at Memorial Stadium The defense kept Clemson in the ballgame for
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the first half against Boston College. In the second half, it went out and won it. The Tigers had five sacks, limited the nation’s leading rusher, Andre Williams, to 70 yards and scored the game-clinching touchdown on defense, as they overcame a sputtering first half offensively to beat the Eagles 24-14. “We knew we had to win the game on the defensive side, and we just locked down and just took over, man,” defensive tackle Grady Jarrett said. Tony Steward’s sack and strip of Chase Rettig in the fourth quarter was recovered by Vic Beasley and returned 13 yards for a touchdown that turned a too-close-for-comfort lead into a double-digit edge for the Tigers. The sack was the first of Steward’s career, which has been hampered by a season-ending knee injury he suffered in 2011. Beasley was named the game’s MVP after recording five tackles, two for loss, a sack and the game-clinching touchdown. He became the first defensive player to win the Leather Helmet Award. “(The defensive touchdown) came at a critical time in the game and created a lot of momentum for us,” Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables said. “Nobody deserves it more than Tony with the things he’s been through. He really seized his opportunity, and I’m happy for him. I’m happy for us.”
• • • • • • NO. 5 FLORIDA STATE 51, NO. 3 CLEMSON 14 Oct. 19 at Memorial Stadium The turnover battle had been a big part of the formula for success in Clemson’s unbeaten start. It was just as key an ingredient in a recipe for disaster in its first loss. In the first clash of top-five teams in Death Valley history, Clemson turned the ball over
three times in the first half — more than it had in a game to that point — and never recovered. The turnover woes began for the Tigers on the first play from scrimmage, as Florida State recovered a fumble at the Clemson 34, and three plays later, found the end zone for a 7-0 lead just 82 seconds into the game. After the Seminoles made it 10-0, Clemson coughed up the football again, and Mario Edwards picked up the fumble and rumbled 37 yards for a touchdown to give FSU a 17-0 lead with 3:07 still to go in the first quarter. “When you spot a team that good 17 points, it’s a huge uphill challenge,” Swinney said. “We never could swing the momentum back in our favor.”
• • • • • • NO. 9 CLEMSON 40, MARYLAND 27 Oct. 26 at Byrd Stadium Roderick McDowell stood outside the Clemson locker room in the crisp night air at Byrd Stadium fielding questions from reporters when fellow back D.J. Howard walked by, pointed at him and hollered, “Hey, there goes the star.” Howard was playfully teasing McDowell about the media attention, but he was also speaking the truth. McDowell carried 30 times for 161 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tigers beat the Terrapins 40-27 behind a ground game that rolled up 247 yards on 57 carries and controlled the contest. “We wanted to establish a hard-nosed running game,” McDowell said. “Our mindset is if we can run the ball on you it’s going to be a long night.” The stands were nearly empty except for a sizeable Clemson contingent in the lower corner by the time Swinney and Maryland counterpart CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 ���
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Randy Edsall met at midfield and shook hands after the game. And so ended one of the great rivalry series in Atlantic Coast Conference history. The schools have been members of the ACC since its inception and have met on the gridiron every year since 1952, making it the longest continuous rivalry for both schools. That streak will end next season, when Maryland moves to the Big 10. “It’s never easy up here,” Swinney said. “We won’t have to come up here for a while. I don’t know when the next time will be, but this has been a tough place for Clemson for a long time. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter game, and it was.”
• • • • • • NO. 8 CLEMSON 59, VIRGINIA 10 Nov. 2 at Scott Stadium Boyd dropped back into his own end zone and flung the football as far as he could. Then he put on a baseball cap. The Clemson senior threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-10 victory at Virginia. Not a bad day’s work, especially considering he only played three snaps in the second half. With the Tigers facing thirdand-15 from their own four on their opening possession of the second half, Boyd saw Watkins singled up outside with freshman corner Tim Harris, whom Watkins had already victimized once for a long touchdown. When the free safety came down into the slot to cover Germone Hopper, Boyd knew what he needed to do. “When Sammy’s out there or Martavis is out there, it’s impossible to overthrow them sometimes,” Boyd said. “You’ve just got to throw your arm out.” Ninety-six yards later, Watkins strolled into the end zone to put the Tigers up 42-7. When Boyd came to the sideline, Morris was waiting to tell him his day was done. “We were debating on putting him back in on that next series, and we just thought, ‘You know what? That’s a great way to end the game right there,’” Morris said. The Tigers led just 14-7 in the second quarter, when freshman safety Jayron Kearse created two turnovers — an interception and a forced fumble — on back-to-back Cavaliers possessions to help Clemson score three touchdowns
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in the final 4:18 of the first half and pull away. “Jayron, I thought, was the real spark for us in the first half,” Swinney said.
• • • • • • NO. 6 CLEMSON 55, GEORGIA TECH 31 Nov. 14 at Memorial Stadium Clemson figured to give up its fair share of yards to Georgia Tech’s vaunted ground game and hoped to get enough stops to weather the storm in one of the ACC’s most competitive rivalry series. Instead, the Tigers opened up a sizeable lead before the Yellow Jackets even picked up a first down and rolled to a 55-31 victory. “Our defensive line owned the night,” Swinney said. “This was a dominating performance in the trenches.” Clemson held the Jackets to 19 total yards on their first four possessions, as it built a 20-point lead by the early stages of the second quarter and pulled away with four second-half touchdowns. “The first couple drives were awesome,” said
senior linebacker Quandon Christian, who finished with a team-high 11 tackles. “Everybody was doing their jobs, and they couldn’t get anything going. They eventually busted a couple plays, but we wanted to come out and stop them a couple times, and we got it done — and it changed the way the game was played.” Since 2008, Tech has rushed for more yards than any FBS team thanks to Head Coach Paul Johnson’s option offense, and it came into the game ranked fifth in the country at 311.2 yards per game. But the Clemson defense put a stamp on the game from the onset. After one quarter, the Tech offensive stat line read: three possessions, three
punts, three yards. “We just came out with a chip on our shoulder and just executed,” Vic Beasley said. “That was big — giving momentum to the offense and just getting some three-and-outs and getting off the field.”
• • • • • • NO. 6 CLEMSON 52, THE CITADEL 6 Nov. 23 at Memorial Stadium Boyd stood atop The Hill, flashed his trademark smile and waved goodbye to the Death Valley crowd. Then he went out and put on one last show. The senior quarterback threw five touchdown passes — to five different receivers, all before halftime — and No. 7 Clemson beat The Citadel 52-6 on Senior Day. “I don’t think there’s a better way to end your home career,” Boyd said. “I had five touchdowns or whatever, but it was just enjoying the moment with the guys out on the field, some of the linemen, the defense, talking to Sammy and those guys, and just the memories that I’ll take from that.”
Chad Kelly put an exclamation point on Clemson’s 59-10 victory at Virginia with his first career rushing touchdown. His 38-yard scamper provided a feel-good story, as he had worked tirelessly to overcome a torn ACL suffered just seven months earlier. Photos by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
Boyd tied the school record with five touchdown passes, the sixth time he has done that in his career. Another senior, McDowell, led the Tigers with 108 rushing yards on 21 carries. CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 ���
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“It was very touching knowing it’s my last time running down The Hill, playing with these boys at home, and our fan base at home, I love it,” he said. “I’m going to miss it so much.” Boyd’s favorite target, junior wide receiver Watkins, also became Clemson’s all-time leading receiver on the day, surpassing the record of his former teammate DeAndre Hopkins, who had 3,020 receiving yards in his career. With the victory, Clemson has won at least 10 games in three straight campaigns, its longest such streak since it had four straight 10-win seasons from 1987-90. “I told the seniors to leave Clemson better than when they got here,” Swinney said. “Tajh has made us an elite program again.”
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NO. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA 31, NO. 4 CLEMSON 17 Nov. 30 at Williams-Brice Stadium Clemson had its chances, but six turnovers proved too much to overcome in a 31-17 defeat to South Carolina. The Tigers held their own in a number of statistical categories, as they rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half to tie the game at 17 late in the third quarter. But after South Carolina went back up by a touchdown, Clemson turned the ball over on all four of its fourth-quarter possessions to end its hopes of a rally. “The story of the game was the turnovers,” Swinney said. Clemson actually outgained the Gamecocks 352-318 in terms of yardage, but South Carolina didn’t turn the football over at all, while it converted the Tigers’ six giveaways into 21 points. “We just lost the turnTajh Boyd saluted the Memorial over margin,” Boyd said. Stadium crowd as he exited during “If you want to go and the third quarter of Clemson’s look at the score and ask 52-6 win over The Citadel on what’s really wrong with Senior Day. it, just look at the turnPhoto by Carl Ackerman over margin. Go look at ours, go look at theirs, and that will tell you everything you need to know.” In many ways, turnovers told the story of Clemson’s regular season. It committed 10 turnovers in the two games it lost and a total of 12 in the 10 games it won. The Tigers were outscored 45-0 in their two losses in points off turnovers and won that statistic 101-12 in the 10 games they won. “You can’t turn the ball over and beat good teams,” Swinney said. “It was the difference in the game, no question about it.”
Discover Orange Bowl Ticket and Events Information TICKET INFORMATION The Clemson Athletic Ticket Office is currently selling tickets to the 2014 Discover Orange Bowl. Ticket prices range from $50 to $225, with a limited number of $50 tickets made available by the department in an effort to provide an economical option for fans to support the Tigers against Ohio State. Bowl tickets will be assigned best available at time of purchase. Additionally, the athletic department will provide a complimentary parking pass ($20 value) to any ticket order of four or more. Fans purchasing a minimum of four tickets will also receive two complimentary passes ($40 value) to the One Clemson Tailgate on game day in Miami. All ticket orders processed through the athletic department will have all processing or shipping costs waived. Tickets are available online at ClemsonTigers.com and via phone at 1-800-CLEMSON. STUDENT TICKET INFORMATION The Tigers are Orange Bowl Bound! We hope to see you in Miami to support your Clemson Tigers against Ohio State on Jan. 3! The Clemson Athletic Department is offering a discounted lower-level ticket to students for $50. Students may purchase up to two tickets at the reduced rate, and student tickets will go on sale Thursday, Dec. 12 at 8 a.m., in the Ticket Office at Memorial Stadium (next to Gate 9). Tickets can be purchased with cash or credit card, and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis so please purchase tickets with your friends to sit together. *Athletic department officials have announced student travel packages through Clemson Sports Travel. Check clemsonsportstravel.com for more details. 36
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BOWL EVENTS ONE CLEMSON PREGAME TAILGATE PARTY Date: Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 Time: 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Location: Sun Life Stadium - Enter between Gate B and C IPTAY, the Clemson Alumni Association and the Clemson Athletic Department are partnering to provide the signature -pregame event for all Clemson fans. Located in the 100 Level of Sun Life Stadium, the tailgate party will feature a cash bar, food and drinks and all your favorite Clemson friends. Included with your One Clemson ticket will be a pass to the Orange Bowl Gameday Fan Zone, along with a complimentary copy of the official 2014 Discover Orange Bowl game program. Tickets can be purchased on clemsontigers.com ORANGE BOWL GAMEDAY FAN ZONE Date: Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 Time: 1:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Location: Sun Life Stadium - Gate G It’s the ultimate gameday party! Adding to the frenzy of gameday, this ticketed interactive event, has college football fans from all over the country kick-off gameday with some of Miami’s hottest local talent, interactive games, sports memorabilia, stage contests, food & beverage, performances from the marching bands and cheerleaders and then a performance from our headlining artist all on stadium grounds! AVMED ORANGE BOWL COACHES LUNCHEON PRESENTED BY DELOITTE Date: Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014 Time: 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Location: Jungle Island Head coach Dabo Swinney and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer will highlight the annual AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon presented by Deloitte. Interviews are conducted with the coaches and star players and the annual Hall of Fame class is honored. The Orange Bowl also honors the Edwin Pope Vanguard Media Award winner. Call 305-341-4702 for ticket information.
ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE
FORT LAUDERDALE ORANGE BOWL DOWNTOWN COUNTDOWN Date: New Year’s Eve Time: 4 p.m. - 3 a.m. Location: Downtown Fort Lauderdale The Orange Bowl and the City of Fort Lauderdale have partnered together since 2011 to host the annual Fort Lauderdale Orange Bowl Downtown Countdown, the premier New Year’s Eve celebration in South Florida. Touted as one of the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the South East, the free 11-hour street festival is full of fun and excitement for both children and adults. An estimated 100,000 revelers will crowd downtown Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday, December 31 from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. to wait with anticipation for the lighted ball to drop at midnight. BAPTIST HEALTH ORANGE BOWL PRAYER BREAKFAST IN SUPPORT OF FCA Date: Monday, Dec. 30, 2013 Time: 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. Location: Jungle Island The 42nd Annual Baptist Health Orange Bowl Prayer Breakfast in Support of FCA regularly features appearances and testimonies by players and coaches of the teams participating in the Orange Bowl. This year’s event will be held Monday, December 30, 2011 at Jungle Island in Miami, beginning at 7:30 a.m. For more information on this event, please contact the office of Fellowship of Christian Athletes at (305) 445-1600.
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TIGERS
GIVING BACK by Schuyler Easterling | photos by Rex Brown , IPTAY Media
O
n a chilly late autumn afternoon, the Clemson football team can typically be found hard at work at practice, the piercing sounds of whistles and crushing hits echoing about the campus. However, on one special day this season, the Tigers left the football pads in the locker room and abandoned the pounding of practice drills for the pounding of nails for a Habitat for Humanity project. Boarding the buses for nearby Anderson, SC, over 100 Tiger football players and staff members pitched in to help build homes for families in need. In no time at all, the Tigers set to work on constructing two homes — both on opposite sides of the same street. Splitting the workload, the offense focused their efforts on one home while the defense worked on the other, creating a competition to see which unit could raise their walls the fastest. The defense proved victorious and became the first squad to finish their construction, but by sunset, the entire Clemson football team had erected the four walls of both homes and spent hours landscaping and cleaning up around the houses. When neighborhood children heard the team was in the area, countless kids flocked to the area to have a chance to throw a football around with Tajh Boyd. The team posed for pictures and autographs, and personally got to meet the families they were building the homes for. In a perfect image of Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s program philosophy, his Tigers were learning more than one practice could ever accomplish. “We could have practiced today but I believe practicing for real life is more important,”
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At left: Eric Mac Lain and Darrell Smith of the Tiger football team help with the Habitat for Humanity project this November. Below: Brandon Thomas (left) and Garry Peters help landscape the area in conjunction with the Habitat for Humanity project.
Swinney said. “We try to instill a message of giving back throughout our program and our partnership with Habitat for Humanity this year reinforces that. This program is more than just about football. I want everyone who leaves Clemson to know more than just how to sack a quarterback or catch a football. We want them to understand the bigger picture of life and use this opportunity to grow and develop outside of football. “It is my hope that as these guys continue to grow and mature, they’ll look back on this experience and remember the impact they had
and their duty to better others around them. One of the most powerful lessons anybody can learn — and not just these players — is the power of giving. It is not always giving of your money — it is your time and talent and other resources. For our guys to be able to experience that is important.” However, Tiger football isn’t the only team on the Clemson campus to get in the spirit of giving this Holiday season. Last week, the men’s and women’s basketball teams worked hard to host the fourth-annual Tiger Wonderland, a special event that provides a Christmas
for local children in need. In a partnership with BI-LO, 25 area children traveled to a transformed Littlejohn Coliseum dazzled with lights and Christmas decorations. The entire men and women’s basketball teams met with the kids, helped them make crafts, and got to know them over the course of the night. Additionally, each child left with a full outfit, toys from their Christmas “wish list,” and a bag of nonperishable food items for their families. “This is just such a special event that we can host for our community children,” said Lindsey Leonard, Assistant Director of ITPAY and co-coordinator of Tiger Wonderland. “Every year, our basketball athletes love meeting the kids and spending the afternoon with them. Having a chance to make a child’s Christmas is something that really makes everything worthwhile. This year, we had a little girl write a thank-you note on the back of her Christmas wish list she sent to us. She said her parents were recently divorced and her father was struggling with a drug addiction — she didn’t know if she’d be able to have a Christmas this year. That note warmed my heart and again reminded me how important this event is for the Clemson area. We are truly blessed to be able to provide this opportunity.” Across the university, Tiger athletes are reaching out to the community in record numbers — not just as a team, but individually. The Solid Orange Squad, a group of studentathlete volunteers who respond to all requests for service, has been instrumental in their impact in the Clemson area. Additionally, the Be a T.I.G.E.R! character education program is another endeavor which features lessons and activities used by student-athletes to promote character development, clearly defining what it means to be a T.I.G.E.R. (Teamwork, Integrity, Gratitude, Education, Respect). Aimed at elementary and middle school students, this original concept features personal appearances, a field day for over 1,500 children, a free newspaper written entirely by
Thomas Green Clemson had such a passion for service, and I’d like to think that as Tigers, giving back is in our blood. This is such a tight-knit community and everyone just loves this place. We are truly one family, and we take care of each other. Our studentathletes have an incredible platform to make an impact on our community, and I’m so proud of the efforts they make every week to do so.” Since its creation five years ago, the community relations department in Vickery Hall has led the way in service and outreach. With hundreds of student-athletes taking time to volunteer each week, the impact is visible not only in Above: Basketball player the community, but also in Jordan Roper assists an area child with cupcake the lives of the participating decorations and crafts athletes. at last year’s Tiger “We have a unique program Wonderland. here at Clemson that I’m very proud of,” White said. “We At left: Basketball player are leading the way in athletic Chancie Dunn and golfer community relations nationLauren Salazar (below) were among many student-athletes ally. People from coast to coast call Clemson asking about our who took time to prepare outreach programs and model and serve food in one of the dining halls this fall. others like ours. We are the only NCAA Division I University in the country that has a character education program. I’m so proud of the people I’ve worked with through the years. “The change I see in studentathletes through these programs is incredible. Realizing that it’s not about me but about what we can give back collectively is such an important life lesson. So many of our former student-athletes are now working for non-profit organizations or giving back by creating beneficial programs on their own. The ClemsonClemson student-athletes, an email buddy pro- LIFE program for students with intellectual gram and a new book club called T.I.G.E.R! disabilities is an excellent example. So many Read. Clemson student-athletes from every student-athletes have transformed into incredsport aren’t just making a difference on the ible service-oriented men and women during playing field — they’re making a difference in their time here, and it is my hope that they will people’s lives. continue their service long after they leave this “There is such a strong culture of giving back university. We are one family, and the Clemson here at Clemson,” said Linda White, former family has been — and will continue to be — Clemson head volleyball coach and current committed to making a difference.” Director of Community Relations. “Clemson Truly, that commitment is something to be was founded as a service-learning institution. thankful for this Christmas season. DECEMBER 2013
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LIVING THE DREAM Memory of fallen friend drives Rod Hall to succeed
Rod Hall pays tribute to his late friend Darnell “Dee” Brown by writing the phrase “R.I.P. Dee” on his game shoes, and by wearing Brown’s No. 12 high school jersey number.
by Steven Bradley , IPTAY Media photos by Rex Brown , IPTAY Media
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od Hall knows it could have been him. And in many ways, it was. As far as Hall is concerned, it still is. Nobody Hall knew ever made it out of his neighborhood. He cites Deon Grant, who played defensive back in the NFL for the Carolina Panthers and won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants, as the lone exception. Grant was 14 years older, however, and long gone by the time Hall was coming up. Hall was also a standout athlete and wanted to follow the same path of using sports to get out of Augusta, GA, and make something of himself. Darnell Brown did, too. Hall has two brothers and two sisters, but his closest friend growing up was Brown, known as “Dee” to those who knew him best, and the two were inseparable. They went to the Boys & Girls Club together and played outside together, and Hall credits backyard games of basketball and football with Brown for building the toughness he has developed a reputation for since arriving at Clemson in 2011. “We were just alike,” Hall said. “He was like a twin.” They also formed a dynamic duo on the playing field, and won championships in both basketball and football in middle school. When it came time for high school, however, Brown and Hall were separated. “I was in a troubled neighborhood, and my mom knew if I went to school with everybody else that I probably was going to get in trouble,” Hall said. Hall ended up at Laney High School — an academy for advanced students — and he and Brown would go head to head when Laney played rival Josey High, where most of the players on those title-winning teams in middle school also attended. “(Brown) was one of the toughest players I would face,” Hall said, “because he’s strong, too, and he could play good defense, so it was kind of like looking in the mirror at yourself, just going against somebody that’s very similar.” While Hall and Brown went to different schools, they were on the same AAU team in the summer and remained best friends with similar dreams. Looking back on it, Hall realizes the decision his mother made to send him to another school gave him an advantage in that regard. “It was a real good decision because every-
body I used to hang out with — well, I still hang out with them — most of them didn’t graduate, and me and (Dee) were the only two left out of about 20 people still playing sports and trying to stay on pace to make something out of ourselves,” Hall said. It was the Fourth of July, 2010, the summer after Hall’s junior year, and the two had planned to meet at the gym that evening to depart for a summer league tournament. There was a neighborhood cookout that night to celebrate the holiday, but Hall left early to have dinner at home, while Brown stuck around to eat with his brothers. Hall had only been gone for about 10 minutes when his mother got a phone call with horrifying news — someone had ridden past the cookout on a bicycle and opened fire. Brown had been shot in the head. “I could have been right in the mix,” Hall recalled. “I had just walked in the house, my mom fixed me a plate, my cousin called and told her what happened, and I rushed out of the house and went down there.” By the time he arrived, Brown was already on his Hall also carries way to the hospital, and the memory of Hall never saw his best his best friend with a tattoo friend alive again. that reads “In “I guess he was just in Memory of the wrong place at the
ketball shoes — three letters on one shoe and three on the other — and a tattoo of his friend’s name. Following his freshman year at Clemson, Hall switched from jersey No. 4 to Brown’s number, 12, to honor his friend’s memory. An all-state player in both basketball and football in high school, Hall considered a career on the gridiron when the major college offers didn’t roll in as quickly as he would have liked for basketball. There was no getting past the fact Hall’s favorite sport was hoops, however, and he attract-
wrong time,” Hall said. Before that tragic night, there had been two of them with a chance to buck the odds, make it out of the neighborhood and do something with their lives. Now there was only Hall. And he was determined he was going to do it for both of them. “Ever since then, I do things in his memory,” Hall said. “I look at it like I’m living out my dream and his dream.” Hall has “R.I.P. Dee” written on his bas-
ed attention from a few mid-major programs, most notably Wichita State, as he caught the eye of one of its assistant coaches who attended an AAU tournament to scout another player and ended up being more impressed by Hall, who locked down the other prospect defensively and took him out of the game altogether. The assistant coach was Earl Grant, and after three seasons at Wichita State, he was hired by Brad Brownell to join his staff at Clemson in 2010. Grant had a relationship with Hall by
Darnell Brown.”
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that point, and he told Brownell about the gritty point guard he’d found. “He just stuck with me,” Hall said of Grant. Ultimately, Clemson was the only visit Hall ever took. “It was a good family atmosphere,” he said. “When I got here, you could tell that they really care about what you do academically and they’re going to try their best to help you. And then, I already had a good feel for Coach Grant. Now I look at him like an uncle. He would just tell you the real stuff, that it’s not going to be easy, and he’s going to push you. So, I just stuck with him.” Since arriving on campus, Hall has played in every game of his Clemson career, including starting 30 of 31 contests as a sophomore last season, and this season he has emerged not only as one of the team’s veteran leaders, but also as its heart and soul. “He does a good job of rising to the occasion of the moment and trying to make a big play or rallying the troops a little bit — by not letting a lot of the atmosphere affect his play,” Brownell said. “When things all around you are going crazy, you’ve got to have some peace and calm, especially if you’re a point guard, and he does that pretty well. And it settles other guys down and lets them be successful.” On a team without any seniors, Hall has been forced into a leadership role as one of only two players with two seasons of play for the Tigers under their belts, along with fellow junior K.J. McDaniels. He admits he’s never been the most vocal person, but he believes the toughness he brings to the court — that he credits to Brown — is one of the most important qualities a leader can have. “I’m going to work hard and I’m going to be tough all the time, and I’m not going to let anybody punk me,” he said. “I prefer to lead by example, but if things are going wrong, then I’m going to speak up. I’m not going to just sit back and let things keep happening.” Hall is also emerging as a scorer for the Tigers. Through the first nine games of the 201314 campaign, he had already scored in double figures six times — two more than he had in his entire career prior to this season. Brownell has urged Hall to be even more aggressive when it comes to looking for his own shot, and Hall said being a scorer is something
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he has always been comfortable with — he just never felt it was his role on the Clemson team until now. “I used to always be a scorer,” Hall said. “But when I got here, I was transitioning into a point guard instead of a scorer all the time. I was really just trying to play the system and get a good feel for everything. My role was to get the team a good shot and play good defense as a freshman and sophomore. Now I’ve got Coach’s trust better, I would say, so I can do a lot more things than what I did my first two years.” Even in the games where Hall isn’t among the Tigers’ leading scorers, he is
play better. As a coach, that’s what you’re looking for — guys you can trust, guys that you know are going to do what you coach them to do.” More than three years after his best friend’s death, Hall still thinks of Brown before every game. He has a collage with a laminated picture of himself and Brown in his locker with a quote that reads, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice.”
Always known as an exceptional defender, Hall has increased his productivity on offense this season as well.
always at the heart of their attack. After an early season win over South Carolina State, for example, Brownell pointed to Hall’s stat line as representative of his importance. “It’s why he plays so much,” Brownell said. “Nine points, four assists, no turnovers, doesn’t sound like a great night. It’s pretty solid, though. He plays pretty good defense, handles the ball against the press, deals with everything, the offense flows through him. Even when he doesn’t make the assist, he’s usually the guy who throws it to the guy that throws it to the guy. He does the little things that make your team
Hall believes that quote exemplifies the mentality he tries to bring to the game. “On the basketball court, I believe it’s bigger than myself,” Hall said. “I don’t play to be the man scoring all the points. I look at my teammates like they’re family, and I’m doing it for them, as well as my family back home, trying to make something better happen for them and for myself. So, I don’t look at things like I’m just doing it for myself.” He’s also doing it for his best friend, who never got the chance to do it for himself.
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BACK WHERE WE BELONG
C
lemson sat squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship, and its players knew it. On the Monday after the ACC Tournament, the team gathered in the McFadden Building to watch the NCAA Selection Show. The Tigers had fallen in overtime in the ACC semifinals after rallying to beat a ranked North Carolina team in the first round and knew there was a chance their once-so-promising season might already be over. When Clemson’s name popped up on the bracket two minutes into the program, the players erupted out of their chairs to celebrate together. It was matched up as the road team against Elon with the winner set to travel to the tourney’s top seed, UCLA — the first three teams announced — meaning the Tigers had, for all intents and purposes, been the last team in. Head Coach Mike Noonan stood in the back of the room with a wry smile on his face and soaked in the scene — almost as if he already knew, but had been sworn to secrecy. In retrospect, it seemed clear enough the Tigers had punched their NCAA ticket with two
Men’s soccer program returns to NCAA tournament for first time since 2006 late goals against the Tar Heels on Nov. 12. League rules prohibited the alma mater being played over the loudspeakers after Clemson’s 2-1 win, but that didn’t stop the team from locking arms and belting it out loud and clear along with the hearty souls who stuck around for the entirety of their thrilling comeback on that blustery, frigid night at Historic Riggs Field. After 75 frustrating minutes, with Clemson trailing 1-0 for more than 74 of them, T.J. Casner drove home a volley after a superb passage of play to pull his side level. Eight minutes later, Kyle Fisher rose above the crowd on a corner kick with a powerful header to score the winner. “It’s one of the best moments since I’ve been at Clemson,” Fisher said afterward. They traveled to Germantown, MD, for the next round and pushed defending — and eventual — ACC Champion Maryland to the brink before losing in overtime after nearly 100 minutes of scoreless soccer.
“There is no question the program is growing,” Noonan said afterward. “What we’re doing at Clemson is something that hasn’t been done in a while. Trying to bring back and restore the tradition at one of the greatest college soccer programs in the country is a daunting task.” The Tigers opened the season by winning their first six matches to rise as high as No. 4 in the national polls. They lost four of their last six in the regular season to put their postseason hopes in jeopardy, but still finished with 11 wins — the most since 2006 — and five conference victories, the most ACC wins since 1998. “The overall picture is you have to do everything every day,” Noonan said. “You have to look at every day as a new day and work exceptionally hard. Clemson has a lot to ofAt top: The Tiger soccer team returned to the NCAA Tournament this fall for the first time since the 2006 season.
by Steven Bradley , IPTAY Media | photos by Rex Brown , IPTAY Media 44
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Kyle Fisher’s header to win the ACC Tournament quarterfinal against North Carolina propelled the Tigers into the national tournament.
fer. It is an excellent academic institution and yards out than we were.” a wonderful athletic program. Recruiting is an A major reason the Tigers had reached that important piece to it. Also you have to develop point was graduate midfielder Tommy Mcplayers, which is something we consistently do Namara, who originally played for Noonan at at Clemson. Players come to our program and Brown, but the two went their separate ways get better. It’s about pursing excellence.” the next year when Noonan was hired to take Once they arrived in Elon, NC, for the the helm at Clemson. NCAA Tournament, the Tigers took the pitch McNamara graduated from Brown having in front of a capacity — and then some — played four seasons for the Bears, but in the crowd at Rudd Field, interim had sustained a seasonwhere the fans had begun ending injury after just four tailgating hours before games in 2011. and stood four- and five“I followed his career pretty deep around the chainclosely and knew he had the link fence surrounding extra year,” Noonan said, “and the venue. Clemson dominated both the possession and the chances in the early going, as it had eight shots in the first half to one for Elon. But the Tigers were unable to convert on the early dominance, and Elon turned the tide after the half and scored the opening goal with 31:09 left to take Thales Moreno the lead. (13) and Paul Clemson finally got its Clowes celebrate goal — a well-deserved one following Moreno’s — in the 71st minute when goal in the NCAA Jack Metcalf controlled a ball Tournament down the right flank and permatch at Elon. fectly teed up a ball at the top of the box for Thales Moreno, who curled it I said, ‘Tom, if you’re thinking about using that with his left foot into the top corner. last year of eligibility, I know the best place to But the two teams never scored another goal do it. Test yourself in the ACC before you take through the rest of regulation and two 10-min- that next step.’” utes overtimes, and the Phoenix advanced to McNamara passed that test with flying colthe next round 4-1 in penalties. ors, as he scored four game-winning goals and “It really is a crapshoot when you get to became the first Clemson player in seven years (penalty kicks),” Noonan said, “and you’ve got to be named first-team All-ACC. to congratulate Elon. They were better from 12 “It was great to just get one more year of
college soccer, and I was just so thankful to do it here at Clemson and with the guys and the coaching staff I was doing it with,” McNamara said. “It was everything I could have asked for.” McNamara is among the departures the team will have to replace, and the Tigers also will lose graduate student Wes Nelson and two seniors in Metcalf and Alex Stockinger. Much of the core of the team should be back next season, however, including Fisher, who was named to the All-ACC third team after a sensational year on defense. “Kyle has some special qualities,” Noonan said. “He’s a tough kid, and he’s got a desire and a willingness that are hard to come by.” Clemson gave up only 20 goals in 21 matches, and its pairing of Fisher and Phanuel Kavita — who started every match together on central defense — will be eligible to return, along with five others who started at least 17 matches: midfielders Ara Amirkhanian, Amadou Dia and Paul Clowes, forward Manolo Sanchez and keeper Andrew Tarbell. “We’ve got to get back to work now,” Fisher said. “It will be a good spring for us, and now people are going to have to fill the roles of losing four great leaders.” Clemson certainly established a foundation to build upon. It finished 24th in the Soccer America poll, and the bid to the NCAA Tournament was its first since 2006. “It meant a lot,” Fisher said. “That was one of the big goals at the beginning of the season. It’s part of the process — the things we went through throughout the year to get us there. It’s unfortunate the way it ended, but I couldn’t be more proud of the guys, especially the four seniors and the guys that have come before us that have helped pave the way. It’s helped change the story. That was our motto this year, and we hope to be back next year.” DECEMBER 2013
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ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE
THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE F
amily. When people think of Clemson, family is undoubtedly one of the first words that comes to mind. But the Clemson family is large and stretches to every corner of the world, making it challenging for all members to be connected to this wonderful university. Social media has broken down the barrier of distance, though, allowing fans to stay in connection with the happenings at Clemson. Social media is defined as media that by design supports participation, conversation and community. Users of social media are able to connect with friends, family and find others with similar interests. Many organizations have begun to use the power that social media has to enhance previous relationships with stakeholders and foster new relationships. Clemson Athletics is no different. With social media, instead of the athletic department being a separate part of the campus and community, it humanizes the department to make it part of the university and community. Director of Athletic Communications Joe Galbraith looks at social media as an opportunity to inform first and interact second. Whereas traditional media and the role of
media relations has been to provide information to third parties (newspapers, television, etc.) who then provide coverage to the fans, “social media allows Clemson to eliminate the middle person and have direct interaction with fans.” In the end, it is about the relationships that can be formed and developed. Jonathan Gantt, Clemson’s recently hired Director of New Media, echoes Galbraith. “Social media is an excellent way to promote all of the amazing things happening in Clemson Athletics,” he said. “But more importantly, it is an untapped resource for listening to and interacting with fans.”
Clemson Athletics got its start in the social media world in 2010, and the original plan was primarily focused on Facebook. However, there was not much engagement with fans. Instead, content was based more on posting stories and event recaps. Clemson Athletics did have early success with a YouTube chan-
Clemson Athletics increases efforts to interact with Tiger fanbase by Joey Johns
nel under Chad Lampman, former assistant video services director. It started when the ESPN College GameDay visit to Clemson for its men’s basketball game against Duke in 2010, when a member of the Rally Cats danced with Digger Phelps. There were over 150,000 views of it on YouTube. From there, the department funneled other videos through YouTube such as the famous baseball rain delay video featuring skits by Clemson and Davidson players. YouTube was initially successful because Clemson already had the videos, and uploading them was easy. The communication with fans was strictly one-way, however, and didn’t foster much engagement. The first truly interactive initiative was for the 100th anniversary men’s basketball team in 2011, where fans were able to vote for the top 25 players in school history. The initial problem, however, was that stories were published few and far between. The department didn’t really understand how to use it; rather, it seemed the department had social media for the sake of having it. With a brief history of what Clemson has done in the past with social media, where is Clemson currently? Clemson has one of the most identifiable brands in the nation. DECEMBER 2013
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Although it is a leader, the department’s charge is to be innovative and not stagnant. “If you’re going to be a leader, regardless of the field, do it well,” Galbraith said. “If you’re doing it just to do it, then you’re lost in the clutter.” The great thing about Clemson is that it not only has a national brand, but also a close-knit community feel. “It is our job, then, to hone in on the messages that we are sending out to identify with the Clemson feeling,” Galbraith said. “From there, it is about how we capture that in 140 characters on Twitter or on Facebook. We have some pretty smart people working here, and that’s the direction we’re headed in.” With the premise that social media is all about connecting with the fans, what messages are fans looking for? Jimmy Sanderson, an Assistant Professor for Sports Communication at Clemson, believes that the best content is information that cannot be found elsewhere. Whereas many outlets are able to give information such as play-by-play to games or other basic statistics, the athletic department is unique. It is able to provide “behind the scenes access which cultivates ‘insider’ perspectives,” which Sanderson feels is ideal and compelling for fans. “We want to provide the best, most unique coverage that gives added value to our fanbase so that they realize quickly the benefits of ‘following’ us,” Gantt said. “Whether it’s game stories, features, photos, videos, graphics or any other content we post, the idea is to provide material that’s engaging.” Galbraith agrees 100 percent with Gantt’s assessment. “We need to tell the stories of our studentathletes,” he said. “That includes things like uniform updates, or similar things that are out of the ordinary, but telling the story of our athletic department as a whole. We want to use social media to create personalities, make people accessible and to humanize those that work and play in college athletics.” Currently, Clemson is expanding rapidly in the mediated world. Both Galbraith and
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Clemson Athletics Twitter handles
Athletics @ClemsonTigers IPTAY @IPTAY_ IPTAY Collegiate Club @IPTAYCC Baseball @CUTigerBaseball Men’s Basketball @ClemsonMBB Women’s Basketball @ClemsonWBB Diving @ClemsonDiving Football @ClemsonFB Men’s Golf @ClemsonMensGolf Women’s Golf @ClemsonWGolf Rowing @ClemsonRowing Men’s Soccer @ClemsonMensSoc Women’s Soccer @ClemsonWSoccer Men’s Tennis @ClemsonMensTenn Women’s Tennis @ClemsonWTennis Track & Field/Cross Country @CUTrackandField Volleyball @ClemsonVB
Gantt were hired this fall to oversee the social media efforts within Clemson Athletics, but there is more to come. Technology is constantly evolving, but no matter how often “the platforms may change, the ideas behind social media have fundamentally changed marketing,” according to Gantt. “These new communication tools have given consumers a greater voice, and the companies that focus on listening to and interacting with their customers, or fans, will be able to provide a better product because of that,” Gantt said. “With innovative leaders like Dan
Radakovich and Joe [Galbraith] guiding the athletic department through a new age of information and communication, Clemson has set itself up well to be a leader in new media going forward.” Galbraith believes Clemson can be an industry leader. “With Clemson’s history as a pioneer in so many different ways and as a leader in so many fields, there is no reason for us not to continue upon that,” he said. “Social media is obviously a huge, huge part of what we’re doing now and we can develop it further. “There is an appetite for information about Clemson Athletics that is clearly there, and the numbers are undeniable. Clemson has a follower count in the top 20 in the nation on Twitter and likes in the top 15 on Facebook. And we really haven’t put a whole lot of effort into our social media platforms to this point. The fans are there; it is up to us to provide quality content to keep them coming back and wanting more. We have video capabilities that are second to none, we have extremely intelligent and witty people on our staff, so it’s just a matter of focusing our efforts toward how we want Clemson Athletics to be portrayed.” Now, the athletic department uses social media to interact with fans in numerous ways. Fans are able to tweet @ ClemsonTigers for various promotional options such as seat upgrades, what songs they want to hear at Death Valley, or to win trips to places such as The Biltmore. Clemson University is lucky to have two Social Media Listening Centers (SMLC) on campus that can track what people are saying about Clemson across various platforms. Using Radian 6 technology, the SMLC is able to track key words to see exactly how people are talking about Clemson. A new resource, Clemson Athletics will continue to work heavily with the SMLC. With the combined efforts of the SMLC and the staff within the athletic department, Clemson has a bright future in the social media age. The Clemson family can now be constantly connected so no Tiger roams alone.
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2013-14 SEASON OUTLOOK | DIVING The 2013-14 season marks the second for the Clemson women’s diving program. In their inaugural season, five Tigers qualified for the NCAA Zone B Championships. This season, Clemson returns 10 of 12 divers from last year and looks to take the next step in building the program. “We definitely have more of a purpose this year,” Head Coach Leslie Hasselbach Adams said. “Last season, half of the team was brand new and we got a chance to get our feet wet. We got a chance to see how the season would play out. “It is exciting to come back this year with a lot more experience. We have only one freshman and we have three seniors. We have really worked on our team culture and what our purpose is and what our team goals are. The girls are focused and dialed in on what they are trying to do.” This season will mark the 14th that Hasselbach Adams has coached diving at Clemson. She became the first women’s diving coach in Clemson history after being chosen to lead the program in its inaugural season. She will be once again assisted by Ryan Moehnke, who will begin his 13th season overall as a diving coach. In the pool, seniors Heather Britt, Em-
ily Howard and Bailey Warren will lead the squad in 2013-14. Howard, who competed in all three events at NCAA Zones in 2012-13, returns as one of the top Tigers from a year ago. She led Clemson with 61.5 competition points last season and recorded the highest score of the season with a 306.83 mark against NC State. “Emily is our team captain,” Adams said. “She has done a tremendous job. She stayed in Clemson the entire summer and trained and competed, and has done a wonderful job as a leader.” Juniors Jessica Doolittle, Chelsea Uranaka and Emily Yoder will provide depth and experience for the Tigers. Uranaka finished fourth on the team in points last season and competed in the one-meter event at NCAA Zones. Yoder was one of the top platform divers on the team last season. Sophomores Tabitha Banks, Megan Helwagen, Juliana Melchionda and Jessica Resler all look to make an impact this season. Last season, Helwagen was a standout freshman, finishing second on the team in points (52). She also recorded the highest one-meter score of the season (286.50) and had the highest scores of any Tiger in the one-meter and platform events at the NCAA Zones.
[ by Davis Simpson ] Resler had a successful season, as she led the Tigers in platform points and was fifth in overall points. She finished with the high-
ATHLETES TO WATCH CHELSEA URANAKA
Jr. • Windermere, FL • Recorded the highest threemeter score this season (291.30) to qualify for NCAA Zones • Finished first in the threemeter event in the season opener
JULIANA MELCHIONDA
So. • Braintree, MA • Finished in the top five in the one-meter in three of four meets so far this season • Recorded Clemson’s fourth-best one-meter score this season at Georgia Tech (263.90)
MEGAN HELWAGEN
Megan Helwagen posted Clemson’s best one-meter dive of the 2012-13 season as a freshman. Photo by Dawson Powers
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So. • Mason, OH • Finished first in the one-meter event in the season opener after returning from injury • Ended her freshman season with the top one-meter and platform scores by a Tiger diver
Juliana Melchionda has been consistent on the one-meter board so far this season. Photo by Dawson Powers
est Clemson score in the platform event at the ACC Championships and had three of the top five platform scores on the team last season. Melchionda also made great strides during her freshman campaign and qualified for NCAA Zones in the onemeter and three-meter events. “Our returning ladies that competed at NCAA Zones last season have also been working hard in the pool,” Adams said. “Chelsea is going to have a knockout season. Juliana is training hard and doing her thing. Megan didn’t get to train this summer due to an injury, but she is coming back with a vengeance. They are all doing good things in the pool, and we are excited about that.” Sarah Braun, a native of Beaverton, OR, is the Tigers’ lone newcomer. Braun was the captain of the diving team at Southridge High School and was twice named most outstanding female diver. She is currently the only Clemson student-athlete from the state of Oregon. Clemson has a challenging and competitive schedule in 2013-14. The slate features 11 regular-season meets, including five home meets and three invitational meets. The Tigers opened the season on October 26 against Richmond and Georgia Southern. It was the first return trip for former Tiger David Giambra, a diver at Clemson from 200609 under Adams. “I was very excited to have David come back home,” Adams said. The Tigers went on to take first in both events in that meet, with Uranaka winning the three-meter event and Howard taking first in the one-meter dive. Clemson has since competed in four other events. Howard qualified for NCAA Zones in the second meet of the season against Davidson and VMI with a first-place score
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Emily Howard
of 293.95 in the one-meter event. She then qualified for NCAA Zones in the three-meter with a score of 282.40 the following week at Georgia Tech. Uranaka became the second Tiger to qualify for NCAA Zones after scoring a 291.30 in the three-meter event at the Georgia Tech Invitational on November 23. Melchionda and Helwagen have also been solid competitors this season, both narrowly missing qualifying scores for NCAA Zones. Clemson will compete at the Georgia Invite to kick off 2014 on January 3-5. The Tigers then host three of their next four meets to close out the regular season. Clemson will travel to Greensboro, NC for the ACC Championships on February 19-22. Howard and Uranaka hope to be joined by other Tigers to compete at the NCAA Zone B Diving Championships in Greensboro on March 10-12. From there, the Tigers will try to earn a spot in the NCAA Women’s Diving Championships in Minneapolis, MN on March 20-22.
Senior diver Emily Howard is off to a great start in her final season as a Tiger. The native of Newtown, PA has already qualified for the NCAA Zone Championships in both the onemeter and three-meter events. In four meets this season, Howard has been the top Clemson finisher in five of the nine events in which she has competed. “Emily has done a great job of staying focused this season,” Head Diving Coach Leslie Hasselbach Adams said. “She really believes in her training and her abilities, and it is really showing during competition.” The Tiger captain first earned a qualifying score in the one-meter event in the second meet of the season against Davidson and VMI. Howard totaled a season-best score of 293.95 to finish first and earn a bid to NCAA Zones. The following week, at Georgia Tech, Howard recorded a 282.40 in the three-meter event to finish fourth overall at the meet and earn another bid to the NCAA Zones. Currently, Howard has three of the top five scores by Clemson divers this season in the one-meter and two of the top five in threemeter diving. She also leads the Tigers in points this season, just as she did during her junior season. The Tigers have six regular season meets remaining, including three home meets at McHugh Natatorium. Howard looks to finish strong and her coach expects to see that happen. “I expect her to build on what she has done in the first part of our season,” Adams said. “We have been able to develop other aspects of her diving skills during our training. It has been fun to not have to work on the same things and be able take it to the next level with our training.” Howard hopes to take advantage of that training as she concludes her senior season and prepares to compete at the NCAA Zones. — by Davis Simpson
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2013-14 SEASON OUTLOOK | MEN’S TRACK & FIELD The men’s track & field program has a tremendous amount of experience and topend talent entering the 2014 season. What the Tigers lack is the one thing needed to advance the program to the upper echelon of the Atlantic Coast Conference: depth. “We’re short on the men’s side,” said Mark Elliott, Clemson’s first-year head coach. “We have some studs, particularly in the jumps and sprints, but we need more bodies in those areas.” Since his hire this summer, Elliott has been charged with the task of continuing to build the men’s program toward the level it was previously accustomed to for so long within ACC track & field. From 1989 to 2004, the Tigers won a combined 20 indoor and outdoor conference championships. Last season was the program’s most promising in quite some time. Clemson finished third at the ACC Indoor and Outdoor Championships, its best finish in both since the 2008 season. Moreover, the Tigers sent more athletes to the NCAA Championships and returned with top-35 finishes during both seasons. Make no mistake, Elliott is not encounter-
ing a “reinvent the wheel” situation, either. He has a pair of All-American short sprinters, an ACC Champion quarter miler, two NCAAqualifying jumpers and a pair of All-ACC level athletes at his luxury. Tevin Hester, Reggie Lewis and Brunson Miller will spearhead Clemson’s efforts in the sprints. Hester and Lewis were both firstteam All-Americans a season ago, while Miller took the ACC by storm when he won the indoor 400 dash at the conference meet in 2013 after transferring from The Citadel. All three will remain integral parts of what could be a salty 4x100 relay in 2014. On paper, the hurdles could take a hit after the loss of NCAA bronze medalist Spencer Adams and five-time All-ACC performer Marcus Maxey graduated. But according to one assistant coach, returning athletes like Elijah Britton and Justin Johnson “know it’s time for them to carry the torch.” Both have shown glimpses of their abilities, but not on a consistent basis. Jaron Roberson was pegged as a potential contributor across a variety of sprints and hurdles, but he blew out a knee in preseason training and will not compete in 2014. Elliott’s group, the middle distance, returns a potential high-level runner in Aaron Ramirez. He was the ACC’s fourth-place scorer in the 1500 two outdoor seasons ago, and should see his times drop steadily under the nation’s most renowned 800-meter coach. “Aaron has a chance to make the national level in the mile,” Elliott said.“But he needs to be able to score at the ACC level in the 800 as well.” The longer distances took a hit with Ty McCormack’s early graduation. In his stead, look for Roland Hakes of Irmo, SC to transfer some of his cross country success to the track. He was steady for the Tigers this fall on the trails, and should be in the mix in both the 3K and 5K. The field events will be a strength for the 2014 Tigers, particularly in the jumps. Jameel Abdul-Mateen and Torian Ware have NCAA Championships experience and, as juniors, are Reggie Lewis was a first-team AllAmerican in the 100-meter dash last season. Photo by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
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[ by Philip Sikes ]
expected to provide leadership to a talented supporting cast. Abdul-Mateen long jumped over 25 feet last year for the first time, while Ware broke the Clemson record with a 7-foot-5 indoor high jump.
ATHLETES TO WATCH TEVIN HESTER
So. • Oxford, NC • 2013 ACC Indoor Freshman of the Year • First-team indoor All-American in the 60 dash as a freshman
BRUNSON MILLER
Sr. • Murrells Inlet, SC • 2013 ACC Indoor Champion in the 400 dash, 4x400 relay • Ranks third on Clemson’s alltime indoor 400 performance list
TORIAN WARE
Jr. • Crawfordville, GA • Second-team indoor AllAmerican in the high jump as a sophomore • Set Clemson’s indoor record with a 7-foot-5 clearance last season
Marcus Brown returns after an injuryplagued 2012-13 season as one of the ACC’s top throwers. Photo courtesy Atlantic Coast Conference
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Several other athletes will contribute in the jumps. Shai Carpenter broke Clemson’s freshman record in the triple jump before an injury-riddled sophomore season caused a dip in his performances. By all accounts, he is exactly where he needs to be in his training as he looks to return to form as a junior. The pole vault received an upgrade, as the Tigers signed two of the nation’s best incoming freshmen in Grant Krieger from Minnesota and Aaron Owens from Ohio. Krieger was fourth at the 2013 New Balance Indoor Nationals, and then Owens one-upped him with a bronze medal performance at the outdoor edition of the event. Clemson has not had a collegiate All-American in the vault since Mitch Greeley in 2008. The throws, now under the direction of former Olympic participant Robert Weir, added a number of rookies to offset the losses suffered the past couple of seasons. Marcus Brown was injured and red-shirted the 2013 outdoor season, but showed the type of impact he could have when healthy. He was an indoor all-conference performer in the shot put.
TRACK & FIELD SCHEDULE INDOOR Date Meet Jan. 11 Jan. 18 Jan. 24-25 Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Feb. 7-8 Feb. 14-15 Feb. 27-Mar. 1 Mar. 14-15
Orange & Purple Classic Auburn Invitational Cherry & Silver Collegiate Invitational Bob Pollock Invitational Armory Collegiate Invitational Texas A&M Invitational ACC Championships NCAA Championships
OUTDOOR Date Meet Mar. 21-22 Mar. 27-29 Apr. 4-5 Apr. 17-19 Apr. 24-26 May 9-10 May 16-17 May 29-31 Jun. 11-14 Jun. 26-29
49er Invitational Texas Relays Raleigh Relays Florida Relays ACC Championships Penn Relays Seminole Twilight Georgia Tech Invitational NCAA East Preliminary Round NCAA Championships USA Jr/Sr Championships
Note: Home events in bold.
“Marcus will hopefully score higher on the conference level to help us make some points,” Elliott said. “We brought in James Plummer, and hopefully he will step up.” Plummer is the headliner of a group of three throwers that signed with Clemson this past year. The native of the Garden State won the National Championship in the discus throw at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals Location in Greensboro, NC this summer. Clemson, SC He will be joined by Jordan PickBirmingham, AL erel and Reed Shindell to give Albuquerque, NM the Tigers a solid nucleus for the Clemson, SC next several seasons. New York, NY Elliott expects the typical College Station, TX Clemson, SC highs and lows associated with Albuquerque, NM dependency on so much youth, but that has not dimmed his optimism for this season and beLocation yond. Charlotte, NC “It’s a building process,” he Austin, TX said. “The way the scholarships Raleigh, NC have been allocated, we don’t Gainesville, FL have a lot of leeway right now. Chapel Hill, NC Philadelphia, PA We’ll be respectable and comTallahassee, FL petitive. We’ll go to battle with Atlanta, GA what we have, and try to get betJacksonville, FL ter each year. Eugene, OR “Once we have the scholarSacramento, CA ships distributed the right way with major contributors across all areas, we will be better.”
Jameel Abdul-Mateen
The 2013 outdoor season was a breakout campaign for a member of Clemson’s highly regarded sophomore class of jumpers. It quickly became a year of firsts for Jameel Abdul-Mateen, a 5-foot-11 native of Covington, GA. In April, he earned his first allconference accolade with a bronze medal finish in the long jump at the ACC Championships in Raleigh, NC. Not only did he pick up his first All-ACC certificate, he also did it by surpassing 25 feet for the first time (25’2” to be exact). In May, he punched his first ticket to the NCAA Championships on his final jump at the East Preliminary Round in Greensboro, NC. The next month, he set a personal best 25’6” to finish 11th and earn second-team All-America honors in his signature event. The charge for Abdul-Mateen heading into his junior season is to take the next step and challenge for an ACC title and All-America honors. “Jameel has worked extremely hard on and off the track,” said Chris Bostwick, his event coach. “Last year, he just scratched the surface of his potential. We’re looking for a consistent, big-time year out of Jameel. He certainly has the ability.” It’s been nine years since George Kitchens, reigning USA Champion, earned Clemson’s most recent All-America honor in the long jump. If Abdul-Mateen progresses from sophomore to junior year the way he did this past season, the wait for the next Tiger long jump great may be over. — by Philip Sikes
DECEMBER 2013
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2013-14 SEASON OUTLOOK | WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD Change is often defined as a transformation, modification or alteration. Without a doubt, it is the one word that best describes what has taken place within Clemson’s women’s track & field program. The Tigers said goodbye to the most successful senior class in history and hello to a new staff, led at the top by Head Coach Mark Elliott. The former assistant head coach and lead recruiter for one of the nation’s top combined track & field programs – LSU – Elliott does not sugarcoat the challenges that lie ahead this season for a women’s team that has hoisted the ACC Championship trophy a school-record eight consecutive times across indoor and outdoor track & field. “Realistically, this will be a transitional type of year,” said Elliott, who was dealt an even tougher hand when superstars Dezerea Bryant and Keni Harrison transferred over the summer. “We lost (World Champion) Brianna Rollins and our two best athletes transferred. We’re coming off a very successful season, but some of the impact people who were part of it are no longer in the program.” That does not mean Elliott believes all is lost as the team approaches the start of the indoor season at the Orange & Purple Classic on Jan. 11. “We still have enough athletes here that, with good coaching and a new philosophy, can help us continue that climb,” he said.
Despite the graduations and defections, Elliott is accurate in his statement. Clemson returns a pair of All-Americans, an additional four athletes who have qualified for the NCAA Championships and the ACC Champion in the heptathlon. Marlena Wesh has just one outdoor season remaining, but the hope is that the graduate student and 2012 Olympian will return to elite form under the new staff’s tutelage. Wesh, the seasoned leader of a young group of sprinters, has four first-team All-America accolades and 10 ACC individual and relay championships under her belt. The sprints and hurdles makeover continues in 2014 as Whitney Fountain returns to her natural area. Formerly the ACC Champion in the heptathlon, she has competed sparingly in the individual sprints and jumps her first three seasons. By all accounts, Fountain has been impressive during fall training and appears ready to display the form that made her the National Scholastic Championships runner-up as a high school senior in the 55 and 200 dashes. Fountain will be joined in the short sprints by a freshman, Sabria Hadley of Lake Wales, FL. Nia Fluker has helped Clemson’s 4x400 relay to a sweep of the ACC indoor and outdoor gold medals each of her first two seasons. Photo by Rex Brown, IPTAY Media
[ by Philip Sikes ]
“Whitney is an athlete that can help us bigtime on the national level in the sprints and jumps,” Elliott said. The hurdles will undergo a drastic overhaul with the loss of Rollins and Harrison. The Tigers look to a pair of freshmen – Iana Amsterdam and Anasterasia Terrell – to double
ATHLETES TO WATCH MIMI LAND
So. • Albany, GA • 2013 ACC Indoor Freshman of the Year • USA Junior bronze medalist in the long jump
LAUREN TERSTAPPEN
Gr. • Phoenixville, PA • Clemson record-holder in the indoor and outdoor pole vault • Three-time All-ACC and twotime NCAA qualifier
MARLENA WESH
Gr. • Virginia Beach, VA • 2012 ACC Outdoor Track Athlete of the Year • 10-time ACC Champion in the sprints and relays, third-highest total in program history
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in the high hurdles and horizontal jumps. In the 400, expect freshman Malayshia George to help push Wesh to greater heights. A versatile athlete who also high jumps, she was Georgia’s AAAAAA Champion in both events and owned the nation’s No. 4 time in the quarter mile among high school athletes in 2013. Nia Fluker and Brittany Pringley were groomed as quarter-milers in the past, but their focus now shifts to the 800 meters – Elliott’s specialty. Fluker was a standout in the event in high school. Both will be considered front-runners for Clemson’s 4x400 relay pool as well. Other potential middle distance contributors are returning half-milers Lindsey Bellaran and Brianna Blanton. Clemson’s true impact performer in the 800 is already on campus, but is sitting out the 2014 season after transferring from LSU. Jamaica native Natoya Goule won the NCAA Championship both indoor and outdoor in the event last season, and followed Elliott to Clemson when he took the head coaching job. She is an important piece of the program’s future. The distance events feature red-shirt junior Natalie Anthony, whose scoring effort in the 5K at last April’s ACC Championships was crucial to Clemson’s fourth consecutive league outdoor crown. Grace Barnett and Alexa Womack, two of the top cross country performers this fall for the Tigers, could also contribute in some of the longer distances as freshmen. The jumps are in good hands in 2014. Mimi Land returns for her sophomore season. She was the ACC Indoor Freshman of the Year and qualified for nationals in the long jump. She competes in all three jumps, and will be pushed by George in the high jump, and by
Amsterdam and Terrell in the long and triple events. The pole vault should be one of the deepest areas on the roster. Clemson returns two athletes with NCAA Championships experience in Christy Gasparino and Lauren Terstappen. The two have traded school records each of the past two seasons, and both have earned allconference accolades as well in the event. Caroline Bond is a third contributor who showed improvement last season and will be counted on at the conference level. In the throws, Clemson lost All-American Brittney Waller to graduation but added a promising freshman in Tamara Ovejera from Frederick, MD. She was a two-time New Balance All-American for Gov. Thomas Johnson High School in the discus. “We lost some big-time people in the sprints and throws, but people have to step up across the board,” Elliott said. While he knows his work is cut out for him in some ways this season, Elliott’s mission has been simple: recruit relentlessly and coach the athletes up that he and his staff have at their discretion. “I would not have left where I was if I didn’t think we could win a national title at Clemson,” he said.“We’ve had some of the best athletes in the country come on official visits this fall. We won’t sign them all, but if we sign some that I believe we can sign, we’ll be there. That’s my motivation.” Christy Gasparino (pictured) and Lauren Terstappen give Clemson a formidable 1-2 punch in the pole vault. Photo courtesy Atlantic Coast Conference
IN THE SPOTLIGHT:
Whitney Fountain
Coming out of high school, Whitney Fountain was one of the nation’s most highly coveted prospects for track & field. Born and raised in the Big Apple – specifically, the Bronx – she could have attended nearly any college of her choice. The two schools she narrowed down to might surprise you. “I narrowed my choices to Clemson and UCLA,” she said. “UCLA was my dream school, but it just wasn’t what I envisioned when I visited. Clemson was much better to me.” One would assume the transition from city life to a rural setting like Clemson would lead to an adjustment period for Fountain, but she said it didn’t take long. “I adapt very well to changes, so it was just a new place for me. Obviously it’s much different from New York, but I’ve adapted well.” Indeed she has. Fountain has had to adapt to changes seemingly every step of the way during her Clemson career. She’s had to take on greater responsibility in her personal life. She switched from the sprints and jumps to the multi-events, and finally back to sprints. She’s gone through several coaches. She’s undergone the rigors an academic workload can present a student-athlete competing in a high-level sport such as track & field. Since last week, she’s had to adapt to a new classification. Clemson graduate. Fountain earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the December 19 ceremony, but still has one indoor season and two outdoor campaigns left to leave a legacy. Based on her ability to adapt to the constant changes her life seems to bring, it’s safe to assume she will do just that. — by Philip Sikes
DECEMBER 2013
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MCFADDEN DONOR LIST Name American Resource Group Mr. & Mrs. David E. Angel Joy Ayers Clawson C. Scott Bagwell Richard Bagwell David R. Baird Henry F. Bamberg, III/Henry F. Bamberg, IV Charles F. Barker, III Clarence B. Bauknight, Jr. John E. Bauknight, IV Dennis C. Bausman Earle J. Bedenbaugh Carol R. Bell, MD Mr. & Mrs. Roger Benjamin Thomas H. Blackwell Blackwood Associates, Inc. Margaret Bond Ted & Christa Booker Jim Bottum Bowers Fibers, Inc. N. C. Brackett, III Jim Brant Ted Brashier Madison B. Brigman Robert O. Brown, III Jan, Carl & Tripp Bryan Kenneth & Karen Buck Greg D. Buckner George J. F. Bullwinkel, Jr. William Burke Harry F. Byers, Jr. R. Grant Calhoun Matthew W. Campbell Richard C. Dwight, III Carolina Sportings Arms, Inc. J. Lawrence Cartee Steve Carter Samuel & Steven Chapman Charter Media, Inc. W. C. Childers Memorial B. K. Chreitzberg, Jr. Daniel R. Christie James R. Clarkson Clover Knits, Inc. CMC South Carolina Steel Charles W. Cooper, Jr. J. Marty Cope Brien C. Cozart Greg E. Cromer Hope P. Cromer Tim & Susan Crouch John & Amanda Crumpton Furman R. Cullum Woody W. Culp William T. Davidson, III Ronald Degler Delta Electrical Contractors Jeffrey J. Demars
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City, State Charlotte, NC Rock Hill, SC Greenville, SC Simpsonville, SC Chicago, IL Ravenel, SC Bamberg, SC Mooresville, NC Greenville, SC Spartanburg, SC Seneca, SC Prosperity, SC Asheville, NC Liberty, SC Piedmont, SC Spartanburg, SC Georgetown, SC West Union, SC Seneca, SC Charlotte, NC Murrells Inlet, SC Columbia, SC Travelers Rest, SC Prosperity, SC Greenville, SC Aiken, SC Cordova, SC Sugar Land, TX Cayce, SC Naples, FL Greer, SC Spartanburg, SC Oxford, MS Sumter, SC Charlotte, NC Pendleton, SC Greenville, SC Evans, GA Greenville, SC Central, SC Easley, SC Pembroke Pines, FL Loris, SC Clover, SC Greenville, SC Brentwood, TN Rock Hill, SC Dunn, NC Seneca, SC Seneca, SC Florence, SC Anderson, SC Charleston, SC Westminster, SC Plantation, FL Bluffton, SC Duncan, SC Greer, SC
ORANGE: THE EXPERIENCE
Name Herman Demmink, Jr. Martha & Fletcher Derrick, Alexander W. Demasi Green Deschamps, II J. Henry Dowdy Roland & Nancy Drake Robert M. Dubose, III Edward & Whitney Duffy Sandy Edge Wayne & Susan Elmore John & Elizabeth Engler Environmental Properties A Friend Of Clemson Edwin W. Evans Chris & Wendy Fallow David E. Felkel Fields Law Firm Lynn Florie Fluor Daniel David P. Frame Everett P. Fuller G & P Trucking Co., Inc. Richard H. Gettys, Jr. David Goudelock Todd Graham Thad O. Grantham Meredith Corporation William E. Green Wayne E. Gregory, Jr. Ben C. Griffin, Jr. Griffin Enterprises, Inc. Mark S. Griffith Dewey F. Griggs Dr. & Mrs. Larry D. Grubb Mrs. Samuel M. Harper Michael J. Harrison Sylvia Harrison Haselden & Owen Mr. Thomas Fields Hash G. Thomas Herbster Lewis W. Hicks Michael J. Hirsch Charles E. Hodges, II John H. Holcombe, Jr. Patty M. Holcombe Tara Holliday Jon & Liz Holmes Carl & Misty Howard A. Watts Huckabee Mr. & Mrs. Michael G. Hudgens David K. Hudson Mabeth Hudson F. E. Hughes, Jr. Tim Huntley Robert F. Hyman Indcom Services J & P Enterprises J. E. Stewart Builders, Inc.
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Sam S. Jackson Tommie W. James, Jr. Renee Rimer Jarnigan Neil Jones Lewis E. Jordan J M Tulls Metals Company Dr. & Mrs. William R. Karpik Dr. J. Don Kelley Frank & Pam Lamson-Scribner Joseph D. Lancia Witt I. Langstaff, Jr. Julian M. Langston, Jr. Dr. G. J. Lawhon, Jr. Lawton Lumber Co., Inc. Tim Leaumont Thomas Elden Lee Mark A. Legette Gary A. Lillis, Sr. Linda Long Travel David B. Little Lloyd Roofing Company Connie Long H. Richard Lott Mr. & Mrs. Jim Lovinggood Pamela Jackson John Lumley Joyce Lunn Steve & Russ Madray Arbor Engineering, Inc. John D. Martin Carolyn McAlister Chris McCameron Ronald J. McCoy Dystar L P D. C. McKinney In Honor Of E. S. McKissick McNaughton-Mckay Michael & Company Interiors Charles Clark Mickel Dr. Lloyd Miller Floyd S. Mills, III Darren Miranda Wayne Mishoe Kelly Molony Brian & Audrey Morgan David L. Morrow Murph & Fran Moseley Robert W. Moser Donna C. Mousa MSW Security Solutions Steve & Amanda Mudge Brian & Nicola Mueller Cara Murphy Richard C. Myers, Jr. Lisa & Derek O’Bradovich Kelley Smith O’Quinn Roger Owens/Kent Owens
Pelion, SC Camden, SC Collierville, TN Greenville, SC Clemson, SC Greenville, SC Iva, SC Sunset, SC Seneca, SC Greer, SC Hartsville, SC Piedmont, SC Hartsville, SC Easley, SC Duluth, GA Alcolu, SC Leesburg, VA Duncan, SC Greenville, SC Richland, WA Greenwood, SC Spartanburg, SC Central, SC Williamston, SC Camden, SC Greenwood, SC Florence, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Norcross, GA Atlanta, GA Mauldin, SC Greenville, SC Rock Hill, SC Asheville, NC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Florence, SC Greenville, SC Los Angeles, CA Lake City, SC North Charleston, SC Atlanta, GA Myrtle Beach, SC Clemson, SC Greenville, SC Blairsville, GA Anderson, SC Greer, SC Clemson, SC Atlanta, GA Alpharetta, GA Camden, SC Augusta, GA Alpharetta, GA
Name City, State Alan Owings North Augusta, SC J. B. Pate, Jr. MD Sumter, SC Joel A. Pellicci, Jr. Myrtle Beach, SC Vince Perone Greenville, SC Pet Dairy Greenville, SC Garry C. (Flip) Phillips Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Elton Potts Port Orange, FL J. Denver Powell Westminster, SC Thomas B. Powell Blythewood, SC Richard C. Power Simpsonville, SC Pratt Industries Simpsonville, SC John H. Price, Jr. Mt. Pleasant, SC Professional Wiregrass Communications, Inc. Dothan, AL Dr. R. Lindley & Pam Pursley Greenville, SC Ryan Radding Atlanta, GA Wayne M. Reed Chapin, SC Dr. J. E. Reinhardt, Jr. Edgemoor, SC Joel T. Reynolds Dalton, GA Wayne & David Rhodes Greer, SC Charles J. Rice Clemson, SC Eugene D. Robertson, Jr. Chapin, SC Rogers & Brown Custom Brokers, Inc. Charleston, SC Rogers Farms Fork, SC Roto-Rooter Greenville, SC Daniel P. Schaaf Greenville, SC Jay Schrimpf Walterboro, SC Don E. Seitz Seneca, SC
Name Francis M. Hipp Foundation Ronald E. & Annelle A. Shealy Edwin Shockley Fred & Connie Silver Sloan Construction Co., Inc. Sarah J. Smeal Brad Smith Jared M. Smith Matthew K. Smith Mr. & Mrs. Tony Smith T. Mark Smith Orders Distributing Co., Inc. Calhoun Trading Co., Inc. Dr. & Mrs. T. Rhett Spencer, Jr. Michael J. Strange Mark Stuckey Kenneth M. Suggs Summers Forestry LLC Jacob Suss Systems Specialties Taylor Pallets and Recycling, Inc. Brandon Tedder Temple-Straup Steve & Rhonda Thompson Thrift Brothers, Inc. John D. Tice Dr. Charlie W. Timmerman
City, State Greer, SC Seneca, SC Easley, SC Anderson, SC Duncan, SC Simpsonville, SC Charleston, SC Bishopville, SC Charleston, SC Anderson, SC Midlothian, VA Greenville, SC St. Matthews, SC Florence, SC Taylors, SC Columbia, SC Columbia, SC Branchville, SC Miami Beach, FL Six Mile, SC Anderson, SC Hartsville, SC Anderson, SC Greenville, SC Seneca, SC Rocky Face, GA Aiken, SC
Name Dr. R. Sims Tompkins G. Maxwell “Mackey” Toole Triple Crown Properties LLC TRT Capital Investors LLC Joel Turner Keith D. Underwood Jim Vaughn W. K. Brown Timber Corporation Allen & Lucy Walcher Dr. & Mrs. William R. Warner Sanders Waldo Watts WCCP Radio John A. Wells, III R. B. Whorton IV/A. B .Cross/ T. N. Lawson/J. L. Walker James P. & Celeste Wilder James C. Williams, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Williams S. Dwight Williams Willow Leaf Farms Jeffrey M. Wilson Joseph K. Wilson, Jr. Ray L. Wilson, III Michael Worysz Wyman Inc Youngblood Development Odell C. Zachary, Jr.
City, State Columbia, SC West Chester, OH Gilbert, SC Lexington, SC Brentwood, TN Powell, TN Greenville, SC Hodges, SC Simpsonville, SC Greenwood, SC Greenville, SC Clemson, SC Columbia, SC Clemson, SC Clemson, SC Seneca, SC Greenwood, SC Columbia, SC Sumter, SC Spartanburg, SC Belton, SC Greenville, SC Houston, TX Bluffton, SC Easley, SC Greenville, SC
Get a Jump Start on Your Year-End IPTAY Donation for this Tax Season The end of December is approaching fast and now is the perfect time to make your donation before the end of the year to meet the Dec. 31, 2013 tax deadline. You should have received a hard copy mailer from IPTAY to assist in making your year-end donation but you can get a jump start and use the five convenient options below to make your donation now. 1. Go to www.clemsontigers.com/iptay to make a pledge, gift or to pay an existing pledge online. To meet the calendar year end deadline, online gifts must be made prior to 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 31, 2013. 2. Check and credit card payments should be mailed to IPTAY, PO Box 1529, Clemson, SC 29633. Be sure to include your IPTAY # and donor level with your payment. All gifts must be postmarked on or before Dec. 31, 2013. 3. To complete your gift by phone, please call 864-656-2115 or 1-800-CLEMSON during normal business hours. 4. To hand-deliver your gift, please come to the IPTAY office, located at 1 Avenue of Champions. The IPTAY office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For your convenience, there is an after-hours drop box located on the left side of the building.
5. To make a gift of stock to IPTAY, please contact Mandy Smith at the Clemson University Foundation. Ms. Smith can be reached at 864656-2552 or mlehman@clemson.edu. Gifts of stock must postmarked or submitted electronically by Dec. 31, 2013. Please plan accordingly, keeping in mind that the transfer process can take several days. You will receive a tax notice from the IPTAY office in late January 2014 for gifts totaling $250 or more that were made in the calendar year 2013. Always check with your tax professional but as a general rule, your IPTAY contribution is 80% tax deductible if you purchase season tickets and 100% deductible if you give to IPTAY without any ticket purchases. The IPTAY office will be closed for the holiday Tuesday, Dec. 24 to Friday, Dec. 27, 2013. The office will reopen on Monday, December 30th but will be closed in observance of the New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014. If you should have any questions, please stop by the IPTAY office, call 1-800-CLEMSON, email iptay@clemson.edu or visit www.clemsontigers.com/ iptay. For reminders about this and other important IPTAY information, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @IPTAY_. Thank you for your support of IPTAY and Clemson Athletics. DECEMBER 2013
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CAR DEALER LIST Name
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Automax #1 Automax #2 Bennett Equipment Supply Co Bilton Ford/Mercury D & D Motors #1 D & D Motors #2 Dave Edwards Toyota #1 Dave Edwards Toyota #2 Dick Brooks Honda of Greer #2 Dick Brooks Honda of Greer #1 Dick Smith Automotive #2 Dick Smith Automotive #3 Dick Smith Automotive #1 Enterprise #1 Enterprise #2 Fairey Chevrolet Cadillac Fairway Ford #2 Fairway Ford #3 Fairway Ford #1 George W Ballentine Ford-Lincoln-Toyota George W Ballentine Ford-Lincoln-Toyota George Coleman Ford #1
Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Piedmont, SC Holly Hill, SC Salem, SC Salem, SC Spartanburg, SC Spartanburg, SC Greer, SC Greer, SC Columbia, SC Columbia, SC Columbia, SC Mauldin, SC Mauldin, SC Orangeburg, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Greenwood, SC Greenwood, SC Travelers Rest, SC
George Coleman Ford #2 Hemingway Motor Co. #1 Hemingway Motor Co. #2 Herlong Chevrolet-Buick-Ford Leader Ford M. Snyder’s Inc. #1 M. Snyder’s Inc. #2 M. Snyder’s Inc. #3 Palmetto Ford-Lincoln #1 Palmetto Ford- Lincoln #2 Performance Powersports Powell Tractor, Inc. Ralph Hayes Toyota-Scion #3 Ralph Hayes Toyota-Scion #2 Ralph Hayes Toyota-Scion #1 Southeastern Leasing #1 Southeastern Leasing #2 Superior Motors-Honda-Kia Toyota of Easley #1 Toyota of Easley #2 Toyota of Easley #3 Toyota of Easley #4
Travelers Rest, SC Andrews, SC Andrews, SC Johnston, SC Seneca, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Greenville, SC Charleston, SC Charleston, SC Seneca, SC Seneca, SC Anderson, SC Anderson, SC Anderson, SC Anderson, SC Anderson, SC Orangeburg, SC Easley, SC Easley, SC Easley, SC Easley, SC
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NCAA Compliance
COMPLIANCE DURING THE BOWL SEASON
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• Allowing a student-athlete the use of your automobile or providing any form of transportation; • Paying a student-athlete compensation for work not actually performed; • Paying for a student-athlete’s complimentary tickets or athletic awards; • Providing free or reduced-cost services, rentals, or purchases of any type; • Providing free or reduced-cost entertainment or tickets; • Providing free or reduced-cost housing; • Providing increased employment salary based on the student-athlete’s athletics ability, reputation, or fame; • Providing free or reduced-cost storage of personal belongings; • Providing financial arrangements (e.g. signing or co-signing a loan); • Providing a loan of money, gift, or use of credit card;
eading up to the bowl game will be filled with excitement and fun for everyone. Our football team, and many of their families, will be in attendance and participating in the wide variety of activities related to the bowl game. As a result, you may come into contact with some of our student-athletes and their relatives or friends. Please be reminded that providing an extra benefit or service (i.e., meals, transportation, event admission, discounts) to a student-athlete or any member of his family is prohibited per NCAA rules and regulations. Furthermore, any actions on your part (or those of your family members) deemed as impermissible per NCAA rules may jeopardize the eligibility of the student-athlete for the bowl game and beyond. An extra benefit is defined as any special arrangement made by an institutional staff member or a booster that provides a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s friend or family a benefit that is not expressly authorized by NCAA rules. If a benefit is generally available to the institution’s students or their relatives or friends, it is not considered to be an extra benefit. Examples of extra benefits to student-athletes which would jeopardize a student-athlete’s eligibility at Clemson University include, but are not limited to: • Inviting current student-athletes to tailgating parties before or after football games (or any other athletics event);
We thank you for your continued cooperation and support. Your compliance with NCAA, ACC and Clemson University rules and regulations is essential to Clemson’s continued success. If you have any questions or seen any violations of NCAA rules, please contact Compliance Services immediately at compliance-L@clemson.edu or at (864) 656-1580. Happy Holidays!
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CLEMSON’S FIRST SOCCER TEAM Fred Kirchner, Clemson’s first coach in men’s soccer, holds a print of the 1934 team, the first varsity team in school history. Photos courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications
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IPTAY Mr. Everette Kneece passed away April 1. He was an IPTAY member for 31 years. Mr. Hugh Pearson passed away September 7. He was an IPTAY member for 12 years. Mr. James Cantrell passed away October 25. He was an IPTAY member for 42 years. Mr. Timothy Reese, Jr. passed away October 26. He was an IPTAY member in his 1st. year. Mr. F.U. Black passed away October 27. He was an IPTAY member for 64 years.
Dr. Harry Jordan, Sr. passed away October 29. He was an IPTAY member for 12 years. Mr. Benjamin Herlong passed away October 29. He was an IPTAY member for 55 years. Mr. Max Wigington passed away November 22. He was an IPTAY member for 32 years. Mr. William Jameson passed away November 23. He was an IPTAY member for 43 years. Mr. Lee Witt, Jr. passed away November 23. He was an IPTAY member for 64 years.
Mr. John Bennett passed away November 29. He was an IPTAY member for 41 years. Mr. Bill Amick passed away November 29. He was an IPTAY member for 59 years. Mrs. Katherine Young passed away November 30. She was an IPTAY member for 37 years. Mr. Frank Douglass, Jr. passed away December 4. He was an IPTAY member for 67 years.
s l acros artwel H e e k v a d on L Only fi n Locate eath Valley. lemso from D downtown C ty. rsi rom miles f emson Unive and Cl
• State of the art dock system for in water storage • Master Certified Mechanic on staff • Rental Boats Available • Full service fuel dock and pumpout system
The Grill at Clemson Marina offers waterfront dining for lunch and dinner & is open all game day weekends 864-653-6767 | 150 Clemson Marina Dr. Seneca SC 29678 ClemsonMarina.us | Find us on Facebook DECEMBER 2013
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IPTAY R DONotOos ph
and Heath Blakenship Paige (Littlejohn) (‘04) 2013. in were married March
Ryon Addison Kirkham was born Oct. 4, 2013 weighing 7 lbs. 7 oz. and 20 in. long. Parents are Jason and Ashl ey Kirkham, both class of 2007.
Clinton Elementary School teachers in Lancaster, SC and is “ALL-IN” always! Go Tigers!
Bill McLellan Jr.’s Orange Blood runs all the way to Monte Carlo, Mo naco.
Nest at Obersalzberg in Tiger fans visiting Eagle’s g, 2013. (L-R) Dennis Lon July tria Berchtesgaden, Aus p Lewis, Ski is, Lew e Iren , nge Susan Lynch, Pierce Stra per say, Linda Long, Jerry Coo Judy Ramsay, Tom Ram and Polly Cooper.
in Canary Islands Joel Turner on a camel h his wife Pat. wit ise cru while on a
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Owen (3), Kaylee (2) and Ella (2 mos.) cheering for Uncle Dano’s favorite Tigers.
Clemson Swimming alumni at Lake Flathead Montana watching Clemson vs. UGA. (L-R) Steve (’69) and Mariam Player, Bob (’71) and Christy Garces, Frank (‘70) and Leslie Skilton.
Betsy and Drew Smith (son Colin, ‘10) hiking on the Baird Glacier in Ala ska in September 2013.
Gavin Brady Ingle is the smoothest Tiger Cub EVER!
Anders (’05) and Tom Anders (’73), Bryan Machu Picchu, Peru. Anthony Drew (’05) at
Wesley Dasher (‘12) and Lauren Smith Dasher (‘12) were married on June 1, 2013.
Guy Laurence Osborne (‘71) and member of the inaugural Clemson rugby team with his grandson Hunter Laurkin Osborne (6 mos.) before the CU vs. WF gam e.
Clara Lynn Snelting, born Oct. 11, 2013. She is the granddaughter of Cathy Carre’ Gross (‘80). She is the daughter of Erin Gross Snelting (‘05) and Jon Snelting.
Celeste Smith, on Shane Smith (‘96) and que Terre), Italy on (Cin ola nar Ma vacation in 3. 201 25, t. Sep
n created by Sammy Watkins pumpki ). (‘09 p Cul Lauren
R. Kyle Spearman (‘09), Sarah Tyler (‘08), Savann ah Spearman (‘09), Kaitlyn Milunas (‘11)and J.D. Spearman (‘11) at La Foc e in Tuscany, Italy.
William, Stokes and Ryan Peery, triplets born to Thomas Peery (‘05) and Katie (Van Pelt) Peery (‘04) on Aug. 25, 2013. They were born to yell, ”Go Tigers!”
Jackie Scott Ayers (’83 ) and Carol Poe kayaking in the Diablo River in Qu ebec, Canada.
Jeff and Johnel Searcy and Meghan Goodwin (‘12) at Patrick Fonjallaz Winery and Vineyards in Expesses, Switzerland. From the home of Clyde and Hilda Sistare.
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
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My Favorite Moment of the 2013 Football Season by Tim Bourret
T
here are a lot of candidates for my favorite moment of the 2013 Clemson football season. The Georgia game on opening day back in August, from the presence of ESPN College GameDay in the morning, to Sammy Watkins’ 77-yard touchdown reception from Tajh Boyd at night, to the post game celebration of a victory over the fifth-ranked team in the nation, had multiple candidates. Watching Boyd set seemingly unattainable ACC records for touchdown passes and touchdown responsibility was memorable for this football communications director who has watched every pass Boyd has thrown the last four years. Celebrating this record-setting senior class as they individually ran down The Hill for the last time, and watching Daniel Rodriguez get in the end zone on Military Appreciation Day against The Citadel were certainly special as well. But, the most memorable moment for me in 2013 took place in Charlottesville, VA on November 2. Yes, the Tigers were dominant in a 59-10 victory over the Cavaliers, but the memorable moment took place after the game when I met Ryan D’Elmidio. In October, I received an email from Susan Story, who was in charge of the Heisman House that had been at Bowman Field for the Florida State game. She contacted me on behalf of Neil Everett of ESPN, the SportsCen-
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ter anchor who is the host of the Heisman House program, and Liz Alexander of the Washington Post. Neil had become familiar with Ryan through social media and Liz through a mutual friend in the Washington, D.C. area. It was their desire to get Ryan, who lives in Virginia, to the Clemson vs. Virginia game and meet some people associated with the Tiger football team. Ryan suffers from cerebral palsy and the many problems associated with it. He spends most of his time in a wheelchair, has constant pain in his joints and has difficulty with his eyesight and speech. At some point prior to the season, Ryan reached out to a number of college players on Facebook. The first player to respond to him and converse was Chandler Catanzaro. “Ryan’s dream would be to meet any players from Clemson if that becomes possible (all the players have sent him a signed football),” wrote Susan in an email. “Shoot, I think if he met the water boy from Clemson he would be one happy young man.” She went on to say, “Sports keep Ryan’s intelligence so sharp. He has learning disabilities, but he remembers every college or NFL player’s stats.” I contacted Chandler the week of the Virginia game, and he knew Ryan’s story and said he would be excited to meet Ryan after the game. Prior to the game I met with Virginia Sports
Information Director Jim Daves, a longtime friend in the business who went out of his way to have staff from Virginia Athletics meet Ryan and Liz Alexander after the game. They escorted them to a room next to the Clemson postgame interview room. Ryan’s dream was realized 10-fold. Not only did he meet Catanzaro, but he met Sammy Watkins and Defensive Coordinator Brent Venables. When Sammy came over, Ryan stood up out of his wheelchair and gave Sammy a big hug. “Sammy!” he exclaimed. I don’t know that Sammy has had a bigger smile on his face this year. I was amazed at Ryan’s knowledge of Clemson University, not just sports. We talked a bit about the game and what I do. Then he asked me, “When are we going to pick a new President?” Coach Swinney’s wife Kathleen watched these meetings and was made aware of Ryan’s story by Kaye Davis, who helped get Ryan with the Clemson players and coaches while I also coordinated postgame interviews. Kathleen decided her husband had to meet this young man and after his postgame press conference, there was a delay in getting Coach Swinney to his postgame interview on the radio network. Kathleen brought Dabo to meet Ryan, who was thrilled to another level to meet the charismatic Clemson coach. Dabo spent some quality time with the young man. During their conversation, Ryan told Swinney that despite his challenges he felt blessed, especially this day. What a positive attitude, what an example to all who come in contact with him. The next week, Catanzaro, Watkins, Venables, Swinney and I all received cards from Ryan that, despite his disabilities, were handwritten. Inside, it read: Dear Tim Bourret, Thank you so much for making my dreams come true. Clemson is one of the best schools in the USA. I hope we can have dinner in the future and that I can be a part of the Clemson football family in the future. Love, Ryan Ryan, you are “all-in” with the Clemson family. Your attitude is what Clemson is all about.
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