By Will Vandervort

CLEMSON — In the spring of 2006, then Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden took in Daniel High School’s (Central, S.C.) annual spring game. Bowden was there to watch a junior defensive tackle named Jarvis Jenkins, who went on to become an All-ACC performer at Clemson and now plays for the NFL’s Washington Redskins.

And though Jenkins was quite the prospect with his 6-foot-4, 310-pound frame, there was someone else who unexpectedly caught Bowden’s eye that day. Then a lanky eighth grader named DeAndre Hopkins, who was built more to be a basketball player than a football player, put on quite the show.

Hopkins—known as Nuk by Clemson fans everywhere— was making plays all over the field on both offense and defense. Running Daniel’s zone-read offense, Hopkins used his legs and his arm to make plays, while on defense he had natural ability as a defensive back and could play corner or safety.

Bowden was so impressed he approached Daniel head coach Randy Robinson after the game.

“That kid is going to play on Sundays,” Bowden said.

But before that could happen, Robinson had to convince Hopkins to play on Fridays. That following summer, Hopkins had made up his mind he was going to concentrate on being a basketball player full-time. He broke the news to Robinson, who of course did everything he could to talk Hopkins out of his decision.

On the football field, the Lions could have used Hopkins’ skills as they struggled to a 6-5 record which ended with a first-round loss in the state playoffs. On the basketball court, Hopkins’ decision appeared to be the right one as he and the Lions excelled.

Though he was just a freshman, he was one of Daniels top scorers as he helped lead the Lions to a second place finish in Region Western AAA and a trip to the state playoffs. Watching Hopkins become an All-Region performer on the hardwood only convinced Robinson he had to do more to get Hopkins back to the football field. To do that, he recruited the services of Jenkins and several others who played basketball with Hopkins.

Robinson wanted them to speak with the very athletic Hopkins and convince him that he could excel in both sports.

“He had help from a lot of guys doing that,” Hopkins said. “It wasn’t just him. It was players and coaches that would continuously ask me to come out because we had a terrible season my freshman year in football, but guys knew we had a good team, but we needed some players like me, who weren’t out there, back there playing and being involved in it.”

Robinson’s instincts about Hopkins had immediate returns. As a sophomore, Hopkins mostly played in the secondary where he started at safety as well as played at corner too. He snagged what is still a state record 13 interceptions that year, while leading the Lions to the Western AAA Championship.

The next year, Hopkins also became a starter at wide receiver and over the next two years he became one of the best duel threat players in the state of South Carolina. He finished his high school career with 28 interceptions. Five of which he returned for touchdowns, while also catching 57 passes for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns. As a senior, he recorded seven receiving touchdowns, returned two interceptions for scores, had three touchdowns on punt returns and took a kickoff all the way back as Daniel advanced to the state championship game.

“Coach Robinson did a good job getting me back out there. I miss that guy,” Hopkins said.

Though Hopkins was still a basketball star, leading Daniel to its first State Championship in the sport since 1967, he ultimately decided football was the sport he wanted to play in college as he turned down basketball scholarship offers from South Carolina and Wake Forest.

The move to football has proven to be a good one. In his first two years, no player in the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference has caught more passes (124) and had more yards (1,615) than Hopkins.

“We have seen some great coverage on him and he still makes some really good catches,” Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris said. “He is such a great precise route runner… He is such a really good athlete. He played basketball. He has great hand and eye coordination. I think that has a lot to do with it.”

This year, Hopkins has turned things up another notch. Besides making plays on the field, he has also become a leader on a wide receiving corps that is loaded with potential NFL talent. Despite taking on double teams at times due to the absence of Sammy Watkins, who has missed three games this season, Hopkins has emerged as one of the nation’s best wide receivers.

“I think with the absence of Sammy, it has benefited Nuk in some ways,” Morris said. “It has really forced Nuk, and Nuk has taken on that responsibility. ‘Hey, lean on me a little bit now.’ That’s good to see.”

Through the first six games, No. 13 Clemson has leaned on Hopkins a lot. He has hauled in 49 passes for 777 yards, while scoring eight touchdowns. On Monday, CBSsports.com awarded him for those numbers by naming him a First-Team Mid-Season All-American, which he happens to be seventh in the nation in receptions per game, third in the nation in reception yards per game and third in total touchdown receptions.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound receiver is on pace to establish Clemson single-season records in all three areas, and is already second in Clemson history in career receptions (173), third in touchdown receptions (17) and fifth in reception yards (2,392).

“What I have done might have surprised some people, but I have done this since my freshman year,” Hopkins said. “I feel like I showed people that then, but since I have come out and I’m having this kind of a season, it is surprising some.”

It is doubtful Tommy Bowden is surprised or Randy Robinson, Chad Morris, Dabo Swinney or anyone that has seen Hopkins play in person. And it definitely has not surprised Hopkins.

“I projected myself doing this, honestly,” he said. “I knew they were going to double-team Sammy and all of that stuff so I felt that if I capitalized on what was getting thrown to me then I would have a great season.”