By Will Vandervort.

When he came to Clemson in 2011, no one, including Roderick Byers, felt the Rock Hill, S.C., native would have to wait three years before he finally made a significant contribution to the Clemson football program.

As a defensive end coming out of Northwestern High School, Byers was projected to help a Clemson defense that was building itself back up after losing All-Americans like DaQuan Bowers and DeAndre McDaniel.

“I came here as a freshman thinking I was going to play,” the redshirt junior said. “I had to do a lot more work than I thought I did. I was not ready. As of recently, I have been working and have been waiting for my opportunity.”

At first Byers thought that opportunity might come at defensive tackle, where he moved a few years ago from defensive end to help with depth. But the emergence of D.J. Reader and Carlos Watkins, along with the experience of seniors like Grady Jarrett and DeShawn Williams, pushed him down the depth chart where he was only getting playing time in mop up duty.

“It can be tough if you let it be tough, but it can also be a good thing if you have the right mindset and attitude,” Byers said. “Throughout this whole process, I’m really proud of myself on how I handled the whole situation.

“Just to be mature enough to handle it, it has paid off for me.”

And of all places, it is paying off on offense.

With Clemson banged up on the offensive line, and short on depth to begin with, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney approached Byers about a move to offense. The 6-foot-3, 290-pound Byers was hesitant to make the move at first, but when reserve center Jay Guillermo went down with an injury in the NC State game, Swinney again approached him about the move.

“He came to be and told me that they were going to need me to move to offense and help us out. At first it was tough on me, but I had to keep a positive attitude about it and who knows it could be something that helps me out further in my career,” Byers said. “I’m willing to help the team and there is a possibility that one day I might have to go back to defense. If that happens, I would go back because I just want to be able to help the team in as many ways as I can.”

The junior helped the Tigers, who will host Syracuse on Saturday in Death Valley, in last week’s victory at Boston College. Clinging to a three-point lead midway through the third quarter, Clemson founded itself pinned in at its own three-yard line.

“We were backed up and I am thinking, ‘Man! We need a spark.’ That’s when Coach Morris came to me and said, ‘Byers get ready to go in,’” Byers recalled. “I was like, ‘Man! It is time for me to go.’”

Byers went in wearing the No. 40 as he played a tight end / H-Back position.

“He was playing tight end, but he is a fat boy like the rest of us so we claim him now as one of the group,” right tackle Kalon Davis said.

On the first play of the drive, the Tigers ran running back Wayne Gallman to the left side where he gained three yards. Then on the next play they ran to Byers side as he helped clear a spot for a nine-yard gain for Gallman and first down out to the 15-yard line.

“I went in there, read through my reads and did what I was supposed to do. I was able to help the team get out of there and I was excited about that,” Byers said.

The former defensive tackle played another three more plays after that.

“It was really fun, actually,” he said. “It was a long time coming. It was great to be able to do something on the field.”

Byers admitted he still has a long way to go in learning Morris’ offensive scheme, but he says he has been doing a lot of studying to get up to speed. He says he does not want to be someone that just takes up space on the offense. He wants to contribute and he wants to do it as much as he can.

“I want to perfect my craft. I have done a lot of studying and studying film and picking up the plays,” he said. “It has not been easy, but it has been fun.”

Byers isn’t the first defensive lineman at Clemson to move to the offensive line or vice versa. Tyler Shatley started at right guard for the Tigers the last two seasons after he was moved over to the offensive line for some of the same reasons Byers was moved.

All-American defensive end Vic Beasley, who set Clemson’s career sack record, earlier this year, came to Clemson as a tight end and then played linebacker before finally settling down at defensive end.

Beasley has a shot to be a first-round draft pick this spring, while Shatley is playing for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

“It did not quite come on the defensive line, but it has come somewhere else and my positive attitude and my work ethic has allowed me to be able to do that. It has not been easy, but I do appreciate the opportunity and I am thankful for it,” Byers said. “It was fun being able to play and getting a couple of key blocks last week. It was pretty good and it was definitely a confidence booster for me.

“I’m just doing whatever they ask me to do as long as my mind and my attitude is right. So if they need me to play tight end and not guard and not tackle, then I will do it.”