By Kaila Burns-Heffner.

There have been a couple of Clemson players this season that have forgone the opportunity to go into the NFL draft early so they could play another season in Death Valley.

Stephone Anthony is one of them.

Anthony said Thursday he is sure he made the right decision to stay at Clemson another year, and his presence this season has had a tremendous impact on the team’s success, especially on defense.

“I definitely made the right decision,” the middle linebacker said. “I’m enjoying the game and enjoying playing with my guys, man. It don’t get no better than what we’re doing right now.”

The Tiger defense is ranked high in a number of different categories and is ranked as the number one defense in regards to tackles for loss. Anthony is currently leading the team this season in tackles and in second in tackles for loss. To date, the senior has racked up 58 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss this season alone.

Anthony says he is just trying to make the most of his last season as a Clemson Tiger, and that he cherishes every moment he gets to spend playing with his team since his times are limited.

“It’s been real fun. It has been a great experience, man, and I’m just enjoying playing the game with my brothers,” he said. “We’re trying to accomplish a goal, and its just fun to go out and try to get it every Saturday.

“I’m just enjoying it, I’m soaking it all in.”

Although the NFL draft is approaching, Anthony remains focused on his first priority, the Tigers. Instead of worrying about how his performance in games will impact his future, he only thinks about how he can continue to help the team every game.

“That doesn’t even come into my mind. I have got to enjoy the last couple of games I have with my brothers and just have fun,” the senior said. “That time will come.”

The defense has come a long way since their 45-21 loss at Georgia, where the effort was lacking in the fourth quarter and has gone on to carry the team through their last few wins. They have improved greatly and are gaining national attention.  Anthony said the feeling the team had after their two early losses was a driving force for establishing the dominant defense that they are now.

“You don’t forget that feeling. You don’t want to go back,” he said.

Since the devastating loss at Florida State, the Tigers have had a shut out and have held their opponents to 17 points or less, excluding the North Carolina game. The most satisfying win for Anthony however, was the 23-17 victory over Louisville.

“I believe the Louisville game was probably the happiest moment for us all, just to see us respond to a little adversity right there at the end,” he said.

Anthony and the rest of the Clemson defense is hungry to continue to get better and become the best defense in the nation. The defense is having a lot of fun right now, and will continue to compete against one another as they strive to be the best.