At about 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday Clemson fans from all over the Upstate made their way back to Memorial Stadium to join the thousands of other fans anxiously waiting to welcome back a team that a day earlier lost in the National Championship Game.
Fans, bundled up in hats and scarves, stood waiting for the glow of bus headlights to reflect off of the frozen pavement they were standing on. For an hour, all you could hear was Clemson chants echoing throughout the stadium.
It was 8:55 p.m. before they saw two large headlights guided a herd of buses to the entrance of the West End Zone, where thousands yelled and screamed as the buses came to a stop.
The doors to the buses opened and the crowd grew louder. The losing team made their way off the buses to the stadium while being bombarded by screaming fans and kids begging for their autograph.
It was a surreal moment that night watching thousands of fans gather, despite the cold temperatures, for hours to cheerfully welcome back their heroes despite the, 45-40, loss to Alabama.
Clemson’s loyal fans welcomed them back as if they were returning as National Champions.
But are you really surprised? During one of their biggest games of the season against Notre Dame, the state of South Carolina experienced storms that produced heavy downpours, declaring a state of an emergency by Gov. Nikki Haley. At the same time, ESPN hosted their weekly College GameDay Show on Clemson’s Bowman Field, without delay, where thousands of fans gathered in orange ponchos and rain boots to support their football team on national television.
“I thought we might have five people out here. We’ve got thousands of people out here,” ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit said during the show. “It speaks volumes about the Clemson Tigers fan base and how crazy they are about their team. We love coming here. They’re the best. We love bringing the show here.”
Clemson fan’s remained loyal as more than 81,000 stood in the pouring rain later that night supporting their Tigers in a 24-22 victory over the Irish.
Clemson linebacker Ben Boulware recently wrote an emotional letter to the Clemson family after their loss to Alabama in the National Championship.
“You supported us through thick and thin and we are forever grateful for your support. Thank you for being the best fans in the world,” he wrote.
It seems as if loyalty is the best way to describe the Clemson fan base. Win or lose Clemson fans, like their favorite team, held their heads high in support of a team who went undefeated during the regular season, won an ACC Championship, won the Orange Bowl and made it the National Championship Game.
As head coach Dabo Swinney said, “We made them print out 15 tickets.” And Clemson Nation was there for all 15 of them, and when their Tigers returned home from Arizona.
If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.