Perry Tuttle and the 1981 National Champions have been waiting 35 years for someone to join them at Clemson. After all that time, they finally have some company.

Last Monday (Jan. 9), Clemson captured its second national championship in football with a 35-31 victory over Alabama. It was the Tigers’ first national championship since Tuttle and his Clemson teammates won the 1982 Orange Bowl over Nebraska to capture the 1981 National Championship.

On Saturday, Tuttle and the rest of his 1981 teammates were awarded the opportunity to celebrate Clemson’s latest title, along with 70,000 fans, who showed up in Death Valley as part of Clemson’s Championship Celebration and Parade.

“This is great,” Tuttle said. “It has been thirty-five years, but I’m so proud of Coach (Dabo) Swinney. What a program. I’m really excited for the players.”

It’s even extra special for Tuttle whose son, Kanyan, plays for the Tigers. In fact, five members of the 2016 national championship team are sons of members of the 1981 national championship team. Besides Kanyan, the others are twins J.D. Davis and Judah Davis (Jeff Davis), Jarvis Magwood (Frank Magwood) and Cannon Smith (Bill Smith).

“What a great day for him. I’m so proud and I’m so happy this day came. This is all good,” Perry Tuttle said.

Tuttle of course is remembered by most Clemson fans for his iconic photo which appeared on the January 11, 1982 edition of Sports Illustrated, a photo taken just seconds after he scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown on a pass from Homer Jordan.

Thirty five years and five days later, another Clemson wide receiver, Hunter Renfrow, joined Tuttle as national championship cover boys after he hauled in the game-winner from Deshaun Watson with one second to play.

“It brought me back, but I was just so happy for Hunter,” said Tuttle.

Renfrow, who is on last week’s SI cover catching the winning pass, led the Tigers with 10 catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the national championship game. He also scored in the third quarter on a 24-yard pass from Watson.

“He is just such a good kid. He is a great ambassador for Clemson,” Tuttle said.

A lot of members from the 1981 squad participated in the parade on Saturday and were present in Clemson Memorial Stadium, too. Swinney even told a story about how he told his players prior to leaving for Tampa that the 1981 team was lonely and how they needed to do something about it, as he pointed to their national championship sign on the south side of the stadium.

“I’m really happy for my former teammates. I’m glad they could be here and we can celebrate with these guys,” Tuttle said. “Coach Swinney has brought us all together and it has been an awesome day.

“It is great. I’m really proud of that and I’m happy for that.”

–Photo Credit: Dawson Powers-USA TODAY Sports

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