Last Thursday, Clemson hosted 97 NFL personnel representing all 32 teams for its annual pro day. It was a big day for the 24 former Tigers who were auditioning for the scouts, coaches and general managers who made their way to the Upstate of South Carolina.
Most came to watch Clemson’s former defensive stars, such as All-Americans Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Dexter Lawrence. All three are projected to be first-round draft picks at next month’s NFL Draft in Nashville, Tenn. Others came to see guys like cornerback Trayvon Mullen, a boarder-line first-round pick, or All-American left tackle Mitch Hyatt, a guy teams want to know if he can move inside.
Of course, some wanted to see wide receiver Hunter Renfrow workout as well, and then there are other guys maybe they have not heard of that caught their eyes. Guys such as wide receiver Trevion Thompson and tight end Milan Richard.
“(NFL teams) know who we are. They definitely think a lot of these guys,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. “That is a plus by their name. It is not a negative, it is a plus if they are coming from Clemson.”
Ten years ago, that was not the case. The NFL knew who Clemson was because of its successful past under Danny Ford in the 1980s when NFL stars such as Jeff Bryant, Terry Kinard, William and Michael Dean Perry, Donnell Woolford, Terry Allen, Chris Gardocki, Chester McGlockton, Levon Kirkland, James Trapp and Brentson Buckner came through the program.
But besides Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, few Clemson players went on to star in the NFL in the 1990s and 2000s.
When Swinney became head coach, Clemson did not have an indoor practice facility. C.J. Spiller’s Pro Day was held during a torrential downpour. It was so bad Swinney and former Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox shared an umbrella to watch Spiller’s workout.
Swinney was embarrassed by the situation and he went to work immediately, with former athletic director Terry Don Phillips, to get an indoor facility built. Clemson opened the Poe Indoor Practice Facility in 2012, which many in the national media have called one of the best indoor facilities in the country, even better than a few of the NFL teams.
As Clemson’s level of recruiting has went up and its subsequent success on the field, so too has its level of NFL talent. NFL teams now flock to Tigertown each year to not only see the All-Americans the program produces, but also the diamonds in the rough, the guys that can get lost sometimes amongst all the talent. The Jaron Browns and Adam Humphries, if you will.
“They know our program,” Swinney said. “I always take time in the morning to address the (NFL) group. It just like when I go and recruit, I want to know where they are coming from because they are going to bring that with them. Good or bad, they are bringing that with them. It is our job to meet them wherever they are and help them.
“It is the same thing. I don’t want (NFL teams) to just come in and ‘oh let’s time these guys.’ I want them to know where they are coming from and kind of some of the core values of our program. At the end of the day, I love my guys and I want to support them.”
Under Swinney, 51 former Tigers have been drafted and 40 were signed to free agent deals. Of those 91 players, 77 percent have made an NFL roster. Last year, 20 former Clemson players were starters for their NFL teams.
“I want (NFL teams) to know that they are not just getting a good player, but they got all this stuff and they are bringing it with them. That is why they are making it,” Swinney said.
Eight of the 51 Clemson players drafted since Swinney took over in 2008 have been selected in the first round, the most by any coach in Clemson history. Prior to last year, Clemson had a streak of five straight years in which at least one Clemson player was chosen in the first round.
Those players were Deandre Hopkins (2013), Sammy Watkins (2014), Vic Beasley (2015), Stephone Anthony (2015), Shaq Lawson (2016), Mike Williams (2017) and Deshaun Watson (2017). By the way, Spiller was taken in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
“That is what I have always talked to this group about in the mornings. It is not just the player, but what they have been exposed to culture wise, program wise and that they are more than just a football player,” Swinney said. “You are getting a whole lot more. I always tell them, if it is close, take the guy from Clemson. He is going to make you better and he is going to make the team.”
Move over Alabama, Clemson is the new King of College Football. In our new magazine “Little Ole Clemson”: The Best “Little” Dynasty Ever, we examine not just the 2018 team’s run to being “the best ever” but examine the last four seasons and how Dabo Swinney turned Clemson into the new dynasty of college football. We also take a look at the role former athletic director Terry Don Phillips played. We go behind the scenes at the Tigers’ run to a second national championship in three seasons and the previous three national championship runs. It also features stories on the Power Rangers, the 2018 senior class, high quality photos and much, much more.
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