JACKSONVILLE – The storybook ending Clemson kicker Jonathan Weitz wrote in the win over South Carolina would’ve been good enough, but the last word in the Tigers’ Gator Bowl victory added to the lore of the once-retired leg.

Weitz stepped onto the field down 28-27 with 4:20 to play against Kentucky, staring at a 52-yard field goal attempt. He shared a moment with head coach Dabo Swinney on the sideline and it was decided that field goal was the best option.

With the pressure on, Weitz delivered a strike that he felt good about, “cutting through the wind,” and it bounced right on the crossbar. When he saw it happen, the soon-to-be Wall Street worker wasn’t sure if the kick would go through. “Barely” was how Weitz described it, and in the midst of his confusion, the noise from the Clemson crowd made sure he didn’t need an official signal to know.

“I’m holding my breath and I see it hit the post and our line stands up, I can’t see anything. I kind of just turn my head and I hear the screams coming in my left ear and I knew that was our sideline and I was like I’m taking that as a good sign. Next thing I know, I’m getting picked up and it was just awesome,” Weitz said.

There was legitimate concern from Weitz after the win over the Gamecocks because it felt like the perfect ending and the possibility the bowl game could spoil it was real. Yet again, he and the Tigers came through and “it makes it even better” to see the season end in thrilling fashion.

Now that his Clemson career is over and he’ll be enshrined as a permanent captain, Weitz turns to the apartment that he’s been paying for since September and the job in New York waiting on him. Turns out, he’s been paying for it all on his own throughout this process.

“I sold my truck and I’ve been paying it along. All fall, (my apartment’s) been sitting empty and it’s worth every single penny. The kicks are great that I make but the biggest honor that I could’ve gotten is being voted captain by my teammates. I’m getting chills just thinking about it right now. It’s the biggest honor…I can’t believe that I’m going to be with all those other names with Tiger Walk,” Weitz said.

While the truek might be gone, Weitz isn’t worried and he’ll “just take the subway” in New York as it’s oney fitting. The Tigers poetic hero might not have his truck to ride off into the sunset, but the underground route will do just fine.