Multiple former Clemson standouts will return to Tiger Town this weekend — in a coaching capacity.

Swinney said Wednesday that Garry Peters and D.J. Reader will serve as honorary coaches for Saturday’s spring game, and possibly Sammy Watkins as well.

Peters, 32, is still playing professional football as a defensive back for the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions.

Reader, the veteran NFL defensive tackle, recently signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions. The 29-year-old is entering his ninth NFL season in 2024 after spending the last four years (2020-23) with the Cincinnati Bengals following four seasons with the Houston Texans (2016-19) after being selected by the Texans in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.

Watkins, 30, most recently saw NFL game action in 2022 with the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens. A 2014 first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills and Super Bowl LIV champion as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, Watkins has played for the Bills (2014-16), Los Angeles Rams (2017), Chiefs (2018-20), Ravens (2021, 22) and Packers (2022).

Watkins was just selected to the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame, along with former teammate and Tiger quarterback great Tajh Boyd.

“We’ve got some honorary coaches coming back (for the spring game),” Swinney said Wednesday. “We’ve got Garry Peters, big GP, who’s still playing — I think he might be the best DB up in Canada. He’s playing. DJ Reader is coming back. He’s going to be one of our honorary coaches. Hopefully Sammy Watkins is going to be back as well, so he’s still trying to work it out. But I’m really, really excited about the day.”

Peters played at Clemson from 2010-14. He emerged as one of the team’s top cornerbacks in 2012 before an injury in the middle of the 2013 season set him back, though he regained his form and was one of the ACC’s best and most physical cornerbacks in 2014. He had 106 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions for 15 yards, two quarterback pressures, 27 pass breakups, two caused fumbles and one recovered fumble over 45 games (17 starts) in his career.

Reader, a longtime backup at defensive tackle who found his way into the starting lineup as a senior, finished his Clemson career (2012-15) with 145 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and 24 quarterback pressures over 46 games (10 starts). He became the second Tiger to letter on top-25 football and baseball teams in one academic year (2012-13) since 1994-95 (Kyle Parker (2009-10) is the other).

One of the greatest wideouts in Clemson history, Watkins had 240 receptions for 3,391 yards and 27 touchdowns over 36 games (29 starts) in his prolific career as a Tiger (2011-13). He was a two-time first-team All-ACC selection as well as a three-time, first-team All-American who became the first Tiger to be a multi-year first-team All-American since 2000, 01 (Kyle Young).

The annual Orange & White Spring Game at Memorial Stadium is set for 1 p.m. Saturday and will be shown on ACCNX/ESPN+.

—Biographical information from Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story

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