CLEMSON – Last week, Dabo Swinney told media members at the Smart Family Media Center that there would probably be “100 Hanafins” at Boston College’s Alumni Stadium to watch Burlington, Mass., native and Clemson safety Ronan Hanafin play the Eagles.
It was taken as hyperbole, obviously. How many Hanafins could there possibly be? 20? 30?
It turns out, according to the Hanafin wearing orange-and-purple in a Tuesday press conference, that the number almost doubled Swinney’s guess.
“I texted my dad earlier in the week because I was expecting about 100,” Hanafin said. “And then he texted me and said there would be 180 family and then another 50 friends on top of that. So yeah, it was awesome.”
Hanafin’s father, Dan, is one of 11 siblings, which, in turn, means that his sons have around 70 first cousins and 70 second cousins. The Hanafin clan took six vans and a school bus from Burlington to Chestnut Hill to watch their relative’s homecoming.
Once they arrived, no one could mistake a family member. Each relative donned a cream shirt with “Hanafin” written across the back in orange and red letters. Underneath, was Ronan’s number No. 5 jersey in orange and his brother Shane’s No. 15 in red. Shane, of course, is a quarterback at Boston College.
They each wore a hat mirroring the same design.
“I didn’t actually know about that until, I guess, when I got there,” Hanafin said. “They had a little function before, a little pregame party and they all had the shirts and the hats on. Hopefully, they saved one for me, but I didn’t get one. I don’t know how that works, but hopefully, I can get one.”
As Hanafin stepped off Clemson’s bus, dressed in a traditional Boston scally cap along with several teammates, including fellow safety Tyler Venables and linebacker Wade Woodaz, he beamed as he high-fived about half of the 200 relatives waiting for him.
In the background, Dabo Swinney chanted, “The Hanafins, baby!”
The other Hanafin noted on the custom shirts, Shane, and one year Ronan’s superior. The two played high school football together at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School, a program that has produced over 100 college football players in the last two decades.
The number of collegiate alumni for the school will increase next year, when a third Hanafin brother, Charlie, begins his career at West Virginia University as a wide receiver next season. Ahead of the game, the two Hanafins playing college football, with 200 family members watching, met at Clemson’s end zone to say a prayer.
“It was cool being able to play, especially against my brother, having not been on the field with him for a good four years, so that was awesome to play against him and see us on the same (field), on different sidelines, but still on the same field,” Ronan said. “We said our little prayer together and just gave each other a little bro hug after, and playing after that was awesome.”
Dan Hanafin, the mastermind of the migration to watch his sons, and a captain on the Burlington Police force, took to X after the game to talk about watching the moment between the two.
“Incredibly proud of these boys – now men,” the former Boston University quarterback said in a post. “Bigger stage but their priorities have remained the same. Thank you to the family and friends who came out to support them! Eagles and Tigers forever!”
The Hanafin clan will never be able to watch the brothers play against each other, as the Tigers and Eagles will not play next season, but last Saturday’s homecoming served as a welcome placeholder for the family dinners Hanafin has missed in his time in the south.
These meals, complete with steak tips, pasta, cookies, and Rice Krispy treats, occur on every major holiday.
“Our family parties are my favorite thing in the world,” he said. “Everyone brings something, and it is all gone by the end of the night, 100-percent.”
It may be awhile before Hanafin can attend another family get-together, as Clemson is located over 15 hours away from his hometown by car. But the memories of having his family together, watching him and his brother play football, will always be tangible.
And so will the shirt, if a family member saved one for him.