TAMPA, Fla. — Randall Godfrey played in the NFL for 11 years after a career at Georgia in which he became the first true freshman in the program’s history to lead the team in tackles.

Of course, his son, R.J., wrapped up his college basketball career at Clemson on Friday at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, where the 6-foot-7, 240-pound forward led the Tigers in scoring this season, including 15 points in Friday’s 67-61 first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament to Iowa.

After the game, Godfrey was told he missed his calling as a defensive end in football, as the reporter repeated a text message he received from a Clemson football coach.

“No, I don’t think I’m going to hit the football field anytime soon. But it’s in my blood,” said Godfrey, who also had seven rebounds in the loss to the Hawkeyes.

After he finished his college career at Georgia in 1996, Randall Godfrey was a second-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys (No. 49 overall) in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played for the Cowboys for four years before leaving Dallas for Tennessee where he spent three season (2000-02).

The eldest Randall went on to play for the Seattle Seahawks, the San Diego Chargers and the Washington Redskins before retiring in 2007.

R.J. Godfrey led the Tigers in both scoring and rebounding this season. Though his college basketball career is over, Godfrey did not totally close the door on the possibility of playing football in the future.

“All my cousins and my dad, obviously, was a big-time football player,” Godfrey said. “But at a young age I fell in love with football, so I’m going to see what God had planned for me with basketball and I’m just going to try to maximize my potential wherever it is next.”

Godfrey would not be the first in which a Clemson basketball player tried on the cleats, too. Most recently, former Clemson basketball star Ian Schieffelin went over to the gridiron.

Schieffelin was a tight end for the Tigers in 2025, giving up the high-tops for a few months, while he tried out football. He played in eight games, while catching two passes for 10 yards.

Mike Eppley was the last Clemson player to start for both the men’s basketball team and the football team. Eppley was Clemson’s starting quarterback in 1983 and 1984, while also starting for the men’s basketball team as well.

Stan Rome was a two-sport athlete at Clemson, too. He was a three-year starter on the Clemson basketball team and played a little on the football team before quitting basketball after he left Clemson for a football career in the NFL.

Rome was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 11th round of the 1979 NFL Draft as a tight end. He played four seasons in the NFL from 1979-’82, while grabbing 22 catches for 286 yards and one touchdown.