Tag: Clemson Tigers

Real reason why Braves’ legend still pulls for the Tigers

ATLANTA – Though he never played football for Clemson, Jeff Francoeur’s roots run deep in the orange clay of Upstate South Carolina. Before he became one of the fan favorites of the Atlanta Braves as a player, and now as a television analyst, …

ATLANTA — Though he never played football for Clemson, Jeff Francoeur’s roots run deep in the orange clay of Upstate South Carolina.

Before he became one of the fan favorites of the Atlanta Braves as a player, and now as a television analyst, Francoeur was a Clemson recruit. And not just any recruit. He was one of the top safety prospects in the country coming out of Parkview High School in 2002.

But now, almost two decades later, Francoeur’s connection to Clemson remains even stronger than it was when he was committed to play for the Tigers before being drafted No. 9 overall by the Braves in the 2002 MLB Draft.

He still has a relationship with former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden. He is tight with both Dabo Swinney and his brother, Tracy, and one of his closest high school friends is Clemson Deputy Athletic Director, Graham Neff.

“I am happy he is up there, and for me, it is great to have these people that you still know and talk to,” Francoeur said to The Clemson Insider at Truist Park on Saturday.

Years ago, when Dabo Swinney was just beginning his tenure at Clemson, Francoeur would give Swinney and his sons tickets to Braves’ games.

“He is great. Him and his brother, I text Tracy all the time. He is a beauty,” Francoeur said. “They know I love to be a part (of Clemson). I am just a big fan, and it is fun. They enjoy having people support the program that are outside that area. Outside Anderson and Greenville, you know, people around the area.

“So, whenever Dabo comes in recruiting and stuff, every once in a while, he will stop by, go to lunch or do something, so I am always happy for hm. He has done a great job and I love what he stands for up there. So, for me, it is a perfect fit.”

Francoeur says he still talks to Bowden, too. He says they talk quite a bit, and he and his wife usually go out to dinner with the Bowdens at least once a year when they are in Florida.

“I have always stayed in close contact with them. Tommy is awesome, man. Tommy is a lot of the reason why I chose Clemson,” Francoeur said.

Jack Leggett was the other reason. The former Brave said he had a great relationship with Clemson’s former Hall of Fame baseball coach.

His relationship with Bowden crew stronger when he bought a house alongside him in Florida.

“Me and Tommy became next door neighbors down there. So, we always kind of saw each other whenever he would come down for the season,” Francoeur recalled. “Of course, when he resigned and that whole ordeal, we saw him full-time.

“I just became a Clemson fan. I loved the University and everything about it.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Former Tiger on the move

Shaq Lawson has a new home. The former Clemson Tiger was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, according to multiple reports. Lawson didn’t appear in a single regular-season game for the Texans. He was …

Shaq Lawson has a new home.

The former Clemson Tiger was traded to the New York Jets in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft, according to multiple reports.

Lawson didn’t appear in a single regular-season game for the Texans. He was traded to Houston back in March, coming over from the Miami Dolphins, who signed him a three-year, $30 million deal, the season prior.

In just three preseason games with the Texans organization, Lawson recorded four total tackles.

Last season for the Dolphins, Lawson recorded four sacks and 18 quarterback hits in 14 games.

Originally drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2016 draft, Lawson will now catch on with his third team in the AFC East division.

Lawson has a chance to make an immediate impact for the Jets, who were in dire need of pass-rushing help, following a season-ending injury to former Auburn University edge rusher, Carl Lawson.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Swinney: Clemson-UGA matchup ‘what you dream about as a kid’

Dabo Swinney and Clemson try to treat every game with the same mindset, like it’s the most important game of the season because it’s the game they are playing that particular week. But even Swinney admits there is added excitement surrounding the …

Dabo Swinney and Clemson try to treat every game with the same mindset, like it’s the most important game of the season because it’s the game they are playing that particular week.

But even Swinney admits there is added excitement surrounding the third-ranked Tigers’ season-opener against No. 5 Georgia on Sept. 4 in Charlotte.

“It’s just so exciting,” Clemson’s head coach said in an interview with Kelsey Riggs and Eric Mac Lain during the ACC Network’s ACC Football Road Trip show at Clemson. “You can just kind of feel it in the air. And then you throw in the fact that you’re playing a team that’s good enough to win the national championship — and we think we’re a pretty good team — it’s just even more so.”

ESPN’s College GameDay will broadcast live from Charlotte ahead of the highly anticipated showdown between the Tigers and Bulldogs, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at Bank of America Stadium and will be televised on ABC.

There has been no shortage of hype and hoopla heading into the game between two teams hoping to contend for a national championship in 2021, and it’s the type of dream matchup that Swinney embraces as a coach and knows his players do, too.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It creates a lot of conversation. You’ve got GameDay and all that stuff right out of the gate. You’re going to Charlotte, it’s national TV. I mean, it’s awesome. It’s what you dream about as a kid, and as a coach, you love these moments. So, we’re excited about it. And this is two teams that have big-time aspirations, and who knows, could play again down the road somewhere.”

One of the biggest challenges for Swinney and the Tigers in preparing for the game against the Bulldogs is the fact that while each team has had an entire offseason to get ready for it, neither team really knows what to expect from the other and there’s so many unknowns going into a season opener like this one.

“There’s so much,” Swinney said. “You get 12 days. You think about that — 300 and something days, all we’ve got is kind of each other. It’s so different from all the other sports. Basketball, baseball, you got to play a million games. But in football you get 12 days that you have on a schedule, and the rest of the year is spent preparing for those 12 days. And you get in the rhythm of the season, you get in a routine.

“But that first game, it seems like it takes forever to get here. There’s so much to do. There’s the most unknowns of any time of your season. You never have this much time to prepare. You know the least at any time because you’re basing everything on last year and last year’s people. So, there’s just so much. It’s the first game for a lot of people. Lot of first-game reminders and procedures and sideline organization and just a lot to get ready for.”

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Chandler’s decision to play pro ball eerily similar to Francoeur’s

ATLANTA – Jeff Francoeur faced a difficult decision after he graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia back in 2002. At the time Francoeur was committed to play football and baseball for Clemson and enrolled in June ahead of the 2002 …

ATLANTA – Jeff Francoeur faced a difficult decision after he graduated from Parkview High School in Lilburn, Georgia back in 2002.

At the time Francoeur was committed to play football and baseball for Clemson and enrolled in June ahead of the 2002 MLB Draft.

But when his hometown team, the Atlanta Braves, called his name with the ninth overall pick of the draft, he opted to pursue a career in professional baseball and it obviously worked out for him.

“I just became a Clemson fan, I loved the university and I loved everything about it,” Francoeur told The Clemson Insider at Truist Park on Saturday. “I just had to do what was best for me at the time and that was play baseball.”

This summer two Clemson enrollees, Bubba Chandler and Will Taylor, faced a similar decision-making process and took divergent paths.

Chandler opted to pursue the big leagues and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 72nd overall pick in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft.

But Will Taylor turned down professional baseball offers with large incentives to play football and baseball for the Tigers.

Francoeur recalled the difficulty of choosing between two sports you love but his first round selection eased the burden of that decision.

“I think it’s like anything if you get two or three million dollars and every opportunity to make it to the big leagues it’s tough to turn that down it really is,” Francoeur said. “They are going to make sure you have everything you need to be successful to give you that opportunity.”

Francoeur still doles out advice to young players faced with the choice between a two-sport college career and by-passing the amateur ranks to turn professional.

“I tell them look make the best decision with you and your family,” he said. “My dad always said you go to college to figure out what you want to do afterwards and for me I just had the opportunity to be able to figure it out before. And that’s kind of what my dad was saying.”

The decision paid off for Francoeur who wrapped up a 12-year MLB career in 2016 that included six seasons with the Braves. He finished his tenure with a career .261 batting average, 698 RBIs and 160 home runs.

Francoeur maintains a positive relationship with Clemson and remains an avid Tiger fan despite his residence in the heart of Georgia Bulldog country.

He joked that Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney always reminds him that he has four years of NCAA eligibility remaining to play for the Tigers.

“Dabo still tells me when I text him that I have four years of eligibility but the only thing I could do is hold an extra point now. I don’t know if I’m worth much of anything else,” Francoeur said.

While Francoeur may not return to play for Clemson he told TCI he will certainly be at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday to pull for his Tigers against Georgia.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Smart says Bulldogs ‘fired up and ready to play’ as they prepare for Clemson

The season-opening showdown against Clemson in Charlotte has added extra pep to Georgia’s preseason preparation. UGA head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday morning via FaceTime and was asked what type of impact the …

The season-opening showdown against Clemson in Charlotte has added extra pep to Georgia’s preseason preparation.

UGA head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s College GameDay show on Saturday morning via FaceTime and was asked what type of impact the top-five matchup between the fifth-ranked Bulldogs and No. 3 Tigers has had on Smart’s team in practice ahead of the Sept. 4 game.

“It ramps it up,” Smart said. “When you’re playing a team like Clemson and a program like Clemson, all your guys, they come fired up and ready to play. We’ve started on them the last couple days, and you can see the energy starting to increase.”

Smart was also asked about the differences he sees in his team’s offense entering the 2021 season, with junior quarterback J.T. Daniels running the show with a year already under his belt in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s system.

“I think everybody’s a lot more comfortable with a guy at the helm understanding what to do in Coach Monken’s offense,” Smart said. “In terms of repetition, there’s been a lot more. Just spring practice alone, we were able to get a lot more work. But getting quality depth and more guys that can play winning football, that’s kind of been the objective of camp, and we’ve been able to do that.”

Clemson Variety & Frame is doing their part to help bring you some classic new barware and help one of the local businesses that helps make Clemson special.

Order your Nick’s barware and do your part to help.  #SaveNicks

Podcast: ‘The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football’

Miller Yoho of the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic stops by and talks to Levon Kirkland and myself to give Clemson fans all the info they need to know about all the events and other things surrounding next week’s game between Clemson and Georgia in …

Miller Yoho of the Duke’s Mayo Kickoff Classic stops by and talks to Levon Kirkland and myself to give Clemson fans all the info they need to know about all the events and other things surrounding next week’s game between Clemson and Georgia in Charlotte.

Clemson’s Running Down the Hill Tradition won the Herbie Award for College Football’s best entrance, we discuss it and we compare it to other stadium entrances in college football.

We also have an interview with Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and we update you on all the latest injury news ahead of the Georgia game.

You can listen to today’s podcast here (LINK), or listen to it and download it where you listen to all of your podcasts at either Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Spotify.

Renfrow says Lawrence looks ‘ready to take the league by storm’

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow remembers what it was like when he was a rookie in the NFL back in 2019, trying to get acclimated to the speed of the game and everything else that comes with being a professional football player. But …

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Hunter Renfrow remembers what it was like when he was a rookie in the NFL back in 2019, trying to get acclimated to the speed of the game and everything else that comes with being a professional football player.

But Renfrow can’t imagine what his former Clemson teammate Trevor Lawrence is going through entering his first year in the league, being in the limelight with all eyes on him as a No. 1 overall draft pick and the face of the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise.

“It’s tough,” Renfrow said this week on “Out of Bounds” with William Qualkinbush and Kelly Gramlich on WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar.

“Trevor’s just trying to figure out everybody’s names still. I can’t imagine trying to lead a franchise and also have all the commentators talking about your every move. … Everyone’s going to be talking about his every single move – how he drinks his Gatorade on the sideline, how he interacts with the coach, how he interacts with the refs. So, it’s tough.”

As a rookie two years ago with the then-Oakland Raiders, Renfrow recorded 49 receptions for 605 yards and four touchdowns after being selected by the Raiders in the fifth round (149th overall pick) of the 2019 NFL Draft.

For Renfrow, one of the hardest parts of his transition from college football to the NFL was adjusting to the pace in which an NFL game is played.

“It was tough as a receiver just going out there and the speed of the game and how it’s played, the hash marks,” Renfrow said. “What people don’t realize, the NFL game is so much faster. You don’t get 12 possessions a game, you get seven or eight if you’re lucky. So, you have to make the most of those opportunities.”

Renfrow, now entering his third season in the league, was able to catch a little bit of Lawrence and the Jaguars’ nationally televised game against the New Orleans Saints on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” this past Monday.

Lawrence, who this week was officially named Jacksonville’s starting quarterback, completed 14-of-23 passes for 113 yards and had a passer rating of 73.3 while playing 30 snaps across six drives during the Jags’ 23-21 loss to the Saints.

While some have been critical of Lawrence in the preseason – like CBS Sports, which gave his performance against the Saints a C+ grade – Renfrow liked what he saw from Lawrence on Monday night and believes he is poised to have a big rookie campaign.

“From the little bit I saw (Monday) night, he played incredibly well,” Renfrow said. “Looked confident, looked like he was in control. I think he had a good two-minute drive there at the end, they missed the field goal. But he looked like he was ready to take the league by storm.”

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Etienne is in good spirits

Dabo Swinney said he has spoken with Travis Etienne in the last few days, and the former Clemson running back is doing fine. Etienne, who was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, will miss the 2021 season after he …

Dabo Swinney said he has spoken with Travis Etienne in the last few days, and the former Clemson running back is doing fine.

Etienne, who was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, will miss the 2021 season after he injured his foot this past Monday night in a preseason game in New Orleans. The following day, the Jags placed him on their injured reserve list.

“He is in good spirits. I had the seniors over Tuesday… But I talked to him when the seniors were over there and a couple of guys were on the phone with him, too. He is in good spirits,” Swinney said.

Etienne suffered a significant tear in his foot, which resulted in a Lisfranc injury.

“It is just unfortunate,” Swinney said. “But he has a long career ahead. He will bounce back. That is just part of the game. I hate it for him, but he will be fine.”

Tiger fans were hoping to see Etienne and former Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence play in Jacksonville this season after both were selected by the Jaguars in the first round of the draft. Lawrence was taken No. 1 overall, while Etienne went No. 25 in the first round.

“I think he’s handling it well,” Lawrence said of Etienne’s injury. “Obviously that sucks. I’ve played with him, this will be the fourth year, and I have never seen him hurt. This is like the first serious injury of his playing career.

“So, it’s tough. He’s handling it great. But just trying to support him and just keep him locked in obviously. Because he’ll be out physically, but this will be a really good time mentally to make sure he’s learning everything and getting ahead, so when he does come back, it makes it that much easier for him. But he’s doing really well. Obviously, it’s tough, that injury, especially right before the season starts. But he’s going to be good.”

Etienne finished his Clemson career as the ACC’s all-time leader in rushing yards, with 4,952 yards. He also set the conference’s all-time mark in rushing touchdowns (70), total touchdowns (78) and points (468).

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Intel from Clemson’s Beanie Bowl

Clemson held its dress rehearsal for next Saturday’s season opener against Georgia with the annual Beanie Bowl at Memorial Stadium on Friday afternoon. The event was closed to the public other than students, who were invited to watch by Clemson …

Clemson held its dress rehearsal for next Saturday’s season opener against Georgia with the annual Beanie Bowl at Memorial Stadium on Friday afternoon. The event was closed to the public other than students, who were invited to watch by Clemson coach Dabo Swinney.

Here’s some intel from the event, which featured full pads and limited contact, from some eyes and ears in attendance:

  • The first group to run out at the skill positions on offense featured the following players: quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, running back Kobe Pace, tight end Braden Galloway, boundary wide receiver Justyn Ross, field wide receiver Frank Ladson and E.J. Williams in the slot.
  • On the offensive line, the Tigers featured left tackle Jordan McFadden, left guard Marcus Tate, center Matt Bockhorst, right guard Will Putnam and right tackle Walker Parks with the first group.
  • There were several other looks in the first series for the first group of wide receivers on offense, including Ajou Ajou at boundary receiver, Joseph Ngata at field and boundary, Ladson at boundary and Ross at field.
  • The second running back was Will Shipley, who got a lot of carries over the course of the day and showcased his speed and quickness. All of the running backs got work in the scrimmage except for senior Lyn-J Dixon, but Dixon was dressed out.
  • Mason Trotter ran out second at center as Bockhorst slid over to guard. Hunter Rayburn worked in limited action at center.
  • Uiagalelei hurled a long touchdown pass to Ross down the sideline for a touchdown on the first series.
  • Uiagalelei also threw a 20-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Ajou.
  • Beaux Collins showcased his return to good health with plenty of reps at slot receiver.
  • The first group on the defensive line featured defensive end Xavier Thomas, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, defensive tackle Tyler Davis and defensive end Myles Murphy.
  • The linebacker unit ran out James Skalski at middle linebacker with Baylon Spector at weak side linebacker and Trenton Simpson at strong side backer.
  • In the secondary, Mario Goodrich and Sheridan Jones played corner with Andrew Mukuba and Landen Zanders at safety.
  • Super senior safety Nolan Turner was not dressed but he did not look to be in any discomfort.
  • The second group on the defensive line featured defensive end K.J. Henry, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, defensive tackle Tre Williams and defensive end Justin Mascoll.
  • LaVonta Bentley worked at middle linebacker with Jake Venables working at middle and weak-side backer.
  • Malcom Greene played a lot of nickelback.
  • Mukuba intercepted reserve quarterback Billy Wiles at one point with plenty of room to run before the play was blown dead.
  • Tyler Davis also had an interception of Wiles with room to run on a deflection by Ohorhoro.
  • Tyler Venables had perhaps the most impressive play of the scrimmage with a one-handed interception.
  • Shipley was back deep on kickoff return with Kobe Pace and Darien Rencher in front of him.
  • Will Taylor returned most of the punts during the scrimmage.
  • The usual special-teams suspects started with B.T. Potter at kicker, Will Swinney at holder and Will Spiers at punter.

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!

Mac Lain excited for future matchups for Tigers in ‘Alliance’

This past week commissioners from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced the formation of a historic alliance between the three conferences. The formal announcement did not include specific terms of the alliance but featured talk of future …

This past week commissioners from the ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 announced the formation of a historic alliance between the three conferences.

The formal announcement did not include specific terms of the alliance but featured talk of future scheduling.

“Τhe football scheduling alliance will feature additional attractive matchups across the three conferences while continuing to honor historic rivalries and the best traditions of college football,” the statement released on Tuesday said.

Former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain hopped into the conversation on the alliance Thursday after the Tigers’ practice at the fields behind the Allen Reeves Football Complex.

The ACC Network analyst visited practice in conjunction with the networks ACC Football Road Show and shared the matchups he wants for Clemson with schools in the Pac-12.

“Oregon was really good in my career so that would have been fun to go there and host them here,” Mac Lain said. “I think when you think of big name brands it would be fun to play USC and to see over there in LA and what they’ve got going on.”

Mac Lain played on the offensive line for the Tigers from 2011-15 and served as a captain on the first team to reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game in 2015. He’s excited to see how the alliance contributes to the evolving nature of college football with Clemson at the center.

“It’s going to be really fun to see which way college football goes, it’s an ever changing landscape,” he said. “The only thing that’s important for this area is that Clemson is going to be square in the middle of all of it, there’s no question.”

Football season has finally arrived. Time to represent your Tigers and show your stripes!