Tag: Rod Gardner

The last 11 Clemson 1,000 receiving yard seasons

Often nicknamed “WRU,” Clemson has had eight 1,000 receiving yard seasons in the last 11 years, including two from the program’s all-time receiving leader.

Fans often nickname Clemson “WRU,” and it’s hard to argue against that sentiment.

From DeAndre Hopkins to Hunter Renfrow to Tee Higgins, the NFL is riddled with former Tigers whose talents translated from the college level to the biggest stage in sports.

As passing has become more and more prevalent in college offenses, receivers at Clemson have benefited more than most.

Add in the fact that Tajh Boyd, Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence have been the Tigers’ predominant throwers the past decade, and it’s no wonder why Clemson has kept pumping out great pass catchers.

Arguably the most productive receiver since Dabo Swinney took over the program, Sammy Watkins is Clemson’s all-time receiving leader with 3,391 yards in three years.

Watkins is one of six receivers since 2011 to surpass the three-digit receiving yard mark in a season, and he did it twice.

A handful of receivers will have a chance to join the group in 2022, but for now, here are the last 11 Clemson 1,000 receiving yard seasons.

This stat shows that Washington’s problem at QB isn’t anything new

Terry McLaurin has played with five QBs in his 19 career games, pointing to an age-old problem in Washington that leads back to Rod Gardner.

While the success of the football team is directly hindered by Washington’s inability to find and keep a quarterback under center over the past decade or so, one of the more frustrating things the carousel has led to is the underachieving of players elsewhere in the offense.

Without consistently solid quarterback play, it’s hard to ask any wide receiver or running back to be productive when they continually have to develop a connection with a new signal-caller. The person who has been affected by this the most over the past two years in WR Terry McLaurin, who is still one of the top young pass-catchers in the league despite dealing with five quarterbacks in his 19-game career. The thought is that with even a little bit of stability — think of DK Metcalf in Seattle, or AJ Brown in Tennessee — his ceiling would be so much higher.

The truth of the matter is that this is nothing new for Washington, a team that has been helplessly searching for their “franchise quarterback” for two decades now.

Rod Gardner, a first-round pick for Washington in 2001, played five seasons with the team, hauled in just 22 total touchdowns, and never made a Pro Bowl. Would he have been better with legitimate quarterback play buoying him? It’s possible. Is McLaurin in for a similar fate? Hopefully not.

Regardless, this quarterback problem in Washington is far from a new issue; it’s been going on for two decades now, and it’s gotten to the point where an inability to fix it has become impossible to ignore.

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