1981 Clemson Tigers football team
Encyclopedia
The 1981 Clemson Tigers
football team represented Clemson University
in the Atlantic Coast Conference
. The Tigers were led by head coach Danny Ford
and played their home games in Memorial Stadium
. Clemson finished their undefeated 1981 season with a 22-15 victory over the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers
in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were voted #1 in the Associated Press (AP)
and United Press International (UPI)
polls.
and UPI
polls. Following the bowl win over Nebraska, the Tigers were selected as Consensus National Champions by the AP
, UPI
, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
, and National Football Foundation (NFF)
. The Clemson Tigers of the 1980s were the fifth winningest Division I college football team of the decade, with a record of 86-25-4 (.765).
Clemson head coach Danny Ford
was awarded the 1981 Coach of the Year Award by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)
and the FWAA
. At the time, Coach Ford was the youngest ever to receive the award, and the youngest to have won a National Championship.
In the 1982 Orange Bowl, Clemson QB
Homer Jordan received Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 1981, his junior season, and finished first in the ACC
in passing efficiency and 12th in the nation. Jordan was an honorable mention All-American selection in 1981. He was runner-up for ACC MVP behind teammate Jeff Davis
, but the team voted him MVP in 1981. Even though Jordan was injured for much of his senior season, he helped lead the 1982 team to a 9-1-1 record and number-eight national ranking. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior. He ranked as Clemson's 18th greatest player of the century. Jordan was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1993.
Clemson LB
Jeff Davis, captain of Clemson's 1981 team, was inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor in 1995. Davis was a Consensus All-American in 1981 when he led the Tigers in tackles. Davis was also named MVP of the ACC and was the defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska. Davis has the third best mark in career tackles in Clemson history and has also caused the most fumbles and recovered the most fumbles in team history. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
and played for them from 1982-87. He led the Buccaneers in tackles and was the captain of the team for four seasons. Along with being in the Clemson Ring of Honor, Davis was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1989 and the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2001. He was named to Clemson's Centennial football team in 1996 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in December 2007.
Clemson DB
Terry Kinard
is the only Clemson player to be a unanimous All-America pick. He was the first two-time Clemson All-American defensive back and a first-team AP All-American two years in a row, the only Clemson player to accomplish that. Kinard was named the CBS
National Defensive Player-of-the-Year for the 1982 season and was chosen to the USA Today All-College Football Team in the 1980s. Kinard was a two-year member of the All-ACC team. He is the all-time Clemson leader in interceptions with 17, a mark that tied the 20-year-old ACC record. He also holds the Clemson record for tackles by a defensive back with 294 in his career. After leaving Clemson Kinard was a first-round pick of the New York Giants
in 1983, and was the 10th pick overall in the draft. Sports Illustrated
named him to College Football's Centennial Team in 1999. He played with Super Bowl Champion New York Giants
in 1986 and was with the club from 1983 until 1989. Kinard played in the 1988 Pro Bowl Game. Kinard played with Houston Oilers in 1990. He was named to Clemson's Centennial team in April 1996. He ranks as Clemson's #3 football player of all-time was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in December 2001. He was inducted into Clemson Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Ring of Honor in 2001. He was also inducted into the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002.
Clemson WR
Perry Tuttle was voted a first-team All-American in 1981, and set then-Clemson records for receptions and yards. Tuttle also had at least one reception during the last 32 games of his Tiger career. He still ranks fourth all-time in receptions (150), second all-time in receiving yards (2,534), second in touchdown receptions (17), and ninth in yards per reception (16.89). In the 1982 Orange Bowl, he had five receptions for 56 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass. That touchdown catch was the final reception of his Clemson career and earned him a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Following his Clemson career, Tuttle was chosen with the 19th overall pick of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills
. After a three-year NFL career, Tuttle went on to the Canadian Football League
where he had a six-year career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
. He helped lead the team to a Grey Cup Championship
in 1990 and was inducted into the Winnipeg Hall of Fame in 1997. Tuttle was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1991 and named to Clemson's Centennial team in 1996.
on Saturday, September 5, 1981 in both teams' season opener. Wofford was one of the three teams Clemson played in its first year of football competition in 1896, but had not played the Terriers since 1940. Clemson had originally scheduled Villanova University
for the third game of the 1981 season (scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 1981) but the Wildcats had cancelled their football program in the spring of that year. Wofford had an open spot in their schedule and agreed to play Clemson.
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14
!Wofford
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6
!Tulane
| 5 0
0
0
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| 0 > 10
0
3
!#4 Georgia
| 0 0
3
0
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| 0 > 0
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7
!Kentucky
| 3 0
0
0
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| 3 > 7
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3
!Virginia
| 0 0
0
0
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| 7 > 17
14
0
!Duke
| 0 3
7
0
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| 3 > 7
0
7
!N.C. State
| 7 0
0
0
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| 14 > 35
20
13
!Wake Forest
| 7 7
3
7
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| 0 > 7
3
0
!#8 North Carolina
| 0 5
0
3
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| 7 > 14
0
0
!Maryland
| 0 0
0
7
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| 6 > 9
7
7
!South Carolina
| 7 0
6
0
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!#1 Clemson
| 6 > 6
10
0
!#4 Nebraska
| 7 0
0
8
Clemson Tigers
The Clemson Tigers are any team that represents Clemson University as a member of the NCAA's Division I or in the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference....
football team represented Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
in the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
. The Tigers were led by head coach Danny Ford
Danny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
and played their home games in Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium, Clemson
Frank Howard Field at Memorial Stadium, popularly known as Death Valley, is home to the Clemson University Tigers, a NCAA Division I-A football team, located in Clemson, South Carolina...
. Clemson finished their undefeated 1981 season with a 22-15 victory over the #4 Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
in the 1982 Orange Bowl, and were voted #1 in the Associated Press (AP)
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and United Press International (UPI)
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
polls.
Achievements
The Clemson Tigers finished the 1981 season 12-0 and were voted #1 in the APAssociated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
and UPI
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
polls. Following the bowl win over Nebraska, the Tigers were selected as Consensus National Champions by the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, UPI
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
, Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
, and National Football Foundation (NFF)
National Football Foundation
The National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
. The Clemson Tigers of the 1980s were the fifth winningest Division I college football team of the decade, with a record of 86-25-4 (.765).
Clemson head coach Danny Ford
Danny Ford
Danny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
was awarded the 1981 Coach of the Year Award by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
and the FWAA
Football Writers Association of America
The Football Writers Association of America is one of the organizations whose College Football All-America Team is recognized by the NCAA...
. At the time, Coach Ford was the youngest ever to receive the award, and the youngest to have won a National Championship.
In the 1982 Orange Bowl, Clemson QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Homer Jordan received Offensive Most Valuable Player honors. He earned first-team All-ACC honors in 1981, his junior season, and finished first in the ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
in passing efficiency and 12th in the nation. Jordan was an honorable mention All-American selection in 1981. He was runner-up for ACC MVP behind teammate Jeff Davis
Jeff Davis (American football)
Jeff Davis is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played college football at Clemson.Davis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.-College career:Davis...
, but the team voted him MVP in 1981. Even though Jordan was injured for much of his senior season, he helped lead the 1982 team to a 9-1-1 record and number-eight national ranking. He also earned honorable mention All-American honors as a senior. He ranked as Clemson's 18th greatest player of the century. Jordan was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1993.
Clemson LB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Jeff Davis, captain of Clemson's 1981 team, was inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor in 1995. Davis was a Consensus All-American in 1981 when he led the Tigers in tackles. Davis was also named MVP of the ACC and was the defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska. Davis has the third best mark in career tackles in Clemson history and has also caused the most fumbles and recovered the most fumbles in team history. He was a fifth-round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
and played for them from 1982-87. He led the Buccaneers in tackles and was the captain of the team for four seasons. Along with being in the Clemson Ring of Honor, Davis was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1989 and the South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2001. He was named to Clemson's Centennial football team in 1996 and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in December 2007.
Clemson DB
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
Terry Kinard
Terry Kinard
Alfred "Terry" Terance Kinard , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Giants in the 1st round of the 1983 NFL Draft. A 6'1", 200-lb...
is the only Clemson player to be a unanimous All-America pick. He was the first two-time Clemson All-American defensive back and a first-team AP All-American two years in a row, the only Clemson player to accomplish that. Kinard was named the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
National Defensive Player-of-the-Year for the 1982 season and was chosen to the USA Today All-College Football Team in the 1980s. Kinard was a two-year member of the All-ACC team. He is the all-time Clemson leader in interceptions with 17, a mark that tied the 20-year-old ACC record. He also holds the Clemson record for tackles by a defensive back with 294 in his career. After leaving Clemson Kinard was a first-round pick of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1983, and was the 10th pick overall in the draft. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
named him to College Football's Centennial Team in 1999. He played with Super Bowl Champion New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1986 and was with the club from 1983 until 1989. Kinard played in the 1988 Pro Bowl Game. Kinard played with Houston Oilers in 1990. He was named to Clemson's Centennial team in April 1996. He ranks as Clemson's #3 football player of all-time was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in December 2001. He was inducted into Clemson Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Ring of Honor in 2001. He was also inducted into the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002.
Clemson WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Perry Tuttle was voted a first-team All-American in 1981, and set then-Clemson records for receptions and yards. Tuttle also had at least one reception during the last 32 games of his Tiger career. He still ranks fourth all-time in receptions (150), second all-time in receiving yards (2,534), second in touchdown receptions (17), and ninth in yards per reception (16.89). In the 1982 Orange Bowl, he had five receptions for 56 yards, including a 13-yard touchdown pass. That touchdown catch was the final reception of his Clemson career and earned him a place on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Following his Clemson career, Tuttle was chosen with the 19th overall pick of the 1982 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After a three-year NFL career, Tuttle went on to the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
where he had a six-year career with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
. He helped lead the team to a Grey Cup Championship
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
in 1990 and was inducted into the Winnipeg Hall of Fame in 1997. Tuttle was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1991 and named to Clemson's Centennial team in 1996.
Notable
Clemson hosted the Wofford TerriersWofford Terriers
Wofford College sponsors 18 sports for men's and women's programs. The Terriers also compete in the Southern Conference, and have been a part of the league since the 1997–98 academic year. Wofford and the other SoCon members play football in the Football Championship Subdivision...
on Saturday, September 5, 1981 in both teams' season opener. Wofford was one of the three teams Clemson played in its first year of football competition in 1896, but had not played the Terriers since 1940. Clemson had originally scheduled Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
for the third game of the 1981 season (scheduled for Saturday, September 26, 1981) but the Wildcats had cancelled their football program in the spring of that year. Wofford had an open spot in their schedule and agreed to play Clemson.
Schedule
Depth chart
Game 1 - Clemson vs. Wofford
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!Clemson
| 3 >
!Wofford
| 3
Game 2 - Clemson at Tulane
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| 5
Game 3 - Clemson vs. #4 Georgia
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| 0 >
!#4 Georgia
| 0
Game 4 - #14 Clemson at Kentucky
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!#14 Clemson
| 0 >
!Kentucky
| 3
Game 5 - #9 Clemson vs. Virginia
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!#9 Clemson
| 3 >
!Virginia
| 0
Game 6 - #6 Clemson at Duke
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!#6 Clemson
| 7 >
!Duke
| 0
Game 7 - #4 Clemson vs. N.C. State
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!#4 Clemson
| 3 >
!N.C. State
| 7
Game 8 - #3 Clemson vs. Wake Forest
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!#3 Clemson
| 14 >
!Wake Forest
| 7
Game 9 - #2 Clemson at #8 North Carolina
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| 0 >
!#8 North Carolina
| 0
Game 10 - #2 Clemson vs. Maryland
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!#2 Clemson
| 7 >
!Maryland
| 0
Game 11 - #2 Clemson at South Carolina
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!#2 Clemson
| 6 >
!South Carolina
| 7
Game 12 - #1 Clemson vs. #4 Nebraska (1982 Orange Bowl)
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!#1 Clemson
| 6 >
!#4 Nebraska
| 7
Coaching staff
- Danny FordDanny FordDanny Lee Ford is a former American football player and coach. He played college football at the University of Alabama from 1967 to 1969. He served as the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina from 1978 to 1989 and at the University of Arkansas from 1993 to 1997, compiling...
- Head Coach - Tom HarperTom Harper (coach)Tom Harper was a head coach of the Wake Forest college football program in 1972.-Head coaching record:-External links:*...
- Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line - Nelson Stokely - Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Willie Anderson - Defensive Line
- Steve Hale - Defensive Ends
- Les Herrin - Linebackers
- Curley HallmanCurley HallmanHudson "Curley" Hallman is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana State University , compiling a career record of 39–39.-Early years:Growing up near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Hallman aspired to play for...
/Rick Whitt - Defensive Backs - Larry Van Der Heyden/Buddy King - Offensive Line
- Rex Kipps - Tight Ends
- Chuck ReedyChuck ReedyCharles "Chuck" Reedy is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Baylor University from 1993 to 1996, compiling a record of 23–22. Prior to replacing future College Football Hall of Fame inductee Grant Teaff, as head coach, Reedy worked for three...
- Running Backs - Lawson Holland - Wide Receivers
- George Dostal-Strength and Conditioning
- Fred Hoover - Head Athletic Trainer
- Bert Henderson - Assistant Trainer
- Bob Easley - Student Trainer
- Joe Franks - Student Trainer
- Greg Craig - Student Trainer
- Vann Yates - Student Trainer
- Jay Bennett - Student Trainer
- Chip Winchester - Student Trainer
- Len Gough - Equipment Manager
- George Caine - Graduate Assistant