C. J. Spiller
Encyclopedia
Clifford "C.J." Spiller Jr. (born August 5, 1987 in Lake Butler, Florida
) is an American Football
running back
for the Buffalo Bills
of the National Football League
. He was an All-American at Clemson University
and was drafted 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft
. On October 16, 2010 his number 28 jersey was retired at Clemson University.
. During his senior year at Union County, he rushed for 1,840 yards on 176 carries for 30 touchdowns. He also had fifteen receptions for 249 yards.
In his entire high school career, Spiller rushed for 5,511 yards on 541 carries.
on an 82–yard touchdown reception from quarterback Will Proctor
. After struggling versus Florida State
the following week, Spiller turned it around against North Carolina by rushing for fifty-eight yards and two touchdowns in a 52–7 rout of the Tarheels. In the following weeks, Spiller had two triple-digit rushing games as the Tigers defeated Louisiana Tech
and Wake Forest
. Against Louisiana Tech, he rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on eleven attempts, in a 51–0 rout of the Bulldogs, in which the entire Clemson team rushed for 393 yards. Clemson finished the season with a 8–5 overall record, losing four of their final five games, including a 31-28 loss to archrival South Carolina, and ended the season in a 28–20 Music City Bowl
loss to the Kentucky Wildcats
. Spiller rushed for only twenty-four yards on five attempts in the loss.
defense, rushing for only two yards. His best statistical game came against rivals South Carolina
, which Clemson won 23–21. Spiller ran for a team-high 122 yards on twenty-three attempts in the victory. In the team's bowl game, he rushed for 112 yards on eight attempts, including one touchdown, in a 23–20 loss to Auburn
in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
.
against the Alabama Crimson Tide
in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff
. However, a stingy Alabama defense held Spiller to just seven yards on two attempts. He did score though, on a kickoff return for a touchdown. In his second game, however, he rushed for seventy-five yards on six carries, which included three touchdowns in a 45–17 victory over The Citadel. On January 15, 2009, he announced he would remain for his senior year at Clemson instead of entering the 2009 NFL Draft.
on November 7, 2009, Spiller and Jacoby Ford
became the leading all-purpose duo in NCAA history (a record previously held by Marshall Faulk
and Darnay Scott
of San Diego State).
On November 28, 2009. C.J. set the FBS record for kickoff return touchdowns with seven during his career. He also earned his spot in the record books in another way on that kickoff return, by being only one of five players to ever gain 7000 all-purpose yards.On November 23, 2009, Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award
. Spiller, along with Mark Ingram
of Alabama and Toby Gerhart
of Stanford, was selected by a vote of the 130-member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee.
On December 2, 2009, Spiller was voted the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference
Player of the Year. The all-purpose threat was named as the league's top player following a vote of 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Spiller received 29 votes to outdistance Georgia Tech
quarterback Josh Nesbitt
, who had eight. Virginia Tech
running back Ryan Williams
, the league's rookie of the year, had two votes and Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan
had one. Spiller was the nation's only player this season to account for touchdowns five different ways—rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns—and had passing, rushing and receiving TDs in one game, a victory against North Carolina State
. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores this year and has eight total returns for TDs during his career. He scored at least once in every game this season while leading Clemson to the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the league title game against Georgia Tech. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards. Spiller is the seventh Tiger to be named player of the year and the first since Michael Dean Perry
in 1987. But, he got less than 20 rushing yards in the 2009 34-17 South Carolina loss, after returning the opening kickoff for an NCAA record-setting 7th career kickoff return for touchdown.
Even though Spiller had a stellar career in the ACC and at Clemson, he was not invited to the 2009 Heisman Trophy
ceremony in New York City
. He ended up placing 6th in the voting behind Tim Tebow.
Spiller graduated from Clemson in December 2009, becoming the first person in his family to receive a four-year college degree. Also his #28 is now retired as of December 27, 2009 on his game versus Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
Spiller was the only player in the FBS to score a touchdown in every game in the 2009 season.
, Spiller decided to return for his senior season in January 2009. He was projected as a first-round draft choice in the 2010 NFL Draft
and was listed as the No. 1 running back of the 2010 class by ESPN. Spiller was selected 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was the highest drafted Clemson player since Banks McFadden
1940 NFL Draft
and Gaines Adams
2007 NFL Draft
both went fourth overall.
and Fred Jackson for the 2010 season. On August 6, 2010 Spiller signed a five year $25 million deal ($20.8M guaranteed).
On August 19, 2010 Spiller ran 31 yards for his first NFL touchdown in week two of the preseason at the Rogers Centre
in Toronto, Canada
against the Indianapolis Colts
.
Spiller finished the 2010 preseason with 26 carries for 122 yards (4.69 average per carry) and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 35 yards. Spiller was named the #1 running back on Buffalo's final depth chart, ahead of the recently-injured Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson.
Spiller has been named Special Teams player of the week for September 26, 2010 for a 95 yard touchdown return against the New England Patriots
. Spiller also had a touchdown off a pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick
. However, his rookie season was marked with disappointment as he accumulated fewer yards than running backs taken after him in the draft including Ryan Mathews
, Jahvid Best
, and Toby Gerhart
.
In 2011 it was announced that Spiller would trade numbers with Leodis McKelvin
receiving the number 28, in exchange for the number 21. The number 28 was also the number Spiller wore at Clemson. Heading into Week 12, Spiller hadn't gotten as much action as the Bills were planning on because of the Pro Bowl caliber season that Fred Jackson
was having, but Jackson was then placed on injured reserve, meaning Spiller would finally get his opportunity and become the Bills' starting running back for the rest of the season at least.
Lake Butler, Union County, Florida
Lake Butler is a city in Union County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,927 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 1,988...
) is an American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for 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...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was an All-American at Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
and was drafted 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
. On October 16, 2010 his number 28 jersey was retired at Clemson University.
High school career
Spiller attended Union County High School in Lake Butler, where he excell at track, as well as football, posting the fourth fast time in the nation over 100 meters in his senior year with a time of 10.42. At Union County High School, Spiller played along fellow Clemson teammate, Kevin AlexanderKevin Alexander (linebacker)
Kevin Alexander is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Clemson.-Early years:...
. During his senior year at Union County, he rushed for 1,840 yards on 176 carries for 30 touchdowns. He also had fifteen receptions for 249 yards.
In his entire high school career, Spiller rushed for 5,511 yards on 541 carries.
Honors
- Selected to play in 2006 U.S. Army All-American BowlU.S. Army All-American BowlThe U.S. Army All-American Bowl is a high school football all-star game held in early January in San Antonio, Texas. Currently played in the Alamodome, the game brings 90 of the nation's top high school football players in an East versus West matchup. In addition to the Bowl game, there is the U.S...
- #1 player in Florida, #1 all-purpose running back, and #8 overall player by Rivals.comRivals.comRivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
- First-team PARADEParade (magazine)Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-AmericaAll-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n - Florida 2A state 100 and 200–meter champion
Freshman
As a true freshman, Spiller immediately made himself known to the Clemson fans. In the season, he rushed for 938 yards and ten touchdowns on 129 rushes, despite being the second-team running back behind James Davis. He scored his first collegiate touchdown in a 34–33 overtime loss to Boston CollegeBoston College Eagles football
The Boston College Eagles football team is the collegiate football program of Boston College. The team is a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, a Division I Bowl Subdivision league governed by the NCAA. Within the ACC, the Eagles are one of six teams in the Atlantic Division...
on an 82–yard touchdown reception from quarterback Will Proctor
Will Proctor
Will Proctor is a former starting quarterback for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University in the Atlantic Coast Conference in NCAA Division I-A, and a former backup quarterback for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. He attended Trinity Preparatory School...
. After struggling versus Florida State
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...
the following week, Spiller turned it around against North Carolina by rushing for fifty-eight yards and two touchdowns in a 52–7 rout of the Tarheels. In the following weeks, Spiller had two triple-digit rushing games as the Tigers defeated Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football program represents Louisiana Tech University in Western Athletic Conference. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. Since the Bulldogs first season in 1901, Louisiana Tech has compiled an all-time record of 554 wins, 422...
and Wake Forest
Wake Forest Demon Deacons football
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons football team represents Wake Forest University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wake Forest plays its home football games at BB&T Field....
. Against Louisiana Tech, he rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns on eleven attempts, in a 51–0 rout of the Bulldogs, in which the entire Clemson team rushed for 393 yards. Clemson finished the season with a 8–5 overall record, losing four of their final five games, including a 31-28 loss to archrival South Carolina, and ended the season in a 28–20 Music City Bowl
2006 Music City Bowl
The 2006 Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl featured a contest between the Clemson Tigers and the Kentucky Wildcats. Clemson entered the game with a record of 8-4 after having been ranked in the AP poll for most weeks of the season, as high as #10; Kentucky was 7-5 and unranked...
loss to the Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky Wildcats football
The Kentucky Wildcats football team is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the East Division of the Southeastern Conference.-History:Paul "Bear" Bryant Era...
. Spiller rushed for only twenty-four yards on five attempts in the loss.
Sophomore
In his second season for the Tigers, Spiller had a less productive rushing season with only 768 yards and three touchdowns. He did, however, gain more receiving yards, with 271 yards and two additional touchdowns. In the opening three games of the season, Spiller rushed for only eighty-five yards, including a career-worst –1 yards in a 38–10 victory over Furman. In a 13–3 loss, he was again stopped by the Georgia TechGeorgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
defense, rushing for only two yards. His best statistical game came against rivals South Carolina
South Carolina Gamecocks football
The South Carolina Gamecocks football team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college football. The Gamecocks have been a member of the Southeastern Conference since 1992. Steve Spurrier is the current head coach, and the team plays its home games at Williams-Brice...
, which Clemson won 23–21. Spiller ran for a team-high 122 yards on twenty-three attempts in the victory. In the team's bowl game, he rushed for 112 yards on eight attempts, including one touchdown, in a 23–20 loss to Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
in the Chick-fil-A Bowl
2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl
The 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl was an edition of the Chick-fil-A Bowl, formerly known as the Peach Bowl and the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. It pitted the Auburn Tigers against the Clemson Tigers in a postseason American college football game in Atlanta, Georgia...
.
Junior
With Spiller and fellow running back James Davis, the Clemson Tigers were favored to win the opening game of their 2008 season2008 Clemson Tigers football team
The 2008 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2008 college football season. The Tigers were led by oft-maligned head coach Tommy Bowden, who resigned six games into his tenth season. The interim head coach was assistant coach Dabo Swinney...
against the Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
in the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff
2008 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff
The 2008 Chick-fil-A College Kickoff took place on August 30, 2008, in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. This was the first game of the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff series. The game featured the No. 9 Clemson Tigers and the No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide....
. However, a stingy Alabama defense held Spiller to just seven yards on two attempts. He did score though, on a kickoff return for a touchdown. In his second game, however, he rushed for seventy-five yards on six carries, which included three touchdowns in a 45–17 victory over The Citadel. On January 15, 2009, he announced he would remain for his senior year at Clemson instead of entering the 2009 NFL Draft.
Senior
In the Tiger's 40-24 victory over the Florida State Seminoles2009 Florida State Seminoles football team
The 2009 Florida State Seminoles football team represented Florida State University during the 2009 college football season. The Seminoles were led by 34th year head coach Bobby Bowden...
on November 7, 2009, Spiller and Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford
Jacoby Ford is an American football wide receiver for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He is also an accomplished track and field athlete. He played college football as a wide receiver and return specialist for the Clemson Tigers at Clemson University...
became the leading all-purpose duo in NCAA history (a record previously held by Marshall Faulk
Marshall Faulk
Marshall William Faulk is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League. He is currently an analyst for NFL Total Access, Thursday Night Football, and NFL GameDay Morning on the NFL Network...
and Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott
Darnay Scott is a former professional American football player who was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft.-High school career:...
of San Diego State).
On November 28, 2009. C.J. set the FBS record for kickoff return touchdowns with seven during his career. He also earned his spot in the record books in another way on that kickoff return, by being only one of five players to ever gain 7000 all-purpose yards.On November 23, 2009, Spiller was named as one of the three finalists for the 2009 Doak Walker Award
Doak Walker Award
The Doak Walker Award, first awarded in 1990, honors the United States's top college football running back. It is named after the Southern Methodist and Detroit Lions football player Doak Walker...
. Spiller, along with Mark Ingram
Mark Ingram, Jr.
Mark Ingram, Jr. is a running back for the New Orleans Saints. Ingram is the son of former NFL wide receiver Mark Ingram, Sr....
of Alabama and Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...
of Stanford, was selected by a vote of the 130-member Doak Walker Award National Selection Committee.
On December 2, 2009, Spiller was voted the 2009 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...
Player of the Year. The all-purpose threat was named as the league's top player following a vote of 40 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Spiller received 29 votes to outdistance Georgia Tech
2009 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team
The 2009 Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the 2009–2010 Football Season. The team was coached by second year head coach Paul Johnson...
quarterback Josh Nesbitt
Josh Nesbitt
Joshua Leonard Nesbitt is an American football player, currently a member of the Buffalo Bills'. He was formerly the starting quarterback for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.-High school career:...
, who had eight. Virginia Tech
2009 Virginia Tech Hokies football team
The 2009 Virginia Tech Hokies football team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Frank Beamer...
running back Ryan Williams
Ryan Williams (American football)
Ryan Williams is an American football running back for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was drafted in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft....
, the league's rookie of the year, had two votes and Yellow Jackets defensive end Derrick Morgan
Derrick Morgan (American football)
-Tennessee Titans:Morgan was drafted by the Tennessee Titans 16th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He and the Titans agreed to a six-year deal on July 31, 2010. However, with playing time incentives the contract could revert to five years...
had one. Spiller was the nation's only player this season to account for touchdowns five different ways—rushing, passing, receiving, and on kick and punt returns—and had passing, rushing and receiving TDs in one game, a victory against North Carolina State
2009 North Carolina State Wolfpack football team
The 2009 NC State Wolfpack Football Team represented North Carolina State University in the college football season of 2009-2010. The team's head football coach was Tom O'Brien. The Wolfpack played their home games at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was Tom O'Brien's third...
. He returned four kickoffs and a punt for scores this year and has eight total returns for TDs during his career. He scored at least once in every game this season while leading Clemson to the Atlantic Division title and a spot in the league title game against Georgia Tech. Spiller led the ACC with an average of nearly 184 all-purpose yards and was the league's fourth-leading rusher, averaging 76 yards. Spiller is the seventh Tiger to be named player of the year and the first since Michael Dean Perry
Michael Dean Perry
Michael Dean Perry is a former American football defensive lineman and the younger brother of William Perry. His parents are Mrs. Inez S. Perry [deceased] and Hollie Perry, Sr. of Aiken, South Carolina. He learned to play football from his older brothers...
in 1987. But, he got less than 20 rushing yards in the 2009 34-17 South Carolina loss, after returning the opening kickoff for an NCAA record-setting 7th career kickoff return for touchdown.
Even though Spiller had a stellar career in the ACC and at Clemson, he was not invited to the 2009 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
ceremony in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He ended up placing 6th in the voting behind Tim Tebow.
Spiller graduated from Clemson in December 2009, becoming the first person in his family to receive a four-year college degree. Also his #28 is now retired as of December 27, 2009 on his game versus Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.
Spiller was the only player in the FBS to score a touchdown in every game in the 2009 season.
College awards and highlights
- 2006 High School All American (Parade)
- 2006 High School All American (USA Today)
- 2006 All ACC Football (RB)
- 2007 All American – Outdoor Track & Field (4x100m)
- 2007 All ACC Outdoor Track Selection (100m)
- 2008 All ACC Indoor Track Selection (60m)
- 2008 All American – Indoor Track & Field (60m)
- 2009 All ACC Football (RB & ST)
- 2009 All American – Outdoor Track & Field (4x100m)
- 2009 All ACC Outdoor Track Selection (100m)
- 2009 All ACC Football (RB & KR)
- 2009 All-American – Football 2009 College Football All-America TeamAn All-American team is an honorary sports team for a specific season composed of the best amateur players at each position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
(unanimous) - 2009 ACC Championship GameACC Championship GameThe Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game is an American college football game held on the first Saturday in December by the Atlantic Coast Conference each year to determine its football champion. The game pits the champion of the Coastal Division against the champion of the Atlantic Division in a game...
MVP - 2009 ACC Offensive Player of the YearAtlantic Coast Conference football honorsThe Atlantic Coast Conference honors players and coaches upon the conclusion of each college football season with the following individual honors as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.-Coach of the Year:*1953: Jim Tatum, Maryland...
- 2009 ACC Player of the YearAtlantic Coast Conference football honorsThe Atlantic Coast Conference honors players and coaches upon the conclusion of each college football season with the following individual honors as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.-Coach of the Year:*1953: Jim Tatum, Maryland...
- Had his number (28) retired at Clemson on October 16, 2010.
Statistics
| Season | |Rushing | | | |Receiving | | | |Special Teams | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | PR | KR | TD | |||
| 2006 2006 Clemson Tigers football team The 2006 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2006 college football season The team was coached by Tommy Bowden and played their homes game in the Memorial Stadium.-Notable:... |
129 | 938 | 7.3 | 80 | 10 | 19 | 210 | 11.1 | 82 | 2 | 11–33 | 13–324 | 0 | ||
| 2007 2007 Clemson Tigers football team The 2007 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2007 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Tommy Bowden and played their home games in Memorial Stadium.- Notable :... |
145 | 768 | 5.3 | 83 | 3 | 34 | 271 | 8.0 | 68 | 2 | 16–137 | 19–547 | 2 | ||
| 2008 2008 Clemson Tigers football team The 2008 Clemson football team represented Clemson University in the 2008 college football season. The Tigers were led by oft-maligned head coach Tommy Bowden, who resigned six games into his tenth season. The interim head coach was assistant coach Dabo Swinney... |
116 | 629 | 5.4 | 57 | 7 | 34 | 436 | 12.8 | 83 | 3 | 18–189 | 19–516 | 1 | ||
| 2009 2009 Clemson Tigers football team The 2009 Clemson Tigers football team represented Clemson University in the 2009 college football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Dabo Swinney, who was in his first full season as head coach. The Tigers played their home games in Memorial Stadium... |
201 | 1212 | 5.6 | 66 | 12 | 36 | 503 | 14.0 | 63 | 4 | 8–210 | 21–708 | 5 | ||
| Total | 591 | 3,480 | 5.9 | 83 | 32 | 120 | 1,362 | 11.4 | 83 | 11 | 53–569 | 72–2005 | 8 | ||
| Reference: | |||||||||||||||
2010 NFL Draft
Despite being projected as a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, Spiller decided to return for his senior season in January 2009. He was projected as a first-round draft choice in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
and was listed as the No. 1 running back of the 2010 class by ESPN. Spiller was selected 9th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He was the highest drafted Clemson player since Banks McFadden
Banks McFadden
Banks McFadden was an American football player. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1959. McFadden attended Great Falls High School in South Carolina, where he led the Red Devils to two state championships in football and one in basketball...
1940 NFL Draft
1940 NFL Draft
The 1940 National Football League Draft was held on December 9, 1939.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
and Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams
Gaines Adams was an American football defensive end in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round in the 2007 NFL Draft and in 2009 was traded to the Chicago Bears...
2007 NFL Draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
both went fourth overall.
Buffalo Bills
On September 8, Spiller was given the nod for the starting running back position on the Bills roster, over veterans Marshawn LynchMarshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
and Fred Jackson for the 2010 season. On August 6, 2010 Spiller signed a five year $25 million deal ($20.8M guaranteed).
On August 19, 2010 Spiller ran 31 yards for his first NFL touchdown in week two of the preseason at the Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in Toronto, Canada
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
against the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
Spiller finished the 2010 preseason with 26 carries for 122 yards (4.69 average per carry) and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 35 yards. Spiller was named the #1 running back on Buffalo's final depth chart, ahead of the recently-injured Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson.
Spiller has been named Special Teams player of the week for September 26, 2010 for a 95 yard touchdown return against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Spiller also had a touchdown off a pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
. However, his rookie season was marked with disappointment as he accumulated fewer yards than running backs taken after him in the draft including Ryan Mathews
Ryan Mathews (American football)
-San Diego Chargers:On August 1, 2010, Mathews signed a five-year, $26.65 million contract with the Chargers. The deal includes $15 million guaranteed....
, Jahvid Best
Jahvid Best
Jahvid Andre Best is a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was selected by the Lions with the 30th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. In college, he played for the California Golden Bears, setting several records, including most all-purpose yards in a single season and...
, and Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart
Toby Gerhart is a professional football player, a running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was a consensus All-American running back at Stanford and was selected in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft, the 51st overall pick. In 2009 Gerhart won the Doak Walker...
.
In 2011 it was announced that Spiller would trade numbers with Leodis McKelvin
Leodis McKelvin
-Buffalo Bills:On July 26, McKelvin signed a five-year, $19.4 million contract with the Bills with up to $12.6 million in bonuses. McKelvin made an impact with his kick returning skills. McKelvin also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game against the Steelers. The...
receiving the number 28, in exchange for the number 21. The number 28 was also the number Spiller wore at Clemson. Heading into Week 12, Spiller hadn't gotten as much action as the Bills were planning on because of the Pro Bowl caliber season that Fred Jackson
Fred Jackson
Frederick "Fred" George Jackson is an American football running back for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He attended Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas...
was having, but Jackson was then placed on injured reserve, meaning Spiller would finally get his opportunity and become the Bills' starting running back for the rest of the season at least.