Ben Boulware, Dabo Swinney, Clemson Tigers. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The storied Clemson football program has seen its fair share of talented athletes come through over the years. Here are the top 50 players of all-time.
The Clemson football program got its start back in 1896 under the leadership of a man who will forever be known as the “Father of Clemson Football” in Walter Merritt Riggs.
Since the program’s inception, 125 years have passed by and we’ve seen the Tigers win three national championships and 24 conference titles (four in SIAA, two in SoCon, 18 in ACC).
The program has certainly had its ups-and-downs, but the Tigers have consistently developed professional talent, resulting in more than 200 NFL players, 100 All-Americans and exactly 32 first-round draft picks.
Currently, Clemson is at the top of the college football landscape, looking down at its competition. The Tigers are coming off their second national title in the past three seasons and show no signs of slowing down.
Dabo Swinney has taken the Clemson football program to the pinnacle of its history and is still building towards the future with the mind of shaping young men, not just into great football players, but into even better citizens off the field.
Looking through the storied history of Clemson, it’s tough to narrow a list down to just 50 players. In our list, we tried to give diversity by including Tigers in various positions and eras, as well as rank players based on their talent, accolades and what they were able to do for the football program during their time in Tiger Town.
Here are the 50 greatest players in program history.
We kick off our list with a familiar name from the recent past.
Ben Boulware totaled 261 tackles, eight sacks and had 26.5 tackles for loss during his Clemson career, which saw the Tigers win 10-plus games each season and make it to the College Football Playoff twice.
He was a hard-nosed linebacker that always seemed to be around the ball, especially in big situations. Boulware continuously shot the gap on rushing plays and found his way to the ball carrier in short-yardage situations.
Boulware, a captain on the 2016 National Championship team, will forever be remembered for his speech after the win over Alabama:
“After 35 years. Clemson, y’all have been waiting 35 years. It’s finally coming home! It’s coming home, baby!”
Though Boulware’s NFL career didn’t go as expected, he proved to be an important piece of Clemson’s National Championship in 2016, and the run to the National Championship game in 2015.
He was the unquestioned leader of that defense and played with a reckless abandon, coming up with stops in key situations throughout that season. Boulware was never able to develop into a guy that could defend the pass effectively, but his heart, soul and determination were what set him apart.
He may have gotten burned on a few long passes, but he made up for it with his play late in games. Any time the Clemson football defense needed a big stop, it always seemed as if Boulware was the guy to provide that spark to come up with the big play.