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Clemson recruit flashes obscene amount of cash
Thursday 05-15-2008 4:07pm ET
 Clemson football coach Tommy Bowden put
together one of the school's best recruiting classes in ages this year, a
commendable feat considering most top prospects in the South gravitate towards
the SEC.
Oh hey, what's this? Why, it's four-star offensive line recruit Ken Page
wearing a Clemson-orange shirt, holding a stack of fresh twenties that would
make Lorraine Bracco's character in Goodfellas blush.
But I'm sure there's nothing fishy here. High school seniors usually carry
around a couple extra thousand dollars in cash. Especially since that Bear
Stearns buyout. Kids these days -- they just don't trust banks like us adults!
Am I right? Worst Moments in Big Ten Football History #1
Tuesday 05-13-2008 3:42pm ET
FanHouse is counting down the ten best, ten worst, and ten
weirdest moments in the history of Big Ten football.With the ten
best moments accounted for, it's time to move on to the ten worst. There will be
some silly moments on this list, and some moments which can best be described as
"stupid," but there's only one moment which qualifies as senseless, and it's the
closing moments of the 1978 Gator Bowl. To set the stage: The Clemson
Tigers were facing off against Woody Hayes ' Ohio
State Buckeyes. Late in the fourth quarter, OSU was trailing, 17-15. Quarterback Art Schlichter
had to know the famous axiom attributed to Hayes, "There are three things that
can happen when you throw the football, and two of them are bad." But the
situation called for a pass, and Schlichter (a true freshman) tossed it where
Clemson defender Charlie Bauman
could catch it. Which he did. Bauman ran towards the near sideline, knowing that
the Tigers just needed to run out the clock to lock up the victory.
Unfortunately for Bauman, the near sideline was not his own. He was met by Woody Hayes, a man in whom there was not an
ounce of quit. If Hayes couldn't win this game (and he couldn't), he could at
least let everybody know he wasn't happy about the outcome. Now, nobody would've
blamed Hayes for being upset, or even for letting it show. The problem was in
how he chose to display his anger: by punching Bauman in the chest, right there
on the field, in front of thousands of people and ABC's cameras. You'd
have to be triple-distilled stupid to think that Woody Hayes was a bad coach.
It's probably a close call between him and Michigan's Fielding Yost as to who
was the greatest Big Ten football coach of all time. Hayes was at least the
equal, if not the superior, of his contemporaries, legends like Bear Bryant, Bud Wilkinson, and Bob Devaney. It's
unfair that the public memory of Hayes portrays him less as a coaching great and
more like the Tasmanian Devil. However, even Hayes himself acknowledged that he
had a rather short fuse. This was far from Hayes' first on-the-field incident,
though his rage was usually targeted at camera operators and referees.
This, however, was a new low, even for Hayes, and it would have set a
dangerous precedent if OSU had done nothing. Shortly after the team returned to
Columbus, Hayes was fired. While it wasn't a popular move in Columbus,
what choice did they have? Woody spun his firing by noting, "Nobody despises to
lose more than I do. That's got me into trouble over the years, but it also made
a man of mediocre ability into a pretty good coach." Some of that was false
humility, however. Hayes' abilities were far beyond mediocre, and he knew it.
Likewise, there's a world of difference between hating to lose and displaying
poor sportsmanship. We can admire Hayes' tenacity, but who among us would teach
our kids to imitate his example? And that's what's so senseless about the
Gator Bowl incident. Woody Hayes didn't need to be a loose cannon to be a great
football coach. It's unfair that his punching Charlie Bauman has become the
lasting image of his 25-year tenure in Columbus. Unfair, but fitting, because he
crossed a line he knew he shouldn't have crossed.
A little humor for those Gamecocks!
Monday 05-12-2008 3:52pm ET
Why did they cancel the University of South Carolina Christmas party? They could not
find three wise men or a virgin.
How do you keep a Gamecock out of your
yard? Put up a goal post!
How many USC freshmen does it take to change a
light bulb? Zero, it is a sophomore course.
A guy walks into a bar and
says, "Hey barkeep, did you ever hear the one about the South Carolina Gamecocks?" Four
huge men stand up and approach the man. One of them says, "We play football at
USC, you wanna tell that joke to us?" The guy replies, "What? And have to explain
it four times?"
What are the toughest 6 years in a Gamecock's life? 3rd
grade.
How many South Carolina Gamecocks's does it take to change a light bulb? One,
but he gets three credits for it!
How many Gamecocks does it take to eat an
armadillo? Three---one to eat, while two watch for cars.
Did you hear about the
Gamecock who was convinced that her husband was cheating on her because none of the
children looked like him?
If you have a car containing a Gamecock wide
receiver, a Gamecock linebacker, and a Gamecock defensive back, who is driving the
car? A cop.
Why did Steve Superior demand that grass replace the
Astroturf at Florida Field? So the homecoming queen could graze.
Gamecock of the Day
Monday 05-12-2008 3:42pm ET
Michael Hamlin Named to 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List!
Red-shirt senior safety Michael Hamlin was one of
88 players named to the Watch List for the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which is
awarded to the best defensive player in college football. The Nagurski Award is
presented by the Football Writers Association and sponsored by the Charlotte
Touchdown Club. A native of Timmonsville, SC, Hamlin was named to the All-ACC Second Team in
2007 and ranked second on the Clemson defense with 97 tackles on the season. He
finished the season strong with 14 tackles in just 54 plays against Auburn in
the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Hamlin is entering his fourth season as a starter at safety for Clemson and
has been a common denominator on three Tiger defenses that have ranked in the
top 25 in the nation in four major statistical categories. He has 12 career
takeaways, most among active players and tied for eighth in school history.
Hamlin, who graduated Friday with a degree in sport management, is also a
candidate for the Jim Thorpe Award. The award for the nation's best defensive player of the 2008 season will be
presented on Sunday, December 7 at the Westin Hotel in Charlotte, NC. The FWAA
All-America Committee selects the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner from the
association's 11-man All-America defensive team in November. The watch list was
developed by the FWAA All-America committee with the help of schools and
conferences. The Nagurski Trophy has been presented since 1993 and is awarded in memory of
the legendary Bronko Nagurski, a former All-America lineman at Minnesota in
1927-29 and a star for professional football's Chicago Bears in the 1930s. LSU
defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey won the award in 2007 and was the fifth pick in
the 2008 NFL Draft.
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Michael Hamlin
- Class: RS Junior
- Hometown: Timmonsville, SC
- High School: Lamar
- Height / Weight: 6-3 / 205
- Position: S
- Experience: 2 VL
- Major: Sport Management
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Overview: Second-team preseason All-American by Street & Smith; also a preseason All-ACC pick...a big reason Clemson was in the top 16 in the nation in scoring defense each of the last two seasons...missed the first half of spring practice with a broken foot, his second broken foot in a year; he also suffered broken foot at Boston College in 2006...has four career interceptions and 132 return yards (eighth-most in Tiger history)...has 10 career passes defended...went over the 100-tackle mark for his career against South Carolina in 2006...has started 17 games over the last two years and has played in 22 of the 25; he has started each of the last 17 games he has played at safety...a big reason Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson had just four receptions for 46 yards over the last two years against the Tigers...first Tiger freshman to start over the course of a season in the secondary since Justin Miller in 2002...played in the 2003 Shrine Bowl...had 23 career interceptions at Lamar High...came to Clemson from the same high school that sent former All-Pro Levon Kirkland to Clemson.
2006: Had 15 tackles against Kentucky to lead the defense in the Music City Bowl...had 64 tackles in 10 games, sixth-most on the team but fifth on a per-game basis...winner of the Ironman Award for the defense...missed three games with a broken foot suffered in the fourth quarter at Boston College; he missed the Florida State, North Carolina, and Louisiana Tech games...came back to start at Wake Forest; he had three tackles in 57 snaps; his return was instrumental in Clemson securing a 10-point win over the eventual ACC Champion...had 10 tackles against South Carolina, his career high, then posted another career-high with 15 against Kentucky...had nine tackles, a tackle for loss, and a 16-yard interception return against Maryland...had a 74-yard interception return against Florida Atlantic...tied for sixth in the ACC in recovered fumbles per game; he had two in the 10 games he played...tied for the team lead in takeaways (4); he had two in the first game of the year when he had a recovered fumble and an interception return...defensive player-of-the-game against Florida Atlantic according to the Clemson coaches.
2005: Had two tackles and a team-best two pass breakups against Colorado in the Champs Sports Bowl...had two interceptions for 42 yards on the season...had his career high in tackles in his first career start when he had eight at N.C. State in 53 plays...had an 11-yard interception return against #16 Florida State to stop a drive in Tiger territory...had seven tackles against #13 Miami (FL); he helped limit the Hurricanes to 109 passing yards in regulation...first Tiger freshman to be a starter in the secondary over the course of a season since Justin Miller (2002).
2004: Red-shirted.
Before Clemson: Finalist for Mr. Football in South Carolina...#11 safety in the nation by Tom Lemming...named defensive player-of-the-Year in the state by High School Sports Report; also all-state as a junior and senior...played in the Shrine Bowl...#26 safety in the nation by CollegeFootballNews.com...A Player-of-the-Year as a junior and senior...all-region pick each of his last three years...all-state in all classifications as a senior...had 23 interceptions in his career...member of the state championship baseball team as a junior...all-region in football, basketball, and baseball...BETA Club and FCA member...threw three passes as a senior and two were for scores, including one to his brother in the state title game...had 20 catches for 290 yards and four scores; he was the team's top wideout...had 148 yards on nine punt returns and 179 yards on seven kickoff returns...led the team in interceptions (4) and had 65 tackles as a senior...from the same school that sent Tiger All-American and All-Pro Levon Kirkland to Clemson...coached by J.R. Boyd...born Michael Leon Hamlin on Nov. 21, 1985...majoring in sport management.
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Thursday 05-08-2008 4:27pm ET
Just a little reminder of how the Tigers, once again, destroyed the Gamecocks at their home!
Tiger of The Day
Thursday 05-08-2008 4:21pm ET
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Phillip Merling
- Class: Junior
- Hometown: St. Matthews, SC
- High School: Cordova
- Height / Weight: 6-5 / 280
- Position: DE
- Experience: 2 VL
- Major: Sociology |
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Merling Fact: Clemson's top returnee in terms of tackles for loss (10).
Years Lettered: 2005,06
Years Starter: 2006
Bowl Participation: Reserve defensive end in the 2005 Champs Sports Bowl against Colorado; starting defensive tackle in the 2006 Music City Bowl against Kentucky.
Fall 2007 Depth Chart Position: First-team defensive end
Overview: Returning starter and all-star candidate at defensive end...nearly doubled his tackle production as a sophomore over his freshman year when he was a freshman All-American...went from four quarterback pressures to 20 as a sophomore...has played 25 consecutive games over two years and has 13 consecutive starts...averaged 39 plays per game in 2006, up from 23 plays per game in 2005...has 14 tackles for loss and five sacks in his career...has had one caused fumble each of the last two years...nephew of Clemson Defensive Line Coach Chris Rumph, his position coach...played tight end and defensive end at Fork Union Military Academy in 2004, the same prep school Gaines Adams attended before coming to Clemson...played in the Tennessee/Kentucky All-Star game after his prep career at Cordova High in Memphis, TN...played his prep school ball with current Clemson teammates Durrell Barry and Elsmore Gabriel.
2006: Started all 13 games and totaled 46 tackles, third-most among defensive linemen...ninth on the team in tackles on Clemson's top-16 total and scoring defense...had 10 tackles for loss, second-most on the team behind Gaines Adams...finished the season strong with at least four tackles in each of the last six contests...had 30 of his 46 tackles during the last six games...finished the season with five tackles along with a tackle for loss against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl...had a season-high six tackles against Maryland...had three quarterback pressures against N.C. State...second on the team in quarterback pressures with 20...had two tackles for loss for 22 yards at Boston College in 60 snaps of action...had 1.5 tackles for loss at Virginia Tech...had five tackles in each of the last two games...played at least 42 snaps in each of the last five games.
2005: Won the 12th Man Award for the defense as a rookie...second-team freshman All-America defensive end by Rivals.com...played 271 snaps, fifth among Clemson freshmen and second among first-year freshmen...had his top game against #25 Boston College when he had six tackles, including five first hits, in a season-high 47 plays...had a strong game at N.C. State with three tackles in 18 plays; he had a caused fumble along with his first career sack...had a sack against Duke...played double figures in plays in every game but one...played 11 snaps against Colorado and had one tackle.
Before Clemson: Played tight end and defensive end at Fork Union Military Academy in 2004...had 38 catches for 647 yards and five touchdowns; added five sacks, 51 tackles, and eight pass breakups...team MVP at Fork Union...#18 tight end in the nation according to SuperPrep and #20 tight end by Scout.com...#25 prep school player in the nation by Rivals.com...#34 tight end in the nation by SuperPrep...had 20 catches for 430 yards and four scores as a senior...totaled 34 tackles and four sacks as a senior...played in the Tennessee/Kentucky All-Star game...first-team all-state and all-region as a senior...All-Dixie team pick by SuperPrep...All-Atlantic Region pick by PrepStar...attended Calhoun High School in Saint Matthews, SC for three years...coached by former Gamecock, current Tiger assistant, and his uncle Chris Rumph in his first three years in high school...defensive MVP as a junior...all-conference, all-region, and all-area in basketball as a sophomore and junior...averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds on the hardwood...averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds as a junior...prep school teammate of Durrell Barry and Elsmore Gabriel...coached by J.C. Harmon at Fork Union...chose Clemson over Arkansas, Kentucky, Memphis, and South Carolina...born Phillip Blaine Merling on Aug. 19, 1985...majoring in sociology. |
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