Re: Hill Watch...117 days!!!

CBProf®

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117 - San Diego Chargers Select Curtis Whitley with Pick 117 in 1992 Draft

May 6, 2024, 12:02 AM

Clemson OL Curtis Whitley experienced plenty of ups and downs. Whitely dealt with success at the highest level – and depths at horribly low levels.

At Clemson:

According to GoUpstate.com:

“The seeds were planted, Whitley said, at Clemson. When he arrived on campus to play for coach Danny Ford in the fall of 1988, it was his first extended stay away from home, and he proceeded to cut loose. "I was wild as ####, wild and crazy," he said.
…
As a freshman at Clemson in January of 1989, Whitley was thrown out of school for a year after getting drunk and beating up another student at a bar. After Whitley returned, he was sent home from the 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa for allegedly flashing a maid at the team hotel. At the time, Whitley shrugged. So what? Nobody got hurt. The only one he was hurting, he figured, was himself, and he didn't care.
…
People start realizing how much money football brings in, and they start turning their backs when something pops up. You have professors helping you out, people always catering to your needs." The fighting episode that winter, however, was too much even for Ford and Clemson, and Whitley was sent packing to Chowan Junior College. He worked hard to make it back in 1990, but even then the message hadn't been received. He was still the same good ol' boy who would do just about anything after a few beers. Straight-laced Ken Hatfield had replaced Ford as Clemson's coach, but Whitley didn't care. Being sent home from the bowl game barely made an impression. Nothing fazed Whitley until he got to the NFL.”

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1995/08/07/whitley-wins-biggest-battle-with-the-bottle/29576923007/

After Danny Ford sent Whitley home from the Clemson team in 1989, he attended Chowan Junior College. As shown above, he requested to return to Clemens one year later. He was reinstated at Clemson in 1990 by Ken Hatfield. As explained by the Greensboro News and Record:

“Whitley had always been a rouser, a man known for his drinking and his drunken rages. He was thrown out of Clemson his freshman year after a bar fight. The talented offensive lineman ended up at Chowan Junior College, where he spent a year in exile before returning to Clemson.
His second stay was interrupted when he was sent home from the 1990 Hall of Fame Bowl in Tampa for an incident at the team's hotel.”

https://greensboro.com/center-thankful-for-his-new-life/article_d921e513-dc4d-58db-9e4c-aaa33fef069b.html

After Clemson:

The San Diego Chargers selected Curtis Whitley with Pick 117 (5th Round) in the 1992 Draft. As a Charger, Whitey was apparently quite the character. The San Diego Tribune describes his fun-loving nature:

“Within the Chargers locker room, he was seen as a character, on a team full of them. He once wore a cowboy hat and spurs in the weight room. He traveled with the team overseas, carrying only a toothbrush.”

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sdut-the-94-chargers-from-charmed-to-cursed-2012may05-story.html

He played three seasons (1992-1993) with the Chargers before being released in July 1994 for a troubling off-the-field incident. According to GoUpstate.com:

“On July 18, 1994, Curtis Whitley's life came apart before his eyes.

He had lost his job with the San Diego Chargers that day. The night before he had been driving drunk when he collided with another car, putting the other driver in the hospital. Something had to change. Whitley's fiancee, Tracy Camarena, knew it. Her mother knew it. By the time they decided to tell Whitley that day at their home in Alpine, Calif., he knew it, too. "He and I and mom sat down and started talking," said Tracy, who became Mrs. Whitley early this year. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I started crying, thinking of everything he put himself through. To go through all that, and to bring it upon yourself ... I kept asking him, `Don't you think you're worth anything?' He just didn't think he meant anything to anyone."

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1995/08/07/whitley-wins-biggest-battle-with-the-bottle/29576923007/

Whitley decided to get his life back together. According to the Greensboro News and Record:

“Whitley found himself in the Betty Ford Clinic. Without a job or a career, Whitley took a good look at his life. He didn't miss the drinking. The alcohol itself was not the problem. He was the problem.”

https://greensboro.com/center-thankful-for-his-new-life/article_d921e513-dc4d-58db-9e4c-aaa33fef069b.html

Whitley credited his fiancée for supporting him and helping him through it. With his commitment to get his life back together, the Chargers reinstated him. Finally life was good for Whitley. He got married and started a family.

Before the next season, the expansion Carlina Panthers selected Curtis Whitley in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft. According to GoUpstate:

Whitley was selected by the Panthers in the expansion draft, giving him a clear shot at becoming an NFL starter, a lifelong dream. "He's very quick and very strong," offensive line coach Jim McNally said. "He's competitive and tough and he has the athletic skills to be a very good center. He's still pretty green, but he's learning." Learning the Panthers' line calls and blocking schemes is nothing compared to what Whitley has learned in the last year. Picking up an inside blitz on the fly is a lot easier than picking up a life that had jumped the tracks and was a disaster waiting to happen.

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1995/08/07/whitley-wins-biggest-battle-with-the-bottle/29576923007/

Unfortunately, he regressed again with the Panthers. According to ESPN:

He was suspended four games in 1996 for what officials said was an alcohol-related violation of the drug policy, then released by the Panthers before training camp the next season.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3395632

In 1997, Whitley joined the Oakland Raiders. He played one season for the Raiders before similar problems resurfaced. According to ESPN:

Whitley spent 1997 with the Raiders, appearing in 15 games with one start. He was suspended for the entire 1998 season for violating the drug policy and never played in the NFL again.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=3395632

He never returned to NFL again. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, he played six NFL seasons in total (1992-1994: Chargers; 1994-1995: Panthers; 1997: Raiders) and registered the following statistics:

OL Curtis Whitley (1992-1997):
- 72 Games Played
- 27 Games Started

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WhitCu20.htm

Out of the NFL, he signed with the Arena League Tampa Bay Storm in 2000.

https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/06/08/storm-acquires-center-receiver-before-deadline/

After football, he moved to Texas and worked on an oil rig. According to the San Diego Tribune:

“By 2007, his NFL days long over, he was in living in Pecos County, Texas, and working on an oil rig.”

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sdut-the-94-chargers-from-charmed-to-cursed-2012may05-story.html

Ultimately, his recurring problems returned one final tragic time in 2008. From the San Diego Tribune:

Sheriff’s deputies, working the badlands of West Texas, found Whitley’s body face down in the bathroom of his trailer home. Several syringes rested on a counter.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers/sdut-the-94-chargers-from-charmed-to-cursed-2012may05-story.html

Very sad!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDja6ti5KGk

Message was edited by: CBProf®

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

After redshirting in 2009, Clemson LB Spencer Shuey (2009-2013) saw some action early on special teams. But when Clemson was on defense, he mostly sat on the bench for over two seasons, seeing minimal action. Shuey was a hard hitter, but he seemed buried on Clemson’s impressive depth chart at linebacker.

But when it came time for his coming out party – Shuey definitely made the most of it!

According to ESPN:

“For all the offense, it was still a defensive play that turned the game Clemson's way. Right after Boyd threw a 35-yard touchdown to Hopkins that put the Tigers ahead 38-31 with 10:29 left in the game, Georgia Tech bobbled the kickoff and had to start from its own 2. Tigers linebacker Spencer Shuey sniffed out an option pitch two plays later for a safety that crushed the Yellow Jackets' chances. It was the first time either team led by more than a touchdown.

"We got points and the ball. That was big," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

Orwin Smith was tackled for a safety. It was his only bad play -- he gained 117 yards on seven carries. Quarterback Tevin Washington, who ran 16 times for 104 yards, also missed seeing Shuey when he made the pitch. But he didn't think it cost his team the victory.”

https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap/_/gameId/322800228

The play ending in Shuey’s safety starts at the 1:55 mark of this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlMJZP58EJ4

Shuey then became a full-time starter at LB. The man never came off the bench again.

According to Sports-Refeence.com, Shuey registered the following statistics at Clemson. The progression in Shuey’s playing time – and his corresponding stats – is striking:

2010:
- 18 Tackles (9 Solo and 9 Assisted)
- 0 Tackles for Loss
- 0 Sacks
- 1 Fumble Recovered

2011:
- 26 Tackles (12 Solo and 14 Assisted)
- 0 Tackles for Loss
- 0 Sacks
- 0 Fumbles Recovered

2012:
- 69 Tackles (40 Solo and 29 Assisted)
- 6 Tackles for Loss
- 1 Sack
- 0 Fumbles Recovered

2013:
- 93 Tackles (56 Solo and 37 Assisted)
- 6.5 Tackles for Loss
- 1 Sack
- 4 Fumbles Recovered

Spencer Shuey (2010-2013):
- 206 Tackles (117 Solo and 89 Assisted)
- 12.5 Tackles for Loss
- 2 Sacks
- 5 Fumbles Recovered

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/spencer-shuey-1.html

But the statistics do not tell the full story. According to excerpts of Shuey’s bio on ClemsonTigers.com:

Starting linebacker who was one of the team’s best special teams players … emerged in the second half of the 2012 season as one of the team’s top linebackers and tacklers … had 248 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, nine quarterback pressures, five pass breakups, one caused fumble, and five recovered fumble in 1,365 snaps over 49 games (20 starts) in his career … had 31 special teams tackles in his career … two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll member.

2013: Permanent team co-captain … one of 20 quarterfinalists for the Lott Impact Trophy … Third-Team All-ACC selection (media, coaches) … third-team All-ACC by Phil Steele … College All-Star Bowl invitee … had 119 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack, six quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, one caused fumble, and a team-high four recovered fumbles in 747 snaps over 13 games (13 starts) … second on the team in tackles … tied for first in school history in recovered fumbles … tied for second in the nation in recovered fumbles … first in the ACC in recovered fumbles

2012: Had 93 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback pressures, and one pass breakup in 502 snaps over 13 games (seven starts) … had four double-digit tackle totals

2011: ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had 27 tackles in 48 snaps over 14 games … had a team-high 19 special teams tackles

2010: Had nine tackles and a recovered fumble in 68 snaps over nine games … had three special teams tackles … saw most of his playing time in the first half of the season

2009: Red-shirted … ACC Academic Honor Roll member

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/spencer-shuey/

And the “hard-hitter” part – that part never changed!

In his final game for Clemson Shuey very much made his presence known to the Ohio State offense in the January 2014 Orange Bowl. To put it mildly, Shuey was awesome that night!

Late in the game:
Spencer Shuey and Stephone Anothy each secured interceptions late in the game to seal Clemson’s victory. According to Sports Illustrated:

“Stanton Seckinger put Clemson ahead with a five-yard catch with 6:16 left, and takeaways by Spencer Shuey and Stephone Anthony finished off Ohio State.
…
After the Buckeyes regained the lead, the Tigers went back in front on a five-yard grab by Seckinger, whom Boyd found wide open for the touchdown. The score put Clemson on top 40-35 with 6:16 remaining.

With the Buckeyes facing third-and-13 on the ensuing drive, Bashaud Breeland crashed in on a corner blitz and hit Miller, the ball popped loose and Shuey snatched it out of the air at the Ohio State 47.

The Tigers gave the ball right back, as Ohio State came up with an interception three plays later, but Anthony picked Miller off two plays later to get the ball back for Clemson and seal the win.”

https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/looking-back-clemson-tigers-ohio-state-buckeyes-2014

Great moments from a great game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoLbT5NY4l8

After Clemson:

Spencer Shuey signed an undrafted free agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Unfortunately, he did not stick with the team.

Hill Watch...117 days!!!