Thursday July 27, 2006

Favorite Teams; Hoover is a Hall of Famer; Road Trips

Occasionally I get asked who are the teams I pull for and why. Like many of you, I have had some great friendships with some of the assistant coaches and graduate assistants that have come through Clemson in recent years. I compiled a list of former coaches and players from Clemson that are now coaching elsewhere. Here is a list I compiled but I know there may be a couple I have left off:

MTSU-Rick Stockstill (Head Coach), Les Herrin, Justin Watts, Deke Herrin
Central Florida-Miles Aldridge
UT-Chattanooga-Rodney Allison (Head Coach), John Turner
FSU-Mickey Andrews
UNC-Danny Pearman
Baylor-Chris Lancaster
Alabama-Charlie Harbison, Joe Kines
MSU-Ellis Johnson, Woody McCorvey, Brick Haley
Arkansas-Reggie Herring
Vanderbilt-Bobby Johnson (Head Coach)
Virginia Tech-Mike O’Cain
Notre Dame-John Latina
Texas-Mac McWhorter, Gene Chizik
WVU-Rich Rodriquez (Head Coach), Herb Hand
Memphis-Tommy West (Head Coach)
Army-Wally Ake
Auburn-Steve Emsminger
Liberty-Brandon Streeter
Louisiana-Lafayette-Ricky Bustle (Head Coach)
Marshall-Theilen Smith
Texas Tech-Ruffin McNeil
William & Mary-Jimmye Laycock (Head Coach), Matt McCloud
Coastal Carolina-David Bennett (Head Coach)
Bowling Green-John Lovett
Georgia Tech-Jeep Hunter
Jacksonville State-Jack Crowe (Head Coach)
Stephen F. Austin-Robert MacFarland (Head Coach), JC Harper, Arlington Nunn

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Rich Bisaccia
Indianapolis Colts-Clyde Christensen

Hoover is a Hall of Famer
Recently I have written a few blogs about a few Clemson Hall of Fame members like Bob Bradley. Today I wanted to relay a quick Fred Hoover story.

My experience when I was in school came with Bob Bradley and Tim Bourrett in the sports information office. But occasionally I would come in contact with the training room and Fred Hoover and his great staff then that consisted of Reno Wilson and Danny Poole.

I was closer to Reno and Danny at the time but I had a great Fred Hoover story. Doc Hoover worked 444 consecutive Clemson games before he retired after the 1998 season. Hoover has worked with 38 of Clemson's 46 football All-Americans, 16 of Clemson's 18 first-round NFL draft picks, 16 NFL All-Pro players, and 110 future NFL players. Clemson has been to 16 bowl games, won 11 ACC Championships and had 13 Top 25 seasons during his tenure.

Hoover has coordinated the training room needs for all 17 of Clemson's Super Bowl Champion players, over 950 Clemson lettermen and worked under seven different head football coaches. He has supervised the training activities at an estimated 4500 Clemson football practices and run down the hill with the Clemson football team 205 times.

He has never missed working the sidelines since the September 19, 1959 North Carolina game to the South Carolina game in 1998. But one game in the 12990s he was knock out by a player trying to make a play near the sideline. The player ran over Hoover and knocked him cold in the first half of the contest.

The medical staff sent him to Oconee Medical to get tests done. While resting comfortably in his hospital room Hoover asked the nurse to turn on the TV so he could watch the Clemson football game. He told the nurse that this was the first time he had ever watched Clemson play football on TV to which the nurse responded, “You must not be much of a fan huh?”

Road Trips
The Tigers will play five road games this season and some of you would never think of missing any game. Others have to chose which would be the best to attend. Let me rank the must sees for the road schedule.

1. Boston College
Many Tiger made the trip in 1983 but this time the Eagles don’t have Doug Flutie or Troy Stafford. This trip could get the Tigers going to an ACC Atlantic Division Title. Clemson has not played there in over 20 years but they will return to Boston every other year now. This time is in September though when the Red Sox are in town. The patriots also host the Bills on Sunday. That is a true sports fan’s weekend with Major League Baseball on Friday at Fenway, college football on Saturday in Chestnut Hill and the NFL in Foxboro on Sunday.

2. FSU
Many Tigers have made the trip to Tallahassee in the past but this trip is different. Unlike the 57-0 days, these Tigers have a legitimate chance against the Noles. I was there in 1989 when Clemson thumped FSU and I can tell you it was fun. Like Boston, Clemson makes this trip every other year.

3. Virginia Tech
The hard part is a Thursday night. The best part is that it is an easy drive from most of South Carolina. The Tigers only go to Blacksburg every eight years. Blackburg is a charming little place that is enjoyable to visit. It is also a beautiful drive through the Blue Ridge Parkway so you could make a nice weekend out of it if you stayed longer.

4. Temple
Hopefully this will be the only time Clemson plays in Charlotte soon. Charlotte is a very easy drive for most Tiger fans and Bank of America Stadium is nice. Since this game is not on TV, if you want to see the Tigers on this night, you will be there.

5. Wake Forest
Main reason not to go: Been there done that. Reasons to go: buy seats anywhere and sit on the 50. There is also no game day traffic and it is an easy ride for most Tigers. Also, Clemson will win again and soon in Winston-Salem so don’t you want to be there when it happens.

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