Hill Watch...4 days!!!

Many relatives share certain interests. Clemson DL Dan Benish (1979-1982) and Clemson OL Mitch Hyatt (2015-2018) share Clemson National Championships! The uncle-nephew pair played in four national title games – and won three of them!

In 2017, the Rock Hill Herald wrote:

“There is a Clemson helmet in his Lake Wylie real estate office, and a No. 71 jersey, but the size gives Dan Benish away even before he talks of his role on the 1982 Clemson football national championship team.

Benish, 56, is proud of his time as a starting defensive tackle on Clemson’s last national title team. But he’s more proud of his nephew Mitch Hyatt. Wearing No. 75 and standing 6-foot-6, 305 pounds, Hyatt is a starting offensive tackle on the Clemson team that will play Alabama for the national championship. “My best advice to him is that he take it all in, enjoy the moment,” Benish said.”

https://www.heraldonline.com/news/local/article125328649.html#storylink=cpy

WBTV added the following:

“When Dan Benish starts talking about the 1981 Clemson game, his eyes sparkle and he gets goosebumps. Benish played defensive tackle for the team that won the National Championship, and now his nephew is following right along in his footsteps.

"It was an amazing thing to watch myself, but then to watch somebody that you love and you grew up with and helped groom along the way, to see him win a National Championship was amazing," Benish said.

Mitch Hyatt is Benish's sister's son, and now joins him as a National Championship title-holder.”

https://www.wbtv.com/story/34238192/clemson-champions-run-in-the-family-uncle-and-nephew-now-have-titles/

Dan Benish – After Clemson

After going undrafted, Benish played 5 NFL seasons. He played with the Atlanta Falcons from 1983-1986. He played his final season with the Washington Redskins in 1987.

Clemson DL Dan Benish:

Mitch Hyatt at Clemson:

Mitch Hyatt set the Clemson O-Line record with 57 starts. He was a Consensus All-American in 2018!

According to select excerpts from his bio on ClemsonTigers.com:

“Four-year starter and two-time All-American who played 3,754 snaps over 58 games (57 starts) in his career … exited Clemson holding school records for career snaps from scrimmage and career starts … one of five consensus All-America offensive linemen in school history … four-time All-ACC selection … entered 2018 ranked as the No. 37 player in the nation in the preseason by Sports Illustrated and No. 77 player by NFL.com … No. 2 offensive tackle in the nation in the preseason by Lindy’s.

2018: Outland Trophy semifinalist … consensus first-team All-American, earning selections by AFCA, AP, FWAA and Walter Camp … joined Harry Olszewski (1967), Stacy Long (1990), guard Jeb Flesch (1991) and Stacy Seegars (1993) to become the fifth consensus All-America offensive lineman in school history … second-team All-America selection by Sporting News … ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy winner, becoming the first Clemson player ever to earn the honor multiple times … first-team All-ACC … unanimous first-team AP All-ACC selection … named Outland Trophy Player of the Month in October … ACC Honor Roll selection
…
2017: First-team All-American by ESPN and Sporting News … second-team All-American by AFCA, The All-American, AP, College Football News, Football Writers Association, Rivals, Sports on Earth, USA Today and Walter Camp … winner of the ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy, Clemson’s first recipient since 1987 … First-Team All-ACC selection … first-team All-ACC by AP and Phil Steele … had 30 knockdowns in 842 snaps over 13 games (13 starts)
…
2016: Tied for second on the team with 32.5 knockdown blocks in 994 snaps (14 starts) … first-team All-ACC (media) … second-team All-ACC (coaches)
…
2015: First-team freshman All-American by Sporting News and USA Today … third-team All-ACC (media, coaches) … second on the team with 37 knockdown blocks in 15 starts (1,049 snaps) … first first-year freshman to start his first game on the offensive line since James Farr in 1980 … first first-year freshman to start an opener at offensive tackle since 1944 (Phil Prince) … had three or more knockdowns in seven games”

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/mitch-hyatt/

Hyatt After Clemson:

According to Wikipedia:

“Hyatt was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Dallas Cowboys after the 2019 NFL draft on April 30. He struggled during preseason as a backup left tackle and was released on August 31. He was signed to the practice squad on September 2. He was promoted to the active roster on December 10, 2019. He was declared inactive for the last 3 games.

On August 27, 2020, he suffered a torn right ACL during practice. On September 2, he was waived/injured by the Cowboys. He subsequently reverted to the team's injured reserve list the next day.

In 2021, he suffered a knee sprain during conditioning work in OTAs. On July 27, 2021, Hyatt was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_Hyatt

Clemson OL Mitch Hyatt:

ClemsonTigers.co describes their close relationship:

“We are really close,” said Hyatt. “He has always helped me through everything. He has a lot of experience, so I’m taking what he’s learned and his knowledge to help me make decisions.”

According to Benish, his relationship with Hyatt has “ebbed and flowed through the years as Mitch was growing up.” However, Benish echoed Hyatt’s sentiments of their close relationship.

“When he was younger, he didn’t have much of a father figure, so I was that role and I was his coach,” explained Benish. “Now, as he’s gotten older and has matured through his career, it’s more of an advisor role and still an uncle cheering him on.”

Hyatt and Benish also share another special connection…national championships.”

https://clemsontigers.com/all-in-the-family/

Two Great Clemson Players from One Family!!
Outstanding!!

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4 - Ben Boulware Recovered 4 Fumbles for Clemson

Aug 27, 2024, 6:23 AM

Old-school! Attitude!
Clemson LB Benjamin James Boulware (2013-2016) endeared himself to Clemson fans for his hard-hitting and aggressive style. He will forever be a Clemson fan favorite for his style of play and for a motor that absolutely never stopped!!

Bleacher Report wrote the following in 2016:

“One NFL scout said Boulware "plays the game how it should be played. We're not having tea and cookies out there.”

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2683405-the-unlikely-inspiration-behind-the-bad-boy-play-of-clemsons-ben-boulware

Yep – Fan Favorite!!

While at a Clemson:

Selected excerpts from Boulware’s bio on ClemsonTigers.com show his improvement from year-to-year thanks to an amazing work ethic and attitude:

“Two-year starter at linebacker who left a legacy after serving as Clemson’s top backup in 2014 … posted 352 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, five interceptions, 41 quarterback pressures, 10 pass breakups, six caused fumbles and four recovered fumbles in 2,131 snaps over 53 games (31 starts) in his career … first Tiger in 24 years with a pick-six in a bowl game when he had one against Oklahoma in 2014 … only linebacker in program history with an interception in consecutive bowl games, and they were against the same team (Oklahoma) … had 17 career double figure tackle games, and Clemson was 16-1 in those games … earned invitation to the Senior Bowl … two-time All-ACC Academic Team (2015,16) selection.

2016: Earned Jack Lambert Award as nation’s top linebacker … second-team All-American by AFCA, Football Writers Association, Phil Steele, USA Today and Walter Camp … third-team All-American by the Associated Press … first-team All-ACC (media, coaches) … ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year (coaches) … National Championship Game Most Valuable Defensive Player … shared Tiger Pride Defensive Team MVP honors with Jadar Johnson and Carlos Watkins … Strength & Conditioning All-American … Strength Dedication Award winner
…
2015: Honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated … first-team All-ACC (coaches) … second-team All-ACC (media) … All-ACC Academic Team selection … first Tiger defensive player since Mark Drag (1988) to be named All-ACC on and off the field in the same season … second-leading tackler on the team with 138 … had six double figure tackle totals in a seven-game period from October 3 through November 14 … started all 15 games, with eight tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks … led the team with 29 quarterback pressures … third with seven pass breakups … a disruptive player, he led the Tigers with three caused fumbles
…
2014: Had 58 tackles, five tackles for loss, one sack, six quarterback pressures, one pass breakup, a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown and two recovered fumbles in 326 snaps over 13 games (two starts)
…
2013: All-ACC Academic selection … ACC Academic Honor Roll member … had 25 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one interception for one yard in 73 snaps over 11 games … has seven special teams tackles, tied for second-most on the team

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/ben-boulware/

One week after winning the 2016-2017 National Championship, Boulware wrote how coming up just short of the title in 2015-2015 had spurred the 2016 team! The entire story on The Player’s Tribune is worth a read:

“All season long, we had thought that it was meant to be — had believed that we were destined to go undefeated, destined be the first team in college football history to finish 15–0, destined to bring that national championship trophy home with us to Clemson. And I don’t think losing 45–40 did anything to convince us otherwise. If anything, playing the game only made us more convinced that it had been meant to be … and that we’d let it slip away. We had gone toe to toe with the dominant program of this era, and proven to the world — to ourselves — that we were a championship team in every way.

Well, every way but the one that mattered.
…
A lot of teams, when they suffer a heartbreaking loss, or any other kind of adversity, their instinct is to hit the reset button. Wipe the slate clean. You hear all the time about how great athletes have to have “short memories” — and maybe that’s true. But for us, for this team, that just wasn’t the way. We wanted to remember how we felt on that field in Glendale. And reverse it. We wanted to take exactly what we started in January 2016. And finish it. For us, last season wasn’t “last season.” It wasn’t something to be entered into the record books and then left to collect dust. For us, last season was a living breathing idea — part of the foundation on which we were going to build this season’s success.
…
And so, when Coach Swinney put up a banner in our practice facility that read, 2016 NATIONAL FINALISTS, I’m sure a lot of people from outside the program didn’t understand what the point was. Why would they celebrate coming in second place? What is this — Little League? But we understood. We understood how that banner got there, and what it represented. We understood why we felt pissed off, every time we saw it. And as the season wore on, I think we began to understand how lucky we were to have it. No team in college football this year, not in the entire country, was as motivated as we were. Every single practice we’d look up at that banner — and remember how close we had come, all over again.”

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/articles/ben-boulware-clemson-football-national-title-college

After Clemson:

Although undersized for an NFL LB, Boulware attempted to make an NFL team. According to Wikipedia:

Carolina Panthers

Boulware signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft. He was released by the team on September 2, 2017.

San Francisco 49ers

Boulware was signed to the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad on September 5, 2017. He was released from the practice squad on September 12, 2017

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Boulware

This summer, Boulware returned to Clemson as an unpaid intern. According to the Rock Hill Herald from August 1, 2024:

“A former Clemson linebacker and fan favorite is back on campus. Ben Boulware, a four-year letterman and starting linebacker on the Tigers’ 2016 national championship team, has joined coach Dabo Swinney’s staff as an unpaid intern ahead of the 2024 season, Swinney confirmed on Thursday.

Boulware, 29, is currently listed in the university directory as a “football defensive intern” and will work with the linebackers and the defense at large. “He’s fired up, man,” Swinney said Thursday in a news conference before Clemson’s first day of preseason practice. “This is what he really wants to do.”

https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/college/acc/clemson-university/article290652194.html#storylink=cpy

Of Note:
When Boulware played for Clemson, his aggressive style even led to the occasional suplex tackle if needed (or perhaps even if not needed at times)! Sometimes he even got flagged for being too aggressive with his tackles. Too aggressive??

You have to LOVE it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJY06RboxzY

This monster on the field, however, is also remembered fondly for his emotional “It’s Coming Home!” speech after Clemson won the National Championship in his final college game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_10S6yQhK4

We Love You, Ben!!

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

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Orange is great

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Even I can count to Four

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Throw back Tuesday

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Good Night Tiger fans

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BEAT GEORGIA!!!

Go Tigers !***

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Re: Tigers ROAR in '24

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Nice Jedi!***

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Slowly but Shirley!!! We're almost there!!

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Good Morning MfO!

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Wooo

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Go Tigers!!!***

4 - Dan Benish (Uncle) and Mitch Hyatt (Nephew) Played in 4 National Title Games

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4 - Ben Boulware Recovered 4 Fumbles for Clemson

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Steve Fuller Deshaun Watson Mark Freeburg Trippy Coleman day!

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Thanks, O.J.!

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Go Tigers***

Let's Gooooo!! Spot the ball!!

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