Re: Hill Watch...164 days!!!

South Carolina Highway 164 is a 2.5 mile state highway that runs from the west end at SC 174 near Hollywood to the east end at SC 162 in Hollywood acting as a shortcut between Hollywood and Edisto Beach.

Clemson baseball's Wednesday opponent, Presbyterian College, is a private Presbyterian liberal arts college in Clinton, SC. It was founded in 1880 as Clinton College by William Plumer Jacobs, a long-time pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Clinton. It became Presbyterian College in 1904, survived the Great Depression and WWII, and became coeducational in 1965 with desegregation soon after. PC has about 1200 students on a 240 acre campus in 30 courses of study. The athletic teams, the Blue Hose, compete in Division I in the Big South Conference. The Jacob's Blocking Trophy is named after the founder's son. Clemson's Jordan McFadden won the award in 2022. Notable alumni include Art Baker, John McKissick, Bob Waters, and Captain Kimberly Hampton.

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

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164 - DeAndre Hopkins Scored 164 Clemson Points

Mar 20, 2024, 5:10 AM

WR DeAndre “Nuk” Hopkins (2010-2012) was a legitimate star from his true freshman season on. He had obtained the nickname “Nuk” as an infant from his mom because of the way he chewed on his NUK brand pacifiers. The nickname, however, could have just as easily been short for “Nuclear.” Hopkins’ bio on ClemsonTigers.com described Hopkins as follows:

Talented wideout who had outstanding hands and ball skills ... had 206 receptions for 3,020 yards and 27 touchdowns, 12 punt returns for 82 yards, and two kickoff returns for 32 yards in 2,059 snaps over 39 games (32 starts) in his career ... first in school history in receiving yards, first in receiving touchdowns, first in 100-yard receiving games (12), and second in receptions ... became the second player in ACC history to total at least 50 receptions as both a freshman and sophomore ... had at least one reception in each of his last 36 games, tied for the school record ... only Tiger in history with multiple 100-yard receiving performances in bowl games; he had three; had 32 receptions for 403 yards and three touchdowns in three career bowl games

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/DeAndre-hopkins/

Looking at his year-by-year accolades provides additional insights into his greatness. Here are just a few of the overall insights listed by year on the ClemsonTigers.com bio:

2012: One of 10 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award … Maxwell Award Watch List member … second-team All-American by Athlon, CBSSports.com, Lindy’s, Phil Steele, and Scout.com … third-team All-American by AP … honorable mention All-American by SI.com and Sporting News … First-Team All-ACC selection (media, coaches) … first-team All-ACC by CBSSports.com, CollegeFootballNews.com, ESPN.com, and Phil Steele … had 82 receptions for 1,405 yards and an ACC-record 18 touchdowns in 738 snaps over 13 games (13 starts) … had at least one receiving touchdown in each of the last 10 games, the longest streak in ACC and school history … first in school history in receiving touchdowns, first in receiving yards, first in receiving yards per game (108.1), tied for second in receptions, tied for second in touchdowns, and tied for third in receptions per game (6.3) … second in the nation in receiving touchdowns, tied for second in receptions of 25+ yards (20), and sixth in receiving yards per game … first in the ACC in receiving yards per game, first in receiving touchdowns, third in touchdowns, fourth in receptions per game, and sixth in points per game

2011: Had 72 receptions (fourth-most in school history) for 978 yards (sixth-most) and five touchdowns along with 10 punt returns for 49 yards in 751 snaps over 14 games (11 starts) … sixth in the ACC in receptions per game (5.1) and sixth in receiving yards per game (69.9)

2010: Third-team freshman All-American by Phil Steele … honorable mention freshman All-American by CollegeFootballNews.com … first-team freshman All-ACC as a wide receiver and punt returner by Rivals.com … Rookie-of-the-Year Award (offense) winner … Clemson’s leading receiver with 52 catches for 637 yards and four touchdowns … first freshman to lead Clemson in receptions since Derrick Hamilton in 2001, when he had 53 receptions … first first-year freshman in school history to lead the team in receptions … established school records for catches and receiving yards for a first-year freshman … the fourth freshman to lead Clemson in receiving; one of the previous three was the late Terry Smith, Hopkins’ uncle, who led the 1990 team with 34 catches

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/DeAndre-hopkins/

For what it’s worth: I did not know that Terry Smith was DeAndre Hopkins’ uncle. Not sure how I missed that.

For his Clemson career, Hopkins secured an astounding 206 receptions for 3,020 yards (14.7 average) and 27 touchdowns in just three years. He also returned 12 punts for 82 yards (6.8 average) and 2 kick returns for 32 yards (16.0 average). According to Sports-Reference.com he scored a total 164 Clemson points:

2010: 24 Points
- 52 Receptions for 637 Yards (12.3 average)
- 4 Receiving Touchdowns

2011: 30 Points
- 72 Receptions for 978 Yards (13.6 average)
- 5 Receiving Touchdowns

2012: 110 Points
- 82 Receptions for 1405 Yards (17.1 average)
- 18 Receiving Touchdowns
- 1 2-Point Conversion

Total (2010-2012): 164 Points
- 206 Receptions for 3.020 Yards (14.7 average)
- 27 Receiving Touchdowns
- 1 2-Point Conversion

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/DeAndre-hopkins-1.html

Hopkins was a Talented Clemson Basketball Player as Well

While at Clemson, Hopkins briefly played on Clemson’s basketball team as well. Apparently, had Hopkins been able to focus on basketball he could have been quite the basketball player as well. According to the Athletic:

“Dabo loved basketball,” said former Clemson assistant Rick Ray, who was part of those pickup games. “He never passed the ball.”

Hopkins, on the other hand, loved nothing more.

Hopkins’ dribbling and shooting — fundamentals he didn’t have the time to work on — kept him from playing many minutes. But with his passing, Hopkins displayed the same feel for the game that makes him a zone-busting receiver.

That ability allowed him to add to the legend of Nuk, starting in his first practice.
Hopkins was on the scout team that day, working against a 1-3-1 zone. Prior to taking the court, he’d barely spoken to a veteran forward named Bryan Narcisse, who tried to make eye contact with Hopkins and signal that he was cutting backdoor. But Hopkins looked away from Narcisse, as though he missed the sign — until he didn’t.

“From day one, I would say it’s fair to say he was our best passer on the floor,” said Reid, who grew up in South Carolina. “In high school, no one could guard him, no one could stay in front him, but he loved to pass.”

Standing well past the three-point line, Hopkins rifled a no-look, on-target lob to Narcisse for an alley oop.

“Oh my goodness, this kid is something else,” Narcisse remembered thinking. “To catch the subtle hint and deliver an absolute dime – that’s one of the things that make him special.”
During that same practice, Hopkins missed shots and at times looked out of rhythm, but then he whipped a three-quarter-court bounce pass to a teammate in stride for a dunk.
“The coaches were looking around like, ‘That was pretty crazy,’” Reid said.
…
“It makes me feel like I wasn’t a very good player,” said Tanner Smith, a three-year starter for Clemson. “He’d do stuff athletically that I’d spent my entire life trying to do on the basketball court, and he did it second nature.”

https://theathletic.com/1651412/2020/03/04/legend-of-nuk-the-untold-stories-from-DeAndre-hopkins-clemson-hoops-career/

Makes you wonder what else the man might have been able to do! (Baseball, perhaps?)

Most importantly, Hopkins also got baptized while at Clemson – right after a team practice. Amen, Mr. Hopkins! Amen! Some things are even more important than sports!

According to CBS News, he then torched Auburn two days later:

“Two days after the Christian rite, Hopkins made his own highlight of the week -- catching a school-record 13 passes, including a 4-yard touchdown, as the Tigers beat Auburn 26-19.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/clemson-wr-deandre-hopkins-baptized-at-practice-sets-school-receiving-record-two-days-later/

After Clemson:

The Houston Texans selected DeAndre Hopkins with the 27th Pick (First Round) of the 2013 NFL Draft. In his 11 NFL seasons, he has asserted himself as one of the NFL’s elite receivers. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, he has registered the following NFL stats while playing with the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans:

- 928 Receptions for 12,355 Yards (13.3 Average).
- 78 Receiving Touchdowns
- 6 Carries for 21 Yards (3.5 Average)
- 1 for 4 in Passing for 25 Yards
- 1 Passing Touchdown

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/H/HopkDe00.htm

Having left Clemson for the NFL after three seasons, Hopkins has even returned to Clemson in order to earn his degree. According to ESPN:

“Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is going back to school virtually to get his degree in parks, recreation and tourism management from Clemson.

Hopkins made a promise to his mother, Sabrina Greenlee, that he would get his degree. Hopkins said not many people in his family have a college degree so it was important for him to do so. His father died in a car accident when Hopkins was 6 months old.

"I kinda vowed that I would make both of them proud and graduate, and that was something that I promised my mom that I would do knowing that my father would want me to graduate college," Hopkins said on Friday.

One of Hopkins' classmates shared a screen record of their virtual class on social media showing Hopkins walking through the Titans locker room.”

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38464010/titans-wr-deandre-hopkins-working-degree-clemson

Of course, of all of his amazing receptions, he might be best known for a certain 4th and 16 reception against 8th Ranked LSU in the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl. Many people point to this play as playing a key (steppingstone) role in Clemson ascendance to greatness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx4nJ3QkjIQ

For a full list of his Clemson highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE4dMkraD0k

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

Hill Watch...164 days!!!