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Reposted. Ran across this and is considered lord all time
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Reposted. Ran across this and is considered lord all time

8

Jun 8, 2023, 5:52 PM

Tiger: A Tribute to my father
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User Logo ShoelessCU posted 2 decades ago
Hall of Famer [23807 pts / 100%]
Randolph Dunbar Jones Jackson: THE Clemson Tiger

Father’s day is one time of the year you have the opportunity to tell your dad you love him and how much he means to you. I don’t have that opportunity. My father lost his fight with cancer in 1994, when I was 14.

This is my gift to honor and remember my dad this Father’s day.

My father, Randolph Dunbar Jones Jackson, earned his bachelors degree from Clemson in ’73, masters in ’75, and also was the Clemson Tiger for his sophomore and junior years (1970-71) and the head cheerleader for his senior year in 1972.

Here are a few stories about his life as the Tiger and head cheerleader…

Randy entered Clemson in the fall of 1969 as all freshmen did… a rat. Some of you older Tigernetters will remember but others won’t. The Clemson freshmen were required to wear beanie hats over a shaved head and pretty much memorize the “rat pact” as seen here Rat Pact
(the video is just a skim through. If you want to read it in detail try “pausing” it). Randy went through the usual motions and made it through his first year without incident.

After Randy’s freshman year, he knew he wanted to be a real part of Clemson. He wasn’t satisfied with being just part of the crowd and wanted to do something special. He was already hooked on Clemson football and being a player wasn’t an option, so he did the next best thing. He became the Tiger.



I’m assuming most of you have never worn the Tiger suit... if you have, you can attest that it was not made for hot weather. In 1970, the Tiger suit was even hotter than it is now. When Randy was the Tiger he wore the older version of the Clemson Tiger suit seen in the picture to the left and Here. It wasn’t until the year after he was the Tiger that they switched to a new more modern looking suit.

During Jackson’s years, the Tiger wasn’t always required to do pushups after touchdowns. Instead, on occasion he would climb the goal posts and release balloons. In 100 degree weather this can be as daunting a task as the pushups. To alleviate some of the heat, I was told, on occasion an ice cold 5th of whiskey was taped just below the neck hole on the inside of the Tiger suit. Randy never got drunk and rarely buzzed because of the intense heat and sweat, but the alcohol was enough to take his mind off the heat during some games.


A funny story my granny likes to tell happened in 1971 when Clemson traveled to Auburn to play. During the pre-game coin flip, head coach for Auburn Ralph “Shug” Jordan said to my father “Hello Randolph, glad to see you again” while Randy was in full Tiger uniform. Baffled and confused, Randy was speechless and just nodded. As it turns out, Coach “Shug” was a good friend of Randy’s uncle and had been informed that Randy was the Tiger. Needless to say, being on the road in a hostile environment, Jackson wasn’t expecting someone to call him by his name while fully-dressed out.

Randy also had the privilege of traveling to many away games as the Tiger and head cheerleader, including trips to Oklahoma, Rice, and all conference opponents. On many of these road trips, the Tiger was constantly ridiculed and taunted by opposing fans. This seems to come with the territory as the visiting team, but when someone “forgets” to pack the head of the Tiger suit on a trip… you are just asking for trouble.

As the story goes, when it came time to dress for the game… there was something missing. The cheerleaders thought about taking the field without the Tiger for a game, but everyone agreed that wasn’t a good idea. Instead, Jackson suffered through the game without the head of the tiger suit!! Thankfully the Tigers won and insults were kept to a minimum. See a picture of him without the head on Here.

After the “headless” incident, Randy would remove the head more often to celebrate during games. Here’s a great example at the USC Clemson game Clemson TD vs. USC.

Jackson was respected as the Tiger and remained a relative unknown during his years.

After his 2 years as the Tiger were through, he was offered the opportunity to be Clemson’s head cheerleader and leadership position. This was an honor that only seniors were offered. Randy agreed graciously.

To say the least, my dad was a character. Family members tell me I got my sense of humor from him and I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who could entertain as well. This was his greatest gift. He also possessed the gift of sarcasm. This was not as well received during my father’s time as the head cheerleader. He received a lot of compliments; however, he also received a lot of criticism.

In only one year as head cheerleader, Randy’s antics provoked a lot of controversy.

From the beginning, when Randy took the helm of head cheerleading duties, he was surrounded by controversy. In his first game, vs. The Citadel, he entertained the home crowd and students with his humorous and sarcastic remarks. Many were not amused with his actions and there were many critics.

As the story goes, the Citadel came into Clemson poking fun of Clemson, the town, its students, and its fans. In retaliation Jackson made comments in return. Some of these comments weren’t as well received as others. Here are a few letters to the editor, positive and negative, that I rounded up regarding this event. Negative 1 Pawsitive 1 Negative 2 Pawsitive 2

Another incident that Jackson was criticized for was when, during a pep rally, the band walked off stage in the middle of their performance. The crowd had been throwing rolls of toilet paper to cover the over-hanging trees (an old Clemson tradition) but the rolls turned into weapons when they were aimed at the band and stage instead. A few rolls hit some band members and it caused them to quit playing and walk off stage in a strike like manner.

Randy jokingly made remarks for the band to return to the stage. He started a chant of “d@mn sorry band” in an attempt to lighten the mood. His attempts at humor were not appreciated by the band and it became increasingly difficult to regain control of the situation, even though he continued to hum “Tiger Rag” after the band quit.

The outcry was enormous and Jackson was blamed heavily for his role in the situation. It was not pretty. Here’s an article about the situation. Randy always said he never meant any harm and that people didn’t need to get so upset.

Another incident happened a few days later when the new Tiger was attacked in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech game. GT students stormed the field and proceeded to attack the Tiger and rip off his tail. The cheerleaders, with help from coaches, players and security, eventually fended off the attack. Jackson also took some blame for this attack on the Tiger as a result of “his actions as head cheerleader.”

Being bias to the matter, I feel the way my father handled himself in these situations was admirable. He didn’t put blame on others and also didn’t back down from his actions.

There were many games in which no incident or complaints took place and Randy was called “great!” or “Outstanding.”

George Bennett, former Clemson Cheerleader and Executive Director of IPTAY, told me when I was a child “Your father, Randy, really shook things up. He was probably the best we had ever had.”

I’ll never forget that. Nor will I forget the hundreds of other people I’ve bumped into who knew, or knew of, my dad from his Clemson day and had something nice to say. Article

All in all Randy Jackson changed the way the head cheerleader acted. He wasn’t afraid to say or do something that might be risqué. He did what he did and stood up for Clemson and HIS team first. All the comments he made were in defense of his team and attempts to prevent incident not for self-image.

I think he said it best…

“As a cheerleader, I’m at the game to do a job…
to some people I may be obnoxious, but it’s not intentional.
I just get excited and say the things I think will be right at an exact moment.
That’s all there is to it.”


In his 3 years as the Tiger and head cheerleader, my dad didn’t see the best of Clemson football. He didn’t experience the 80,000+ crowds and ear shattering screams. My dad wasn’t an all-American QB or multi-million dollar coach, but what my dad did might have been more important, he entertained and encouraged when times were tough.

Through all the criticism and praise, my father stood up for what he believed in and he believed in Clemson!

After graduating my father became a professor of English at Brevard College in Brevard, NC. He was originally diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma-an Aden carcinoma in December 1981 over Christmas break and was told he had very little time to live.

At the time, there was no successful form of cancer treatment. Randy had uncontrollable stomach pains and, after diagnosis, they performed exploratory surgery on him.

They cut him open from his neck to his groin and instead of taking out any cancer; they just sewed him back up told him he had less than six weeks to live. He was diagnosed T4N4M1, basically that’s the worst they can say and you have very little chance.

There was, however, an experimental treatment at Emory that had a small chance of eliminating his cancer. When you have cancer, any chance is a glimmer of hope.

Lance Armstrong overcame some similar challenges but my father's battle was longer and more severe (in my opinion) with a low chance of survival and no surgical intervention, in a time when money was tight and treatments were experimental at best.

Almost 14 years later after hundreds of tumors and countless chemo sessions, lymphoma finally beat my father, Randolph Dunbar Jones Jackson.

There is no bigger hero in my life than my father and every minute of everyday I know that my father was a hero to many others.

He changed lives with his humor, in his teachings at Brevard, he inspired others with his writing, and he encouraged others with his cheers at Clemson.

My father left us too early. He probably would have fit in nicely on Tigernet too.

Any man can get cancer, but not just “any man” will fight it!

Any man can get called names and put down, but not just any man will stand firm for people they love!

Any man can be funny and make others laugh, but not just any man can change your life.

Any man can have a child, but it takes more than just any man to be a daddy.

Not just any man will carry on when they are faced with defeat or trying times.

Not just any man will stand up for what they believe in, and by no means can just any man be a Clemson Man.

It takes a big man to do what’s right and even a bigger one to be a true Clemson Tiger.

Randy Jackson was THE Clemson Tiger and, in my eyes, will always be.

I love you and miss you daddy

Randolph Dunbar Jones Jackson
November 15, 1951 - September 12, 1994


Click this picture for a Video Tribute of Randy Jackson
and yes, “young Shoeless” is in the video along with my sister
approx 20mb



Special Thanks to Kneubra® for hosting all the files for me
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Who put the "L" in BrowneLL


Sorry potd all time on here and was a great read

4

Jun 8, 2023, 5:55 PM

Reposted this by Shoelesscu

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Who put the "L" in BrowneLL


Re: Sorry potd all time on here and was a great read

4

Jun 8, 2023, 6:57 PM

What a great remembrance of your dad. I vaguely remember the headless tiger. Thanks for sharing with us.

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Re: Sorry potd all time on here and was a great read

3

Jun 8, 2023, 7:00 PM

This was not my dad. This is a repost. I ran across it and it is almost 20 years old and was an amazing post by the person I mentioned above

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Who put the "L" in BrowneLL


Randy Jackson was the Head Cheerleader my freshman year.

2

Jun 8, 2023, 7:44 PM

He was absolutely GREAT. Several times during the year, he "caused" a turnover for the other team, just by predicting it on the microphone.

"All right, he's going to fumble on this next play. Here it comes...." And sure enough, IT HAPPENED! Don't know whether the player could hear it and it got into his subconscious or what, but it was eerie.

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