So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Article from 1999:

#23 Bubba Brown, LB (1976-79)
Marlon "Bubba" Brown is the all-time leading tackler in Clemson history. When you review the lengendary list of linebackers who have played for Clemson, that is quite a statement. This year he is finally getting his due with his inclusion on this list, and next week when he is inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame.

It has taken a while for Brown to get his due simply because of the great teammates Brown had in his era (1976-79). Of the four players now in the Clemson Ring of Honor, three played on Clemson's 1978 team. But, a look at the statistics tells us that Brown was the team's top tackler, a ferocious hitter and enthusiastic player.

Two games stand out in his career. In 1978 Clemson traveled to Raleigh for an ACC showdown with NC State. NC State was promoting their Brown, running back Ted, for the Heisman Trophy. He had riddled Clemson for four touchdowns and 227 yards rushing three seasons earlier.

Although the national media did not portray the game as a "Battle of the Browns" (Clemson also had running back Lester Brown), Bubba took the confrontation as a personal challenge. By the end of the game, Bubba had 17 tackles and had held Ted Brown under 100 yards rushing, and out of the endzone. When Sports Illustrated was released the next week, it was Bubba who caught the national headlines with his selection as National Defensive Player of the Week.

Clemson finished the 1978 season with a 10-1 record and was chosen to play Ohio State in the Gator Bowl on national television. Clemson won the historic game ,17-15. Again, the pregame headlines were all about Danny Ford's first game as head coach and his meeting with future Hall of Fame mentor Woody Hayes. Brown personally stymied the Ohio State rushing game with 22 tackles, still the second highest single game total in Clemson history.

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For those who never had the opportunity to see....

Sep 8, 2015, 9:16 PM

him play, here's some more detail. The reason he is one of my all-time favorites has nothing to do with football, but has to do with a personal encounter with Bubba my freshman year. He was the ultimate over achiever, and took time to instill that attitude in a scared young student throughout that first year in 1978-79. I wasn't a football player, and he wasn't obligated in any way to approach me that first day on campus.

Bubba, it's been 37 years, and I have never forgotten. You taught me something that carried me through, not only Clemson, but the rest of my adult life. Thanks for everything.

By Brian Hennessy

BUBBA BROWN
Football, 1976-79

Bubba Brown always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. The 6-0, 210 lb. linebacker totaled 515 tackles in four seasons, more than any other Tiger in history. That record has stood for 20 years, quite an accomplishment considering that 11 Tiger linebackers since then have gone on to play in the NFL. Thanks to his accomplishments, he was one of just three linebackers to be named to the Clemson Centennial Team.

Marlon Edward Brown, 41, came to Clemson from Loudon, TN, where he was not heavily recruited, weighing 230 pounds. He quickly lost 25 pounds, as he started the last six games as a freshman, finishing with 75 tackles. As a sophomore, Brown had 120 tackles and was well on his way to an outstanding career.

But Brown was still in the shadows of two-time All-ACC linebacker Randy Scott entering his junior season in 1978. He took charge early in the season, and finished with a team-high 148 tackles and first-team All-ACC honors.

Brown posted 22 tackles against Ohio State in the 1978 Gator Bowl to lead the Tigers to a 17-15 win. He also accumulated 22 tackles against N.C. State in 1979. The 22 tackles is tied for the second most in a game by a Tiger.

But perhaps #47's greatest game came earlier in the '78 season at N.C. State. He went up against Heisman candidate and running back Ted Brown. However, it was Bubba Brown who was the star of the game, holding the Wolfpack running back to just 70 yards rushing on 21 carries as Clemson defeated N.C. State 33-10. The Tiger linebacker had 18 tackles to earn National Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors by Sports Illustrated.

Off the field, Brown majored in industrial education. He has carried that knowledge to the classroom, as he is currently a high school teacher and football coach in Michigan.

"Bubba Brown worked as hard as anyone day in and day out," said former Tiger Head Coach Charley Pell. "Bubba was an extremely hard worker on and off the field. He understood how to make up for his lack of size with desire and intensity. That extra perseverance was what made him such a good football player."

In a book written about the 1978 season, Brown is quoted as saying, "A long time after all of us players are gone, they'll still be talking about this Clemson season. And I believe it will be remembered as the beginning of something great for Clemson football. We did more than win a conference championship and a bowl game -- we laid the groundwork for the people who come after us. We proved that Clemson deserves national recognition!"

He was certainly correct. Clemson went on to win the National Championship in 1981 and be a national power in the 80s. It was players like Bubba Brown who helped the Tiger program propel into the national spotlight.

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Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Dang. That stings just because I didnt even think of him.

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Woody***

Banks McFadden***

Greatest athlete of all time at Clemson, 1 yr in pros.

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Justin Niller, Ty Hill***

One of my all-time favorites, Bubba Brown..........

For those who never had the opportunity to see....

James Davis, maybe.

Just for me it's Mcdaniels.

DeAndre McDaniels and Raymond Priester

Really surprised Spencer Shuey didn't get picked up.

Re: Really surprised Spencer Shuey didn't get picked up.

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Re: So who was the best Tiger, that wasn't much of a pro guy?

Tajh... too soon??????***

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