ACC Announces 50th Anniversary All-Time Football Team |
CLEMSON, S.C.-Nine former Clemson football players have been named to the 50th Anniversary All-ACC team, the conference announced Tuesday. Clemson's nine selections are the most among ACC schools.
Players who have been named to the team are Joe Bostic, Jerry Butler, Bennie Cunningham, Jeff Davis, Steve Fuller, Terry Kinard, William Perry, Michael Dean Perry and Anthony Simmons. All nine players were All-Americans at Clemson. Five of them earned such honors on more than one occasion. The honorees have won 10 ACC titles collectively, with three of the players earning a National Championship ring in 1981. Eight of the nine players were named to Clemson's All-Centennial team in 1996. Butler, Davis, Fuller and Kinard are also honored in Clemson's Ring of Honor. Each of the honorees has played in the NFL at some point after their Clemson careers. Anthony Simmons, the youngest Clemson player honored by the ACC, is currently a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. The group collectively has played 76 years in the NFL and combined to win five Super Bowl Championship rings. Joe Bostic was a four-year starter and two-time All-American between 1975-78 on Clemson's offensive line. He is also in Clemson's Hall of Fame. In 1999, A panel of Clemson historians ranked him as the 11th best player in Clemson history. Bostic went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, all with the Cardinals organization. Jerry Butler earned first-team Associated Press All-American honors in 1978 and was ranked as the 4th best player in school history in 1999. He was famous for a diving backward touchdown catch that helped beat rival South Carolina in 1977. Butler, also a member of Clemson's Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor, played nine seasons for the Buffalo Bills in the NFL. Bennie Cunningham, Clemson's most decorated tight end, was a two-time All-American. He was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior in 1974 and a first-team choice by the Sporting News in 1975. He was also ranked among Clemson's greatest players in 1999. Cunningham won two Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers between 1976-85. Jeff Davis was an All-American in 1981, the year Clemson won the National Championship. Davis is the third leading tackler in Clemson history. "The Judge" is a member of Clemson's All-Centennial team, Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. He was inducted into the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2001. He played for six seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Steve Fuller was a third-team All-American on the field in 1978 as well as a two-time Academic All-American. He was also the ACC Player-of-the-Year in 1977 and 1978, the only two-time selection in Clemson history. He was ranked as a top 5 player by Clemson historians in 1999, and is in the Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. Fuller won a Super Bowl ring with the Chicago Bears in 1985. Terry Kinard, perhaps Clemson's most decorated athlete, was a two-time first-team AP All-American in 1981-82. He was a starting safety on Clemson's 1981 National Championship team. He was named the 1982 National Player-of-the-Year by CBS. Kinard was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame last fall and the state of South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2002. He is still Clemson's career leader in interceptions with 17, now a 20-year-old record. He won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants and played eight seasons in the NFL. William Perry was a three-time All-American at middle guard for Clemson, a first in school history. He still ranks among Clemson's career leaders in sacks and tackles for loss. Also a member of the 1981 team, Perry was named to the All-Centennial team and will be inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame this fall. "The Refrigerator" won a Super Bowl ring in 1985 with the Chicago Bears. Michael Dean Perry, Clemson's career leader in both sacks and tackles for loss, was a first-team All-American in 1987 when he was an Outland Trophy finalist. A member of the All-Centennial team, Perry was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2000. He went on to considerable success in the NFL as he played in six Pro Bowls and was a four-time All-Pro with the Cleveland Browns. Anthony Simmons was Clemson's second three-time All-American. He likely would have been just the second player in NCAA history to achieve such honors four times had he not left for the NFL after his junior year. He is second on Clemson's career tackles list, an impressive feat to accomplish in only three years. Simmons is currently a starting linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks. All-Time ACC Team Clemson Selections
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TIGER POLL
Player Position Years Lettered
THE ACC's 50th ANNIVERSARY TEAM (In alphabetical order) Bill Armstrong, Wake Forest (1973-1976) Tiki Barber, Virginia (1993-1996) Dre' Bly, North Carolina (1996-1998) Joe Bostic, Clemson (1975-1978) Peter Boulware, Florida State (1994-1996) Derrick Brooks, Florida State (1991-1994) Ted Brown, NC State (1975-1978) Kelvin Bryant, North Carolina (1979-1982) Jerry Butler, Clemson (1975-1978) Dennis Byrd, NC State (1965-1967) Dick Christy, NC State (1955-1957) Marco Coleman, Georgia Tech (1989-1991) Bennie Cunningham, Clemson (1973-1975) Jeff Davis, Clemson (1978-1981) Jim Dombrowski, Virginia (1982-1985) Warrick Dunn, Florida State (1993-1996) Boomer Esiason, Maryland (1981-1983) Steve Fuller, Clemson (1975-1978) William Fuller, North Carolina (1980-1983) Roman Gabriel, NC State (1960-1961) Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech (1996-1999) Alex Hawkins, South Carolina (1956-1958) Clarkston Hines, Duke (1986-1989) Torry Holt, NC State (1995-1998) Sebastian Janikowski, Florida State (1997-1999) Marvin Jones, Florida State (1990-1992) Stan Jones, Maryland (1951-1953) Terry Kinard, Clemson (1978-1982) Amos Lawrence, North Carolina (1977-1980) Bob Matheson, Duke (1964-1966) Don McCauley, North Carolina (1968-1970) Mike McGee, Duke (1957-1959) Herman Moore, Virginia (1988-1990) Bob Pellegrini, Maryland (1953-1955) Julius Peppers, North Carolina (1999-2001) Michael Dean Perry, Clemson (1984-1987) William Perry, Clemson (1981-1984) Brian Piccolo, Wake Forest (1962-1964) Frank Quayle, Virginia (1966-1968) Jim Ritcher, NC State (1976-1979) Anthony Simmons, Clemson (1995-1997) Chris Slade, Virginia (1988-1992) Norm Snead, Wake Forest (1958-1960) Ken Swilling, Georgia Tech (1988-1991) Lawrence Taylor, North Carolina (1978-1980) Mike Voight, North Carolina (1973-1976) Charlie Ward, Florida State (1990-1993) Peter Warrick, Florida State (1996-1999) Chris Weinke, Florida State (1997-2000) Randy White, Maryland (1972-1974)
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