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Ultimate Tiger [33197]
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Hall of Famer [8269]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 8:52 AM
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If he hadn't have injured his knee in pre game before the NC State game, he would have set some records IMO. He was a freak as a true freshman.
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Commissioner [1247]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 6:47 PM
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Yes, he was a freak for a freshman, but I thought he got injured of all the stupid things getting out of the shower up their own campus. Maybe we could look that up and find the information somewhere but either way I was so upset when we lost him because he would’ve been a Hall of Famer. That old boy was out of 96.
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Clemson Icon [25734]
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I could never pick just one!
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:00 AM
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Allen? Flowers? Mack? Davis? Gallman? Etienne? I’ve had the pleasure of watching some great ones.
Personal anecdote: I was at Clemson when Kevin Mack played. One day at Fike playing pickup basketball - shirts and skins - he was a ‘skin’. That guy was solid muscle! There is/was NO WAY I would ever try to tackle that guy! Damb!
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All-Pro [724]
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Re: I could never pick just one!
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:08 AM
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The McSwain brothers were not too bad either! Seems like we had RBs stacked during that time period.
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Gridiron Giant [15138]
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Top TigerNet [30120]
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Re: I could never pick just one!
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Feb 17, 2025, 5:59 PM
[ in reply to I could never pick just one! ] |
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Uncle Bill® - I played basketball with those guys in Fike on a regular basis. Most of them had nicknames and Mack’s was “Outlaw”. The guy was a monster with an attitude. He was the guy that argued every call and wanted to fight about half the time. Nobody took him up on it either. He was one bad dude on the basketball court.
Not running back related, but I always enjoyed playing with Terry Kinard. I knew Frank Magwood, and he would get me, TK and him on the same team. Give us one decent big guy and we would hold the court all afternoon. TK could have played basketball at the college level very easily.
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Top TigerNet [29655]
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Orange Immortal [63272]
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He was spectacular!***
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:22 AM
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Valley Legend [12238]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:33 AM
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Without the injury and under the right circumstances I think he was potentially the best. CJ still was maybe the most versatile.
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Orange Immortal [63272]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:43 AM
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Mines:
1. Etienne
2. Spiller
3. Allen
4. Priester
5. Ellington
Based on pure talent and not considering total numbers, Williams would be in there easily. It's also tough to leave out one of my childhood hero, Buddy Gore, as well as Kenny Flowers, Terrence Flagler and James Davis. All great RBs.
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Clemson Sports Icon [58551]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:50 AM
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Buddy was mine too. It's a really hard discussion because the offense and emphasis on the offensive line makeup is so different. How good would cj have been in the 60s or 70s? How good would Buddy have been now? Fun to watch and think about.
Good thread!¡!
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Valley Legend [12238]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:26 AM
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Buddy and I were in the same class ('64) at Clemson and I had several math classes with him. One of my bicycle riding partners here in Greenville was a graduate student then and told me he tutored Buddy ...... but said he didn't really need tutoring. Buddy was smooth, like a gazelle and a terrific running back.
I was also in school with Ray Yauger, although he was a year or two behind me. Ray was also a great runner with a lot of power. He was one of the few football players at the time who would come to our weightlifting club weight room (which was better than the football's team) and lift. Just about all he ever did there were squats and leg exercises.
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Gridiron Giant [15138]
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Valley Legend [12238]
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Orange Blooded [2206]
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Greatest run I ever saw in person was Spiller against GT
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:45 AM
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at Death Valley. Taking that swing pass to the house was amazing...
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Game Changer [2086]
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Re: Greatest run I ever saw in person was Spiller against GT
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:22 AM
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The way he shook those two tackles on the sideline left me hitting rewind more than once. They didn't lay a hand on him and still my favorite run college or pro.
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110%er [4052]
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You didnt know this dude then! He was our offense
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Feb 17, 2025, 9:47 AM
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during the dismal dark days of Tommy West!!
Raymond Priester #26!!
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Ultimate Tiger [33197]
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i was in at Clemson during teh Hatfield and west years.***
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Feb 17, 2025, 10:18 AM
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Game Changer [2086]
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Dynasty Maker [3343]
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National Champion [7730]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 10:06 AM
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Not sure whom you are referring to. There was no #25 on the 1990 roster.
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Ultimate Tiger [33197]
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the guy in the video that was posted ..the one wearing the #25 jersey
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Feb 17, 2025, 10:56 AM
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his profile is also linked in the OP.
1st appearance at 8:11ish in the video.
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National Champion [7730]
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Re: the guy in the video that was posted ..the one wearing the #25 jersey
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:00 AM
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Yeah, Ronald Williams was special. From Ninety Six if I remember correctly.
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Redshirt [97]
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Standout [246]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 10:31 AM
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A healthy Kenny Flowers was a great one as well in the mid 80’s. Big and fast- when he was healthy a lot of people compared him to Herschel Walker. Injuries hurt his career here and ended his pro career very early. Terrence Flagler and Stacy Driver were there around that time as well and TF played pro ball for several years.
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National Champion [7730]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 10:35 AM
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My choice as well. #48, if I remember correctly. He beat out Flagler, who was also in the top 10 all time. Except for a knee injury (at Georgia, I think) he may have been the best ever.
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Game Changer [2086]
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Game Changer [2086]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:08 AM
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We had some really good running backs over the years.
Did ya know ?
Raymond Priester was our all time leading rusher for decades but never played in the NFL.
I remember getting excited that Emmitt Smith's brother ( Emory ) was coming to Clemson and he was bigger than Emmitt
Of course it turned out that he wasn't anything like his brother.
Haven't heard Cliff Austin's name. He was a good running back. I think he and Chuck McSwain were a 1-2 punch
And loved Lester Brown ( rubber duck )
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Valley Legend [12238]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:30 AM
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Emmitt Smith was an outstanding fullback when we used them mostly for blocking. But he also was an excellent ball carrier and I always thought that we never gave him enough touches. We went through a period where we had some really good fullbacks like Chris Lancaster. Can't overlook their roles in making a lot of the tailbacks better players.
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Game Changer [2086]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:49 AM
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He was a good back but I've always been more fond of the shifty fast guys like his brother. That's what I was hoping for.
Two really good larger backs were Kevin Mack and Tracy Johnson
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1st Rounder [652]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.***
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:10 AM
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1st Rounder [652]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:12 AM
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I miss the balloon release when they run down the hill!!
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Game Changer [2086]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:23 AM
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Don't forget " Hot Rod " McDowell.
And he did it with a club foot. Unreal
What an inspiration to others
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Clemson Icon [24314]
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Man, football has become so much more entertaining than it was back then.
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Feb 17, 2025, 11:51 AM
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The forward pass is a beautiful thing.
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Redshirt [97]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 12:06 PM
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Y'all, this guy is still top five even after nearly 30 years: #21, Terry Allen. The best pro career of any former Clemson RB by a longshot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxIAVybIoLE
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Game Changer [2086]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 12:23 PM
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Especially considering he overcame two torn ACL's. One in each knee
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Asst Coach [895]
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Lots of great ones...Allen would've threatened 10,000 career yards in the NFL...
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Feb 17, 2025, 1:43 PM
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had he not lost all of 1993 due to injury. Dude would have been close to top 30 all-time. Love 'em all...Go Tigers!
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MVP [508]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 4:48 PM
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Spiller was a beast on the field but is below average coach and recruiter. He is another example of dabos failed coaching projects🤷♂️
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CU Medallion [18629]
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That was a heck of an o-line that Williams was running behind for sure
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Feb 17, 2025, 5:36 PM
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Clemson Conqueror [11110]
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Re: with all due respect to Spiller.. #25 is still my guy.
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Feb 17, 2025, 6:48 PM
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WADR to Williams, he is not top ten in terms of backs at Clemson. Any back with speed could run in Danny’s offense. Can you imagine CJ or ETN in Danny’s offense?
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Associate AD [1093]
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My rankings
Feb 19, 2025, 3:55 PM
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1. Etienne: The breakaway ability of Spiller but clearly better than CJ on short yardage and between the tackles
2. C.J.:
3. Terry Allen: Injuries and time split kept his numbers from being through the roof
4. Gallman: Some may disagree with him here, but IMO he is the most underrated back to play for us. He was a beast in pass pro. Probably one of the toughest players regardless of position to come though Clemsson
5. I struggle the most with this spot picking between the rest but I am gonna go with Cliff Austin. I will throw in the argument that he may not have been better than McSwain whom he split time with
Ellington: Just missed the cut. I took off for injuries and running between the tackles
Priester: Productivity can't be argued with but he played on some really bad team with terrible coordinators. He would often carry 30 times a game.
Flagler: would have probably made the list with one more productive season. Got caught up in Danny's 3 headed monster with Flowers and Driver
R. Williams: IMO had physical tools up there with Etienne and CJ. Injuries. He is basically the Skip Wise of the football program
Another underrated guy as far as production dependability, and longevity was Joe Henderson.
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Replies: 41
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