CLEMSON FOOTBALL

Pinion started with the 49ers in 2015 and joined the Bucs in 2019. (Graphic per Clemson)
Pinion started with the 49ers in 2015 and joined the Bucs in 2019. (Graphic per Clemson)

Bradley Pinion brings third-straight Super Bowl ring for Clemson Tiger


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Clemson was guaranteed to have a Super Bowl champion this year, with a player on both sides for the first time since Super Bowl XL in 2006 between the Seattle Seahawks ( Leroy Hill) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (Chris Gardocki; Steelers won 21-10).

Like that instance, a former Clemson punter came out on top with Tampa Bay's Bradley Pinion in a 31-9 win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

Pinion lobbed four punts for 150 yards, with one landing inside the 20.

Clemson's group on the Chiefs had a forgettable night to go with the score, with Sammy Watkins activated after injury with one catch for 13 yards, cornerback Bashaud Breeland drawing multiple flags and linebacker Dorian O'Daniel logging one stop.

It was a second-straight Super Bowl for the Clemson Chiefs trio, which were led by five Watkins catches for 98 yards and Breeland’s interception and two tackles for loss in the 31-20 win last year over San Francisco (O’Daniel also had a tackle).

Pinion was named to the Pro Football Focus All-Pro second team this year, landing 33.6 percent of his attempts inside the 20 with a 45.2 yards per punt average in the regular season.

With Pinion’s championship this year, Clemson has now produced 31 different Super Bowl champions that have totaled a combined 39 Super Bowl rings.

Pinion became the third Clemson specialist to either kickoff or punt in the Super Bowl, joining kicker David Treadwell (Super Bowl XXIV) and Gardocki (Super Bowl XL). Obed Ariri was a member of the Washington Redskins during their 1987 title campaign but did not appear in Super Bowl XXII.

With Pinion’s victory, at least one Clemson player has been on the roster of the Super Bowl champions in each of the last three years (Dwayne Allen with the Patriots, the other).

Standout Tigers (best by position this season)

QB: Houston's Deshaun Watson (70.2 cmp%/4,823 yards/33 TD-7 INT)

RB: New York Giants' Wayne Gallman (682 rushing yards/6 TD)

WR: Arizona's DeAndre Hopkins (115 catches/1,407 yards/6 TD)

TE: N/A

OL: Jaguars' OG Tyler Shatley (16 games/10 starts)

DE: Miami's Shaq Lawson (4 sacks/32 total tackles)

DT: Atlanta's Grady Jarrett (27 solo tackles/4 sacks/52 total tackles)

LB: Cleveland's BJ Goodson (91 tackles/2 INT/6 passes defended)

CB: Atlanta's AJ Terrell (61 solo tackles/1 INT/7 passes defended/74 total tackles)

S: Philadelphia's K'Von Wallace (15 solo tackles in five games)

K/P: Tampa Bay's Bradley Pinion (45.2 yards per punt/19 inside the 20 in regular season)

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