No matter what happens, a Clemson Tiger will be a Super Bowl Champ, once again
When your football program is consistently playing for national championships, producing All-Americans and placing multiple players in the first and second round of the NFL Draft each year, it ultimately leads to Super Bowl success as well.
Such is the case for the Clemson Football Program, which will be guaranteed at least one Super Bowl Champion when Super Bowl LVI ends on Sunday night. Clemson will be represented by four former players and one former coach when the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Super Bowl LVI.
Former Clemson receiver Tee Higgins, offensive lineman Jackson Carman and defensive tackle D.J. Reader join former defensive line coach Marion Hobby on the Bengals’ roster, while former offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum will represent Clemson for the Rams.
“He is the lone guy for the Rams,” Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said on the Packer & Durham Show last week on the ACC Network. “But no matter how the game goes, there is going to be a Tiger being a Super Bowl Champ, once again. That’s pretty cool for our program.”
This will mark the fourth straight year Clemson will have a player represented on the winning team. The Tigers’ current run, which started with former tight end Dwayne Allen winning a Super Bowl ring as part of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII, is the third longest in school history.
Clemson had six straight Super Bowl Champions from Super Bowls XIX-XXIV (1984-’89). Of course, those teams included players from the program’s great run from 1977-’91. Those Clemson teams combined to win seven ACC Championships, a national championship, seven bowl games and had six 10-win seasons.
The second-best run of Super Bowl Champions in Clemson history occurred from 1996-2000, when the program was represented five straight years (Super Bowls XXXI-XXXV).
From 1977-’79, Clemson greats Charlie Waters and Bennie Cunningham represented Clemson on three straight Super Bowl Champions. Waters played safety on the Dallas Cowboys’ winning team from Super Bowl XII, while Cunningham was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ tight end in Super Bowl XIII and XIV.
Now, another Clemson Tiger, or multiple Tigers, will be added to a list that already has 32 Super Bowl Champions from Clemson.
In all, this year will mark the 28th year in the 56-year history of the Super Bowl, Clemson will be represented on the winning team.
The odds of the Bengals winning the Super Bowl is currently +166, and the Rams are currently at -198 according to Fanduel.
In case you are wondering, the first former Tiger to win a Super Bowl was the great Bill Mathis, who played running back for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III.
CLEMSON’S SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS
1968 - Bill Mathis, RB, Jets (Super Bowl III)
1971 - Charlie Waters, S, Cowboys (Super Bowl VI)
1974 - John McMakin, TE, Steelers (Super Bowl IX)
1977 - Charlie Waters, S, Cowboys (Super Bowl XII)
1978 - Bennie Cunningham, TE, Steelers (Super Bowl XIII)
1979 - Bennie Cunningham, TE, Steelers (Super Bowl XIV)
1981 - Dwight Clark, WR, 49ers, Archie Reese, DT, 49ers, Jim Stuckey, DT, 49ers (Super Bowl XVI)
1982 - Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins (Super Bowl XVII)
1984 - Dwight Clark, WR, 49ers, Jim Stuckey, DT, 49ers (Super Bowl XIX)
1985 - Steve Fuller, QB, Bears, William Perry, MG, Bears (Super Bowl XX)
1986 - Ty Davis, CB, Giants, Andy Headen, LB, Giants, Terry Kinard, FS, Giants (Super Bowl XXI)
1987 - Obed Ariri, PK, Redskins, Dan Benish, DT, Redskins, Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins, K.D. Dunn, TE, Redskins (Super Bowl XXII)
1988 - Terrence Flagler, RB, 49ers (Super Bowl XXIII)
1989 - Terrence Flagler, RB, 49ers (Super Bowl XXIV)
1991 - Jeff Bostic, C, Redskins (Super Bowl XXVI)
1996 - Wayne Simmons, LB, Packers (Super Bowl XXXI)
1997 - Trevor Pryce, DT, Broncos (Super Bowl XXXII)
1998 - Trevor Pryce, DT, Broncos (Super Bowl XXXIII)
1999 - Tony Horne, WR, Rams, Dexter McCleon, CB, Rams (Super Bowl XXXIV)
2000 - James Trapp, DB, Ravens (Super Bowl XXXV)
2005 - Chris Gardocki, P, Steelers (Super Bowl XL)
2008 - Nick Eason, DT, Steelers (Super Bowl XLIII)
2009 - Anthony Waters, LB, Saints (Super Bowl XLIV)
2013 - Byron Maxwell, CB, Seahawks (Super Bowl XLVIII)
2018 - Dwayne Allen, TE, Patriots (Super Bowl LIII)
2019 - Bashaud Breeland, CB, Chiefs, Dorian O’Daniel, LB, Chiefs, Sammy Watkins, WR, Chiefs (Super Bowl LIV)
2020 - Bradley Pinion, P, Buccaneers (Super Bowl LV)
2021 - ??? (Super Bowl LVI)
Note: By season, not calendar year of game
