Remembering the Seniors
The 2018 Clemson seniors left their legacy not only in program history but also in the annals of the sport, recording 55 wins to tie for the most wins by any senior class in FBS history.
Throughout the 2018 season, Head Coach Dabo Swinney reminded his players that anything Clemson had done once, they'd done again. The 2019 senior class will have the opportunity for that maxim to once again ring true. The 2019 Clemson seniors are 51-3 since 2016, passing the 2017 Clemson seniors for the second most in school history and standing two wins ahead of Alabama's current seniors for the best active record.
"That's what you live for as a coach to see those guys reach their potential, maximize their potential and become the best version of themselves, grow, mature, get their education, and having peace in knowing that they're ready for what's going to come next," Swinney said. "It's even better if they stay healthy and things go the way they want on the field, that's icing on the cake.
"It's an emotional week because there's a lot of thought, especially as I prepare my message for Friday, there's a lot of thought that goes into that. You spend a lot of time thinking about each guy."
The group can tie the 2018 seniors for the best four-year mark in school, conference and Football Bowl Subdivision history with 14 wins in 2019 and can own the record outright if it were to repeat with another 15-0 campaign. The 2019 seniors are the third Clemson class and one of nine overall classes in FBS history to record 50 all-time wins.
"I've been with Tanner Muse for six years. He's been here for five, but I recruited him for a year. Sometimes you recruit them for two years," Swinney said. ""Chad Smith, he's on his fifth year. Gage Cervenka, I got a picture of me and him when he was in the 7th grade at camp and I wrote on his poster, 'You're going to be a Tiger one day.'
"John Simpson, Sean Pollard, Tremayne Anchrum, they've been here for four years but you've known them for five so you spend a lot of time with these guys. You've seen a guy like K'Von Wallace come in and transform. Denzel Johnson, a guy who didn't have many Division I offers and we took a chance on. Really, he bet on himself. I told him if he grew up academically, I would sign him in the summer. I wouldn't sign him in February. So he can kind of bet on himself, and going to be a college graduate and he's done an outstanding job.
"Diondre Overton has worked his tail off to develop into a good receiver."
