Road to 1991 Perfection: Clifford Does a Double-Take

James Clifford's college football career wasn't perfect, but his 1991 University of Washington team was.

Clifford had to suffer first before he could really celebrate.

After leading the Pac-10 Conference in tackles as a sophomore, the inside linebacker from Seattle tore up a knee in the next fall training camp, had surgery and missed the entire 1990 season, which included a Rose Bowl victory over Iowa.

Clifford came back the following season and shared in the Huskies' 12-0 run that brought a national championship recognized by the coaches' poll.

It was perfect.

"I don't think I've ever looked at it as how you just said it — something perfect," said Clifford, the Seattle Mariners strength and conditioning coach. "Wow, that's big for me to hear it that way."

This is the final installment in a series of vignettes about the UW's 1991 national title run, supplementing the conversation for the recently completed pandemic-influenced season. This Husky linebacker eloquently sums up what the Huskies' 12-0 season was all about.

Working with the Mariners, who haven't appeared in the MLB playoffs since 2001 in New York — shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks — Clifford doesn't flaunt his past success.

Yet the occasional photo or memory floated around brings him a certain amount of respect with the big-league baseball players he whips into shape.

"It's truly affected my life," he said. "Every day, somebody says something about the national championship team. It gives me street cred at work with all the baseball players. I don't bring it up, but people bring it up."

Clifford noted how he's got an impressive ring collection from his UW football days as evidence of what he did. He received all this jewelry for being part of three consecutive Rose Bowl teams, let alone the national title squad.

While he can gaze at his rings or sit and watch a video replay at any time, he preferred to repeat the best word used to describe it.

"It really struck me when you said that — something perfect," Clifford said "It was perfect."

The former Husky linebacker turned Major League Baseball fitness guru wouldn't let go of that word anymore than he did an opposing quarterback on a sack.

"I still have a lot of great friends from that opportunity, from playing together," Clifford said. "What a group of men to do something perfect. I mean, perfect."

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