1999 Clemson Football Outlook

Aug. 11, 1999

Six players off the 1998 Clemson football team were taken in the NFL draft. All six were from the Clemson defense that ranked 25th in the nation in total defense and 14th in rushing defense nationally last season.

Here are some notes of interest on Clemson’s draft class of 1999:

Clemson had six defensive players taken in the 1999 NFL draft,more than any school in the nation. Florida and North Carolina weresecond with five defensive players apiece, while Virginia, WestVirginia and Nebraska had four. Any wonder why the Clemson vs.North Carolina game last fall was such a defensive struggle? Elevendefensive players who participated in that game were drafted thisyear, six from Clemson and five from North Carolina. Overall,Clemson’s six picks in the draft ranked in a tie for fifth highestin the nation. Florida and Ohio State led the way with eightapiece, Notre Dame and Nebraska had seven. Clemson, Georgia, KansasState, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Virginia and WestVirginia all had six. This is the second straight year Clemson hasranked in the top 10 in the nation in producing NFL draftees. TheTigers had 5 players drafted in 1998, tied for 7th best in thenation. With the first round selection of Antwan Edwards, Clemsonhas now had a first-round defensive player taken each of the lastthree seasons. Clemson is the only school in the nation that hashad at least one defensive player taken in the first round each ofthe last three drafts. Trevor Pryce (DT) was a first-round choiceof the Denver Broncos in the 1997 draft and Anthony Simmons (LB)was a first round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 1998 draft.Clemson’s six draft choices this year rank as the largest Clemsonclass since the 1991 draft (after the 1990 season). That yearClemson had eight selections, but two of them were in rounds 10 and11. This year’s six selections in the first seven rounds tied the1991 draft for the most Tigers taken within the first seven rounds.Antwan Edwards was Clemson’s 19th first round selection in history,its fifth first rounder in the 1990s. All five first roundselections in the 1990s have been defensive players. Based onrecent history, making an NFL roster is virtually a lock forEdwards, Abdullah, Dingle and Jones. They were taken in the firstfive rounds. Twenty-four of the last 26 Clemson players who havebeen drafted within the first five rounds have gone on to make anNFL active roster. Chris Jones, a fifth round pick of the MinnesotaVikings, will be able to serve his apprenticeship under formerTiger Ed McDaniel, an All-American with the Tigers in 1991 who wasa Pro Bowl selection in 1998. Clemson had three linebackers chosenin the 1999 draft. Clemson has had 11 linebackers drafted in the1990s. The eight linebackers who were drafted previously all madeNFL teams. O.J. Childress is the 15th player from Clemson in thehistory of the draft taken by the New York Giants. That is tied forthe most among NFL teams with the Pittsburgh Steelers. DonaldBroomfield is just the second player in history from Clemson to bedrafted by the Cincinnati Bengals. The other is Jim Riggs, who wasa fourth round pick in 1987 and played six years with thefranchise. Five of the six Clemson players drafted this year playedon Clemson’s 1995 team. Including the drafts of 1996, 1997 and1998, the 1995 team had 10 players on its defense who wereeventually drafted. Clemson has had 12 defensive players draftedthe last four years. Trevor Pryce played only in 1996 for Clemson,while Lorenzo Bromell was a junior college transfer and played injust 1996 and 1997. Clemson has now had 36 players drafted in thenine seasons of the 1990s. Twenty-six of the 36 players aredefensive players.

1999 Tiger Draft Selections

Name              Rd    Sel  TeamAntwan Edwards     1   25th  PackersRahim Abdullah     2   45th  BrownsAdrian Dingle      5  139th  ChargersChris Jones        5  169th  VikingsO.J. Childress     7  231st  GiantsDonald Broomfield  7  249th  Bengals