Note: The following appears in the Syracuse football gameday program.
In the South, barbecue sauce is more than a condiment…it is an identity. Missouri and Tennessee lean on sweet, tomato-based blends, while Alabama stakes its claim with tangy white sauce, and North Carolina swears by vinegar and pepper. Perfected over generations, each recipe offers a glimpse into the values and traditions that shape the culture around it.
Through extensive research known as taste testing, Clemson offensive lineman Blake Miller has grown partial to South Carolina’s barbecue, which features mustard-based “Carolina Gold” sauce, during his time in the Upstate. Much like the refining process of Southern barbecue, the Ohio native has spent four years shaping his own identity, mixing together faith, community and determination into something uniquely his own.
Before making the 634-mile drive from Strongsville, Ohio, Miller did not know much about the South’s barbecue obsession. Now, it has become one of his favorite ways to bond with teammates.
“In Ohio, there are a few chain places that had barbecue, but it wasn’t earth-shattering,” explained Miller. “But down here, people take it very seriously and love it. I know we can get a good group to go, especially when we get two guys driving. People are champing at the bit to come with us.”
When it came time to choose a college, though, factors greater than food swayed the right tackle to wear orange and purple.
“There’s something different about Clemson. People care a little more, people are kinder and I thought this was the place for me. It stood out among the others.”
Miller first toured Clemson with his father, Chris, as a freshman in high school, fresh off the Tigers’ pair of national titles. At the time, he doubted he would ever play at a program with a high championship pedigree. However, Miller was so taken with Clemson’s campus that he expressed interest in attending the university, even without a football scholarship.
“My dad says I told him, ‘It’s really cool here…I could go here, but I don’t know if I would be able to play here.’ As I kept playing, I thought, ‘Maybe I can play here!’”
After signing in 2021 and enrolling the following spring, he found himself living out that dream. He entered practices working mostly with the second group, but a starter’s injury in fall camp opened the door for him to climb up the depth chart.
“I came in and tried to learn from the older guys, tried to be the best player I could be and improve every day. By week one, I saw my name at the top of the depth chart, and that was a really good feeling. It was awesome.”
He never left his position at the top. He became a Freshman All-American, earned Second-Team All-ACC honors and was named College Football Network’s ACC Offensive Rookie-of-the-Year after starting all 14 games as a first-year freshman.
Since then, he has logged more than 3,000 career offensive snaps, one of only seven Tigers who can make that claim, and earned multiple ACC and national awards. But along the way, he learned that identity cannot be solely tied to football performance, even when coveted awards are directly linked.
“As a person, I’ve learned that your identity can’t just be in one thing. It can’t just be in football, because you’ll be up and down. If your identity is in football and you have a bad game, you’re going to be down all week. When you put your identity in something higher and know that God is on the throne, and His will will be done, I feel like my mood hasn’t been fluctuating. Every day has been a good day.”
That perspective starts for Miller each morning with a reminder of gratitude.
“It starts for me in the morning…we got another day on this earth. There are some people who feel like that is the biggest blessing in the world for them, so why should it not be for me? Just because I’ve had good health, it’s still a blessing to wake up every day, so why sit there and take it for granted?”
In addition to this perspective, Miller’s identity has also been shaped by his veteran position teammates, including seniors Tristan Leigh, Walker Parks and Ryan Linthicum, who have grown alongside him for four years.
“Everyone in that room is very close with one another. We all hang out outside of the line room, and that plays a big role in it. When you have a relationship with someone, it puts you in a position to push them.
“If you have a relationship with someone and they know you care, they know it’s in their best interest. They know it’s coming from a good place, so they’ll be more receptive.”
That camaraderie has shaped Miller’s friendships, his college experience and his play on the field. Now the veteran linemen have one last chance to finish their careers together with maturity, accountability and plenty of road trips for barbecue.
And just like the sauces that define the South, Miller believes those meals, which he calls “great equalizers,” symbolize more than what is on the plate. They mark years of growth, early and late practices, countless conversations and an identity outside of football.
This season, Miller and his unit have a chance to craft their own recipe of strengths, values and experiences to become “great equalizers” for Clemson’s offense.
