Note: The following appears in the Duke football gameday program.
When I heard Ian Schieffelin was going to play football this season after four years as a standout on the Clemson basketball team, it made me consider the top multi-sport athletes in Tiger history.
There have been 42 Clemson student-athletes who have earned induction into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame who played multiple sports. That incudes DeAndre Hopkins, who will be formally inducted next weekend.
Some day, Schieffelin will join that list. His performance as a Clemson basketball player was definitely Hall of Fame worthy. He warrants induction based on his individual statistics and the team’s accomplishments when he was a starting forward.
Schieffelin finished with 1,067 points and 884 rebounds in 134 career games, one of just seven Tigers in history with at least 1,000 points and 850 rebounds. He is seventh in program history in rebounds, and the six ahead of him all played in the NBA.
In his last three years, his Clemson teams combined for 74 wins, including 43 in the ACC, records in both areas in Tiger history for his three-year period as a starter.
Hopkins will become the 10th Tiger athlete in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame who played football and basketball. His career is opposite of Schieffelin’s in terms of accomplishments. Hopkins was an All-America football player for the Tigers in 2012, when he had at least one receiving touchdown in 12 of the 13 games. He is tied for the Clemson career record in receiving touchdowns (27). He played seven games for Brad Brownell’s 2010-11 basketball team that reached the NCAA Tournament.
The following is a rundown of the top multi-sport athletes in Clemson athletics history.
OBED ARIRIFootball, SoccerObed Ariri came to Clemson as a soccer player and earned All-ACC honors in 1976 as a freshman, when he scored 15 goals. In 1979, he was again All-ACC, as he scored 17 goals on a team that reached the NCAA Finals. Incredibly, he played football and soccer at the same time in the fall of 1979. On Nov. 24, 1979, he scored all of Clemson’s nine points on three field goals in a 13-9 loss at South Carolina. The next day, he scored Clemson’s only goal in a 1-0 NCAA Tournament win over the Gamecocks. Ariri only played football in 1980, when he led the nation in field goals (23). He was named a second-team All-American by Newspaper Enterprise Association and was a First-Team All-ACC selection.
ROGER COLLINSSoccer, TrackOf the 42 athletes who are in the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame after playing multiple sports, only three did not play basketball or football. Roger Collins was the most accomplished of those three, as he earned All-ACC honors in both soccer and track. Between 1967-70, Collins was a three-time All-ACC soccer player, including earning first-team honors in 1969 and 1970. In track, he not only was an All-ACC selection, he was a three-time All-American in the javelin. He finished fourth in the nation in 1968 and 1970 and was sixth as a junior in 1969. He was the ACC Outdoor Championships MVP in 1969.
LOU CORDILEONEBaseball, FootballLou Cordileone joins Kyle Parker as student-athletes who played in a football bowl game and the College World Series in the same academic year. He was an All-America offensive lineman in 1958 on Clemson’s Sugar Bowl team, then was the starting right fielder on Head Coach Bill Wilhelm’s 1959 College World Series squad.
MIKE EPPLEYBasketball, FootballMike Eppley had a busy schedule during his career at Clemson. He was a member of the Clemson men’s basketball team from 1980-81 through 1983-84, and the Clemson football teams from 1980-84. He was Homer Jordan’s backup quarterback in 1982, then was the starter in 1983 and 1984. In 1983, he was third in the nation in passing efficiency, the highest finish by a Tiger. He then started every game in 1984 as a senior. On the hardwood, he was the starting point guard in 1981-82 and 1982-83. As you might expect, he was a terrific passer and is still in the top 10 in Clemson history in assists per game.
JACOBY FORDFootball, TrackJacoby Ford was a five-time All-American in track as a sprinter. He was the NCAA champion in the 60m indoors in 2009 with a time of 6.52. He was also an All-American in the 100m outdoors in 2008 and 2009. Ford won the Frank Howard Award during the 2008-09 academic year. The Florida native was a four-year starter on the football team from 2006-09. An outstanding wide receiver and kick returner, he combined with classmate C.J. Spiller to record the most all-purpose yards in NCAA history for a pair of players in the same class. He went on to play four years in the NFL with the Raiders.
FRANK GILLESPIEBaseball, Basketball, FootballFrank Gillespie won the McKevlin Award as the most outstanding all-around athlete in the Southern Conference in the spring of 1948. He was the only Clemson athlete to win the outstanding all-around athlete award in a conference until 1995-96, when righthander Kris Benson won the honor. Gillespie was a starting right guard in football, starting guard in basketball and starting third baseman on the diamond during the 1947-48 academic year. He averaged 6.2 points per game in 1947-48 on the hardwood, hit .338 in baseball in the spring of 1948 and started all 11 games for Head Coach Frank Howard’s 11-0 football team in the fall of 1948.
TYE HILLFootball, TrackTye Hill was a first-round draft pick (No. 15 overall) of the Rams in 2006 after earning first-team All-America honors in 2005. As a junior in 2004, he set a school record for pass breakups in a season (21). His all-around abilities as a football player date to his freshman year, when he had a 100-yard rushing game at North Carolina. On the track, he was the ACC champion in the 60m indoors and was the champion in the 100m outdoors in 2004.
FRED KNOEBELBaseball, FootballFred Knoebel was a starting outfielder for the Tiger baseball team from 1950-52 who hit over .300 in his career and recorded 14 triples, tied for seventh in Clemson history. On the gridiron, he had 15 career interceptions as a defensive back, tied for second in program history. Only Ring of Honor inductee Terry Kinard had more.
RAY MATHEWSBaseball, FootballRay Mathews was a four-year starter on the diamond from 1948-51. He hit over .300 his last three years, including .375 as a senior in 1951. His 10 RBIs against Furman in 1950 are tied for the Clemson record. On the gridiron, he was a starter on Head Coach Frank Howard’s undefeated teams of 1948 and 1950. Playing in the days when players went both ways, Mathews finished his career with over 1,800 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns as a running back, and he had 10 interceptions on defense.
BANKS McFADDENBasketball, Football, TrackIt has been 85 years since Banks McFadden played his last athletic event for Clemson, but he is still regarded as the greatest athlete in Tiger history. He is the only Clemson athlete to be an All-American in football and basketball, and in 1939, he was named the nation’s most versatile athlete. He led Clemson to the championship of the 1939 Southern Conference Tournament, the only postseason tournament title in program history, then led Clemson to a 9-1 record on the gridiron, a No. 12 ranking in the final AP poll and a Cotton Bowl win over Boston College. McFadden was also a standout in track in multiple events. He was the No. 4 overall pick of the 1940 NFL draft as well.
KYLE PARKERBaseball, FootballKyle Parker is still the only athlete in Division I history with 20 passing touchdowns and 20 homers in the same academic year. He did it in the 2009-10 academic year, when his 20 passing touchdowns helped Clemson to the ACC Championship Game for the first time and a No. 24 ranking in the final AP poll, the first top-25 season in Dabo Swinney’s career as a head coach. In the spring of 2010, he was named an All-American by ABCA and Baseball America. His 20 homers and 64 RBIs helped Clemson to the College World Series and a No. 4 final ranking.
BILL SPIERSBaseball, FootballBill Spiers was a first-team All-America shortstop for the Tigers from 1985-87 and was a first-round draft pick who went on to play 15 years in the majors. In 1986, Head Coach Danny Ford was looking for a punter and put an advertisement in “The Tiger” newspaper. Spiers answered it and was Clemson’s starting punter for the ACC champion Tigers. He played on two teams that finished ranked in the top 20 that year, as the football team finished No. 17 and the baseball team finished No. 10.
C.J. SPILLERFootball, TrackC.J. Spiller finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2009, when he was named a unanimous All-American. He was named a Walter Camp All-American as a running back and kick returner, the only player in history to be named a Walter Camp All-American at two different positions in the same year. Spiller still holds the ACC record for all-purpose yards. In track, he was a two-time All-American as a sprinter. He was a member of the 4x100m relay team that finished third in the nation in 2009.
JAMES TRAPPFootball, TrackJames Trapp is among the greatest track athletes in Clemson history. He was a 10-time All-American during his Tiger track career (1990-93), the second-most certificates in program history. He won the NCAA championship in the 200m in 1992 and was named IPTAY Athlete-of-the-Year. A two-time ACC Outdoor Championships MVP, he earned 14 All-ACC certificates. Trapp was a four-year letterman as a defensive back on the football team from 1989-92. He played 11 years in the NFL with the Raiders, Ravens and Jaguars, including the 2000 season with the Ravens, who won the Super Bowl.
RAY WILLIAMSBaseball, FootballRay Williams was a four-year starter in football and baseball in his career that spanned 1982-87. On the diamond, he was one of two Tigers in history with at least 30 home runs and 70 steals. On the gridiron, he is one of four players in school history with 1,300 kickoff return yards and 1,000 receiving yards.
