Note: The following appears in the Virginia football gameday program.
As Clemson’s sports information director during the C.J. Spiller era, I have a lot of stories about his incredible accomplishments on the gridiron. But my favorite story about him does not involve a long kickoff return, long run from scrimmage or reception. It did not take place during a game at all.
During Spiller’s senior year when we were promoting him for the Heisman Trophy, he did all his media interviews each Tuesday between 10:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m., just prior to Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s 11 a.m. press conference, a time when the most media would be in attendance.
One Tuesday during the middle of the season, I received a call from Spiller about 20 minutes before his scheduled appearance.
Spiller was calling to let me know he had a flat tire and would have to reschedule. The thing I remember most about the story is that he called me before he called AAA. That was Spiller. If he made a commitment, he stuck to it.
My good friend, Sanford Rogers, a spotter and statistician on the Clemson radio network, has a similar story. In 2017, the Florence IPTAY Club arranged for Spiller to speak at its season-opening banquet. Over 500 people were scheduled to attend.
Spiller was scheduled to fly from Greenville to Florence for the banquet that afternoon, but thunderstorms were in the forecast.
Rogers called Spiller to see if it was possible to drive him from Greenville to Florence, a near seven-hour roundtrip in total.
“What time do you want me to meet you,” said Spiller, who never gave a second thought to canceling the appearance.
“We made the drive in time, and C.J. did a wonderful job with his talk,” recalled Rogers. “When it was over, the people running the event made plans to give Spiller a quick exit. C.J. said no, these people had come to see him and he was going to stay to sign autographs. He stayed for 45 minutes and signed all the requests.”
Those two stories are all you need to know about Spiller.
We all know there is so much more to Spiller, who will be inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor this weekend, the highest award presented by the Clemson athletic department.
Spiller came to Clemson from the state of Florida as a five-star running back in 2006. It was a landmark signing, because Clemson had missed out on many outstanding players from the Sunshine State in the previous decade.
But fortunately, Wide Receivers Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Dabo Swinney had a positive attitude. How Spiller got to Clemson started with Swinney getting Spiller to sign a contract of sorts.
“When Coach Swinney came on a visit to my home in 2005, he had me sign one of his business cards, saying that I would visit Clemson,” recalled Spiller. “I guess that was the first contract I ever signed.
“I had one visit left and it was going to be Clemson or Alabama. Alabama was sending me stuff, but I didn’t hear much from them. Coach Swinney kept communicating.
“I came to Clemson in January, Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, of my senior year. Things have really changed in recruiting. Most players now commit as juniors or even seniors. But it was different 20 years ago.”
Just a couple of weeks later on Feb. 1, 2006, Spiller made it official and signed with the Tigers.
“That morning, there was a lot of nervousness, because I knew ‘Gator Nation’ and ‘Seminole Nation’ would be there. I knew my mom wanted me to go to Florida, because it is close to my home.”
I was listening to the announcement along with many other coaches and staff in Swinney’s office in the McFadden Building. Spiller shocked the world, sans Swinney, when he put on a Clemson cap.
“I didn’t have anything with Clemson on it to wear. (Fellow signee) Kevin Alexander had a Clemson hat, so I took it off his head and put it on when I announced.”
“The day he signed with Clemson changed the perception of the program,” said Swinney. “It validated that we could get players at his level, and it changed the vision of the program.”
Spiller had a remarkable freshman year, gaining 938 yards on just 129 carries, a 7.3-yard average, still third highest behind two Travis Etienne seasons (min. 100 carries).
“He turned in some remarkable plays his freshman year,” said Swinney. “I remember thinking during his freshman season that C.J. would be on the stadium façade some day.”
Spiller split time during his first three seasons with James Davis, and the duo became known as “Thunder & Lightning” when they combined for 332 yards in a nationally televised win over No. 13 Georgia Tech. It was the first time ESPN College GameDay came to Clemson.
Spiller and Davis split the running back duties in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Both were productive, and today, Davis is third in Clemson history in career rushing yards (3,881), and Spiller is fourth (3,547).
In 2008, Clemson got off to a 3-3 start, and a change was made at the top, as Swinney replaced Tommy Bowden as interim head coach. The Tigers won four of the final six regular-season games, including a 31-14 win over South Carolina, and that led to Athletic Director Dr. Terry Don Phillips giving Swinney the job on a full-time basis.
Davis moved on to the NFL after the 2008 season, but Spiller had another year of eligibility. He had earned All-ACC honors on the field and in the classroom in 2008. Most believed Spiller would be a late first-round draft pick if he came out. He had a decision to make.
Jan. 15, 2009 is a day I will always remember, for the drama of the moment and the impact it had on the future of the program.
I called an afternoon press conference for Spiller to announce his decision. No one, including me, really knew what he was going to do. As I sat outside Swinney’s office, I could see the conversation between the head coach and his star player. At one point, I could see Spiller getting emotional, which led me to believe he was going pro.
“I knew what I was going to do when I drove over to McFadden,” stated Spiller. “I was at peace but nervous, because I was on the doorstep to my dream of a chance to go to the NFL.
“I got emotional in Coach Swinney’s office because I knew my mother wanted me to turn professional, and I was going against something the woman who raised me wanted me to do.
“But in the end, it always came back to my conversations with my grandmother about the importance of education and the conversations I had with my uncle, who always gave me Godly wisdom.”
When Spiller made the announcement, there were shouts of joy from his teammates.
“To get that reaction from my teammates meant the most to me. It made me understand the impact you can have by the way you carry yourself.”
While Spiller had a Clemson Hall of Fame worthy first three years, we would not be celebrating him today as a Clemson Ring of Honor inductee had he not returned for the 2009 season. He was a first-team All-American as a kick returner and second-team All-American as a running back according to Walter Camp Foundation, the oldest All-America team. Spiller became the first player in history to be named All-American at two different positions in the same year by the organization.
That year, Spiller became the first ACC player in history with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season. He set an ACC record for all-purpose yards (2,680), a mark that still stands today. In December 2009, he finished sixth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. He was also a unanimous first-team All-American.
In his career, he set the NCAA record for career kickoff returns for touchdown (7), and his 7,588 career all-purpose yards still are third in NCAA history, first among power conference players and first in ACC history.
“My senior year was magical,” said #28.
Spiller’s many accomplishments in 2009 were amazing considering he played the entire season with a turf toe injury he suffered on a punt return in the season opener.
“I didn’t practice until Thursday of each week and had to have a shot prior to the last 11 regular-season games. Danny Poole and I had a great rehab schedule to get me ready each week.”
Prior to the ACC Championship Game, he felt good and did not need a shot before the game, but he needed one at halftime. He had the greatest game of his career with a still ACC Championship Game record 233 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He also had 63 yards on kickoff returns and five receiving yards, good for 301 all-purpose yards.
Clemson lost the thrilling game 39-34, but Spiller was still named MVP, the only time a player on a losing team has been the MVP of any conference championship game.
“Looking back, I have to wonder what C.J. could have accomplished in 2009 if he was healthy the entire year,” said Swinney.
Spiller and Swinney have certainly had a special relationship, and that continues today with Spiller serving as the running backs coach on his staff.
Spiller’s journey back to Clemson got its start when he decided to volunteer as a track coach at nearby Liberty High School in 2017.
“My wife was a track coach at Liberty, and in the offseason, I helped out the track team with some pointers.
“I got more and more involved, and it just hit me. This is my purpose now, to help young people so they can have some of the experiences I have had.”
Spiller was always involved with Clemson during his nine-year NFL career and was on the IPTAY Board of Directors.
“We had a luncheon at my house for the All In Foundation, and I told Coach Swinney I was thinking about getting into a master’s program at Clemson.”
Swinney’s ears took note, and he began a conversation with Spiller about becoming a part of his staff.
In 2020, he served as a volunteer assistant under Running Backs Coach Tony Elliott, now the head coach at Virginia.
“I learned so much from Coach Elliott,” said Spiller. “I saw how he handled the room, I learned recruiting and learned the offensive system. Coach Elliott had such a positive effect on my career. He opened his arms to help me in any situation.
“That is why it is so special that we are doing the Ring of Honor induction during the Virginia game.”
This will be a special day for Spiller and Swinney because of the belief they have had in each other for almost 20 years.
“He has such a strong belief,” said Spiller of Swinney. “He was the only one on the staff who believed I would come to Clemson. It shows his level of belief in his mission. It sets him apart. Our relationship is like father and son. When I was in the NFL and today, he has given me great advice.”
Swinney put Spiller’s impact on Clemson in perspective.
“C.J. has always been ‘All In’ with Clemson. He has been such a great representative of the school and our program. As great as he was as a player, he has just as much depth as a person, always doing the right thing and caring for people.
“His accomplishments and leadership in 2009 set a standard that has been carried on. He was one of the most prominent forefathers of the program. We wouldn’t have won all these ACC championships, two national championships and made six CFP appearances without him.”
