April 19, 2006
Former All-America golfer Jonathan Byrd and former football All-American Kyle Young, two of Clemson’s most decorated student-athletes in school history in terms of academic an on-field accolades, headline Clemson’s 2006 Hall of Fame induction class. They are two of seven members of the Clemson Hall of Fame class that will be inducted this fall.
Former women’s basketball All-American Shandy Bryan, former track All-American Terrance Herrington, former All-ACC football player Steve Kenney, former Clemson President and football player Dr. Robert F. Poole, and former women’s track coach Wayne Coffman are also members of the Clemson Hall of Fame Class of 2006. The group will be formally inducted during ceremonies on Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2 in conjunction with Clemson’s season opening football game against Florida Atlantic.
Byrd and Young are two of the three athletes in Clemson history who have been named an on-the-field of competition All-American and an academic All-American in the same year, twice. Young was chosen in his first year of eligibility for the Clemson Hall of Fame, while Byrd was chosen in his second year.
Young was an All-American on the gridiron for the Tigers as the starting center in 2000 and 2001. He was a two-time finalist for the Dave Rimington Award, which is given to the top center in college football. Young helped the 2000 and 2001 Clemson offenses to many record setting performances as a primary blocker for Woody Dantzler, including a record setting total offense average (432 yards per game) in 2000. He started in three bowl games (1999-2000-2001) and had a school record 168 knockdown blocks in 2001.
Young is just the fourth Clemson athlete to be selected for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. The others are Dale Davis (men’s basketball), Kim Graham (women’s track), and Bruce Murray (men’s soccer).
The native of Clemson and graduate of nearby Daniel High School was a three-time first-team Academic All-American, one of just two offensive linemen in college football history to be a three-time first-team selection. He was also the winner of a National Football Foundation Scholarship in 2001, the first Clemson player in 23 years to receive the honor.
Young was also the recipient of the ACC’s Jim Tatum Award, which is presented to the league’s top scholar-athlete among football players. Young had a 3.97 career GPA when he graduated in May of 2001, and he went on to earn his Masters degree from Clemson in 2003. He is currently an administrator within the Clemson Athletic Department.
Byrd was a starter on four Clemson top 10 golf teams between 1997-00, the first Tiger athlete in any sport to do that in 22 years. He was also the first Clemson student-athlete to start on three ACC Championship teams in 11 years. A four-time first-team All-ACC selection, Byrd was a first-team All-American as a junior in 1998-99 and a third-team selection in 1999-00.
Named to the ACC’s 50-Year Anniversary Men’s Golf team in 2002, Byrd established school records for rounds under par and rounds at par or better when he graduated in 2000. The native of Columbia, SC was the first Clemson athlete to be named IPTAY Athlete of the Year in two different academic years (1998-99 and 1999-00). He also represented the United States in the 1999 and 2000 Palmer Cups and the 1999 Walker Cup.
Byrd is currently in his fifth year on the PGA Tour. He has won two PGA tournaments, including the 2002 Buick Challenge that helped him win PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors. He finished eighth at the 2003 Masters and was 15th at the US Open that same year, the highest finishes by a former Clemson golfer in both major tournaments.
Dr. Poole served as Clemson University President from 1940-58. The first Clemson graduate to serve as the University’s president, he was also an outstanding athlete. Poole was a starting offensive lineman on Clemson’s 1915 and 1916 football teams, starting 15 of the 17 games over those two seasons.
During his tenure as Clemson President, Poole oversaw the construction of Memorial Stadium, which was completed in 1942. He also played a big role in Clemson’s decision to join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1953.
In 1947, Dr. Poole withstood outside pressures to make a change in the head football coaching position, and retained Frank Howard, who went on to lead Clemson to a perfect season and 1948. Howard later led the Tigers to the 15th best winning percentage in college football in the 1950s and a record 165 total victories, establishing a strong foundation for the school’s football program that still exists today. Poole died in office as Clemson’s President in 1958.
Bryan was a starter on four Clemson Lady Tiger basketball teams that reached the NCAA Tournament, including the 1990-91 team that reached the Elite Eight, Clemson’s best NCAA Tournament finish in history. Clemson won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of her four years, including the 1990 tournament when she helped Clemson to a victory at UCONN, one of just two home losses in NCAA Tournament history for the Huskies program.
As a senior in 1992-93, Bryan averaged 18.7 points per game and was named second-team All-American by the American Women’s Sports Federation. She was also a first-team All-ACC selection when she shot 54.5 percent from the field, 74 percent from the line and pulled in 8.6 rebounds per game. The native of Morristown, TN is still third in Clemson history in career scoring (1631), ranks third in rebounding (874), is third in career field goals (661) and is third in free throws made (309). Additionally, Bryan was a four-time ACC Player of the Week, the only Lady Tiger to win the award at least once in three different seasons.
Herrington, was a four-time NCAA All-American and five-team ACC Champion as a middle distance runner for the Tigers from 1985-89. Herrington was a member of Clemson’s 1989 NCAA Champion 4X800 meter relay team, the first national championship relay team in Clemson history. That team established a world record in the event with a time of 7:17.45.
The native of Hartsville, SC finished third in the nation to earn All-America honors in the 1500 meters in 1987 and 1989 and was fourth in the 800 meters at the 1988 NCAAs. He won the 800 and 1500 meter titles at the 1987 ACC Championships and won the 1500 meters in 1989 at the outdoor meet. He won the 800 meters at the ACC indoor meet in 1988.
Herrington still holds the Clemson record in the 800 and 1500 meters outdoors and still holds the 1000 meters record indoors. He also still holds the South Carolina High School record in the half mile and mile run.
Herrington went on to become the USA National Champion in the 1500 meters in 1989 and 1991 and competed for the United States in the 1992 Olympics in the 1500 meters. In 2002 he was named to the ACC’s 50-Year Anniversary track teams (indoors and outdoors).
Coffman is one of two men in Clemson athletics history to earn All-ACC honors as an athlete and lead Clemson to an ACC Championship as a coach. Coffman was a member of Clemson’s first ever ACC Championship cross country team in 1978 and was an All-ACC performer in indoor track as a member of Clemson’s 1979 Distance Medley Relay championship team.
Coffman went on to coach the Lady Tiger track team as head coach from 1985-98. During that time period he led the cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams to their first ACC Championship in each sport. The 1986 cross country team won the league title and finished fifth in the nation. That was one of three top 10 teams he coached on cross country. The 1991 outdoor track team won the ACC championship and ranked 12th at the NCAA national meet, Clemson,s first top 15 finish in that sport. The 1992 indoor track team won the ACC title and finished 22nd in the nation, Clemson’s first top 25 finish in indoor track.
Coffman coached some of Clemson,s top track athletes, 20 of whom went on to All-America honors. That includes Clemson Hall of Fame selection Kim Graham, who was a five-time Clemson All-American. Coffman currently serves the Clemson athletic department as an academic advisor for student-athletes.
Kenney was an All-ACC offensive lineman for the Tiger football team in 1978. One of the leaders of a class that brought Clemson back to national acclaim on the gridiron, Kenny was a starter on Clemson’s 1977 and 1978 teams that ranked in the top 20 of the final polls. That included a number-six final AP ranking in 1978 when Clemson was 11-1.
Kenney went on to play nine years in the NFL, including eight with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played in the Super Bowl for the Eagles at the conclusion of the 1980 season. He played his final two years with the Detroit Lions. Overall, Kenney played in 89 NFL games between 1979-87.
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