Clemson Football Team Honored by AFCA For Academics

Dec. 23, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson’s football team has been honored by the American Football Coaches Association for its Graduation Success Rate. Dabo Swinney’s program is one of 44 institutions nationally with a GSR of at least 75 percent in the latest study.

Each year the AFCA honors programs that have at least a 75 percent GSR. Boise State and Miami (OH) were the overall winners with a 100 percent ranking for the freshmen football student athletes who entered in the fall of 2004.

This is the fourth time Clemson has been honored as an honorable mention selection by the AFCA for its graduation rate. The other years were 1999, 2000 and 2006.

The ACC had six schools named, more than any other BCS conference. ACC teams who were listed were Boston College, Duke, Miami (FL), Clemson, North Carolina and Wake Forest.

This past Thursday, nine members of the Clemson football team received degrees during Clemson graduation ceremonies at Littlejohn Coliseum. Those players are Mansa Joseph, Andre Branch, Rennie Moore, Dalton Freeman, Jaron Brown, Chad Diehl, Kantrell Brown, Phillip Price, and Dawson Zimmerman.

Fifteen players on the Clemson roster for the Discover Orange Bowl will have degrees, including nine starters. Coty Sensabaugh, Rashard Hall, David Smith, Mason Cloy, Landon Walker and Kourtnei Brown all had their degrees prior to this season.