Clemson’s NFL Influence

Oct. 9, 2000

By Jacob Barker and Shipp Daniel Clemson Sports InformationThe NC State Game Program – October 7, 2000

Rahim Abdullah… Cleveland Browns… LB… Second Year Played 16 games and started 13 of them in 1999… Ranked fourth on the club with 90 tackles (68 solo)… Started his first NFL game Sept. 26, 1999 at Baltimore at leftside linebacker… Recorded a career-high 11 tackles on Oct. 3, 1999 vs. New England… Played at Clemson 1996-1998.

Lorenzo Bromell… Miami Dolphins… DE… Third Year In 1999, appeared in 15 regular season games, including one start… Finished year with 20 tackles (14 solo) and five sacks for 31 yards in losses… Sack total tied for third on the team, along with Daryl Garnener… In first two seasons at Miami, he accumulated 13 sacks, the fifth-highest total by a Dolphin in his first two NFL seasons… Named to the 1998 NFL All-Rookie Team… Played at Clemson 1996-1997.

Brenston Buckner… San Francisco 49ers… DT… Seventh Year Spent three seasons with Pittsburgh (1994-1996) and one with Cincinnati (1997) before joining the 49ers in 1998… Played in the Super Bowl at the end of the 1996 season with Pittsburgh… In 1999, registered career-high six solo tackles at St. Louis… Now starting with the 49ers… Played at Clemson 1990-1993… First-team All-ACC in 1993… Set Clemson record in weight room with 1,220 pound lift on leg sled.

Jim Bundren… Cleveland Browns… C… Third Year Played 16 games in 1999… Saw his first NFL action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 12, 1999, playing on special teams… Started his first NFL game at center against the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 26, 1999… Replaced the injured Jim Pyne as the starting left guard on Sept. 10, 2000… Played at Clemson 1994-1997… All-American in 1997… All-ACC in 1996 and 1997… Academic All-ACC in 1996 and 1997.

Brian Dawkins… Philadelphia Eagles… FS… Fifth Year Second round draft pick of the Eagles in 1996…Needed only three games to step into the starting lineup during his rookie season and needed just four seasons to earn his first Pro Bowl berth…Started 13 games his rookie season en route to being named to the NFL All-Rookie team…His Pro Bowl resume in ’99 included career highs in tackles (103), interceptions (4), forced fumbles (6), knockdowns (19), and sacks (1.5)…Coming into 2000 has registered 344 career tackles and 12 interceptions… Off to a good start in 2000 before appendectomy surgery on Sept. 20… Played at Clemson 1992-1995…Was an All-ACC selection and a second team All-American selection as a senior when his team high six interceptions tied him for the conference lead.

Adrian Dingle… San Diego Chargers… DE…. Second Year Fifth round pick of the Chargers in 1999… Saw limited action as a reserve defensive end for the Chargers last season… Should make more of an immediate impact with the team in 2000… Started first three games of 2000 for the Chargers and has two sacks… Played at Clemson 1995-1998… Started in all 12 of Clemson’s games as a sophomore in 1996… Started 11 games as a senior in 1998 and en route to being named to second-team All-ACC.

Antwan Edwards…Green Bay Packers… DB… Second Year First-round pick of the Packers in 1999… Developed into a valuable contributor in the team’s ‘nickel’ and ‘dime’ packages in his first season and earned all-rookie honors in the process… Was tied for second on the team with four interceptions last season and returned one for a touchdown… Also returned 10 punts in 1999 and his 9.0 yard return average was best on the team… Had toe surgery before the start of last season but entered 2000 with a clean bill of health… Played at Clemson 1995-1998… Was a first team All-ACC and first team All-American in 1998… Also during that season he was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award which is given to the nations top defensive back.

Chris Gardocki… Cleveland Browns… P… 10th Year Entering the 2000 season, had played 135 games… Has never had a punt blocked in his NFL career… Tied the NFL record with 623 consecutive punts without a block on Sept. 3, 2000 against Jacksonville and broke the record a week later in Cincinnati… Highest paid kicker in the NFL… Has ranked in the top five among NFL punters for gross average yards in each of the last four years, including second in 1996 and third in 1997… Named first team All-Pro in 1996 by The Sporting News… Played at Clemson 1988-1990… All-American in 1989 and 1990… All-ACC in 1988, 1989 and 1990… Pro Bowl Kicker in 1996.

Lamont Hall… New Orleans Saints… TE… Second Year Not drafted coming out of college… Traded to New Orleans from Green Bay in the summer of 2000… In 1999 played for Rhein Fire of the NFL Europe League before joining the Green Bay Packers… With the Packers caught three balls for 33 yards… Averaged 11 yards a catch and 13 yards was his longest reception… Played at Clemson 1994-1997… Was a second team All-ACC selection in 1996.

Tony Horne… St. Louis Rams… WR… Third Year Begins 2000 season as second in team history with a 25.5 career kickoff return average and three kickoff returns for touchdowns… Returned at least one kickoff for touchdown in his first two seasons in the NFL… Finished in the top four in special teams tackles in his first two seasons… Became first Rams player since Ron Brown (1985) to lead NFL in kickoff returns, averaging 29.7 yards per return… Was a first-team Pro Bowl alternate and was selected first-team All-Pro by Sports Illustrated… Second-team AP All-Pro as a kickoff returner… Has one Super Bowl Championship ring (1999)… Played at Clemson 1994-1997.

Levon Kirkland… Pittsburgh Steelers… LB… Ninth Year Has been a starter with the Steelers since 1993 and has started all but four games over the last eight years… Has had at least 100 tackles in six of the last seven years and is on track to do it again this year… Team’s top tackler three of last four years… Pittsburgh’s team MVP three times… Chosen to Pro Bowl in 1997 and 1998 and made All-Pro each of those seasons… Starter for AFC Champion Steelers of 1996, he had 16 tackles in the Super Bowl against Dallas… Three-time first-team All-ACC at Clemson, a two-time All-American… Butkus Award finalist in 1990… MVP of the 1989 Gator Bowl win over West Virginia… Recently contributed $200,000 to Call Me Mister Program coordinated by former Clemson All-American Jeff Davis.

Dexter McCleon… St. Louis Rams… DB… Fourth Year In 1999 he started 15 regular season and three playoff games at right cornerback and participated on special teams… Recorded career highs in tackles (54), sacks (1.5), interceptions (four) and passes defensed (17)… Has one Super Bowl Championship ring (1999)… Played at Clemson 1993-1996… All-ACC in 1996.

Ed McDaniel… Minnesota Vikings… LB… Ninth Year Fifth-round pick of the Vikings in 1992… Has led the team in tackles for the past three seasons and four of the past five seasons… His four seasons leading the team in tackles rank in a tie for third in team history… Holds team record for most consecutive seasons leading team in tackles for loss, ranking first on the team in 1997, ’98 and ’99… Earned first Pro Bowl trip in 1998 but did not play in the game because of a knee injury he suffered in the NFC Championship game… Second on the club’s all-time list for sacks by a linebacker… Fourth on team’s all-time list for tackles for a loss… Second in team history for most passes defended by a linebacker… Played at Clemson 1988-1991… First team All-American in 1991… Number one tackler on the defense that that led the nation in rushing defense in 1991.

Chester McGlockton… Kansas City Chiefs… DT… Ninth Year First-round draft pick of the Oakland Raiders (16th player taken)… Four-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle now in his third season with the Chiefs… Overlooked for last season’s Pro Bowl even though he was one of the league’s most dominant players at the position… Racked up 54 QB hurries in the last last year, more than any other Chief has recorded in the previous two years… Has 74 QB hurries in past two seasons… Has seen duty in 120 regular season NFL games, with 109 starts… In previous eight years, has collected 459 tackles (341 solo), 42.0 sacks (-260.5 yards), seven fumble recoveries and 12 forced fumbles… Played at Clemson 1989-1991… All-ACC in 1991… ACC Lineman of the Year in 1991… Made three bowl appearances with the Tigers: Gator, Hall of Fame and Citrus.

Trevor Pryce… Denver Broncos… DT… Fourth Year Earned first Pro-Bowl berth and consensus All-NFL status in 1999… Ranked fifth in the league in sacks last year with 13, and the fifth-highest total by a Bronco in franchise history… Entering the 2000 season he has made 137 tackles (104 solo), including 23.5 sacks (-141 yards), as well as two interceptions, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked field goal… Has two Super Bowl Championship rings (1997 and 1998) in three years with Denver… played at Clemson 1996… All-ACC in 1996.

Anthony Simmons… Seattle Seahawks… LB… Third Year First-round draft pick (15th overall) of the Seahawks in 1997… Was selected to the NFL All-Rookie team in 1998… In 1999 was tied for third on the team with 90 tackles… His 35 assists were best on the team… Played at Clemson 1995-1997… Just the second ACC player in history to be named an AP All-American in three different seasons… Finished his career second in school history in career tackles with 486… Led the ACC in tackles in 1996 and 1997… One of 10 semifinalists for the 1997 Butkus Award… First team All-ACC for three straight years, joining just Levon Kirkland and William Perry as the only three-time selections from Clemson.

James Trapp… Baltimore Ravens… DB… Eighth Year Third-round pick of the Oakland Raiders in 1993… He is in his second season with the Ravens and is a key member of the kick coverage units… He finished fifth on the team with 14 special team stops last season… Has world-class speed, winning the NFL’s Fastest Man title in 1995 and finishing second in both 1996 and ’97 (tied for second in ’97)… Has 26 career starts entering 2000, and has posted 209 tackles, 23 passes defensed, four interceptions, two recovered fumbles and one forced fumble… Has also totaled 55 career special teams’ tackles… Started all 16 games at safety in 1997 for the Raiders… Started in track and lettered in football at Clemson 1989-1992… Played in the Gator, Hall of Fame, and Citrus bowls, and had been Clemson’s only 10-time All-American in track before Shawn Crawford finished his career with 11… Member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team… Inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 2000.