Note: The following appears in the Virginia football gameday program.
“All In” is one of Clemson football’s team mottos, signifying the importance of having every person in the program fully invested at all times. The success of Clemson football requires buy-in from everyone, starting with the coaches, to the players and all the support staff members. Everyone has a role, and they all contribute to the success of the program.
Some of the contributions from walk-on players and the scout team in practice often go unnoticed, but at the end of the third quarter against App State on Sept. 7, 2024, one player made his way on the field and contributed.
In what was Clemson’s first takeaway of the season, safety Peter Nearn recovered a fumble on a kickoff return against the Mountaineers, igniting the crowd. To add to the moment, Nearn was wearing a #97 pullover jersey over his typical #38 jersey, since Clemson’s placekicker, Robert Gunn III, also wears #38. Later in September, Nearn switched to #97 full time, a number fans do not see safeties normally wearing.
Nearn could not recall what transpired afterwards.
“It was a lot of fun. I’m not sure what all I did after the play until I saw a video of it. I ran to the student section and ripped my jersey off. My mom and dad were going crazy. Then I saw it on TV later, and no one knew who I was, so I thought that was kind of funny. It was a great moment.”
Ripping off the #97 pullover jersey and pointing to his last name was a surreal moment, and one that Nearn will never forget. It was a moment that many kids dream of and one that he worked hard for.
Prior to Clemson, Nearn grew up in Memphis, Tenn. and played many sports before focusing on baseball and football in high school. Football was always his biggest passion, and Nearn jumped at the opportunity to enroll at Clemson and represent such a successful football program despite having a family full of Auburn Tigers.
“When I’m thinking about representing Clemson the way I do, I’m thinking about grit. I’m thinking about doing everything in my power and being gritty. I love the grit mentality.”
Nearn credited his selfless mentality to his parents. His mother works at his high school, Evangelical Christian School, and his father is a pediatrician who works at Christ Community Health Services. Nearn believes that seeing the work his parents have done has had a big impact on how he tries to embody a servant mentality.
During his time at Clemson, Nearn has gotten some job experience of his own, as he has completed three microinternships through the football program at Segars Ranch in Montana, Northwestern Mutual and working in sales at Adobe.
“It’s a vast range of experience, from being a cowboy out in Montana to being a tech sales guy. It’s given me a lot of perspective on everything that’s possible and different areas to pursue.”
Nearn has made the most of his time at Clemson, both on and off the field. When asked about his favorite memory so far, he gave an interesting response.
“When I’m looking back in 10 or 20 years, I’m going to enjoy the hard times the most. Being with all these friends I’ve made, you can’t grow any closer unless you’re doing some hard things together. The happiness that we get for each other when someone makes a play hypes me up. Those are some memories I’ll always cherish.”
Whether it is putting in the hard work on the field or in the locker room, Nearn has embraced the “All In” mentality of Clemson football, and he finally got his moment to shine against App State. Look for #97 to continue to work hard and contribute to the Tigers in any way he can.
