Richardson Named Freshman All-American

Dec. 7, 2004

Clemson, SC – Clemson offensive tackle Barry Richardson has been named a first-team freshman All-American by The Sporting News. Richardson is the first Tiger to be named to a freshman All-America team since Justin Miller was a unanimous choice in 2002.

Richardson, a 350-pound offensive tackle from Mount Pleasant, SC, started each of the last seven games of 2004 and the Tigers posted a 5-2 mark in those contests. He played 471 plays for the season, the most ever by a Clemson first-year freshman offensive player and the fifth most by any Clemson first-year freshman regardless of position.

Richardson finished the year with 19 knockdown blocks and a 76 percent average blocking grade, including a 79 percent grade for the seven games he started. He had a 78 percent grade and a team best six knockdown blocks in the victory at 10th ranked Miami (FL) on November 6 and had an 81 percent grade in the season ending win over rival South Carolina.

With his seven starts, Richardson became the first Clemson first-year freshman to serve as a starter in the offensive line since the 1943 season when Clemson’s junior and senior classes were drafted into the armed services by the United States government. He was the first first-year freshman to start in the offensive line in any Clemson game since Stacy Long started at Georgia in 1986. But, that was the only start of the year for Long, who went on to become a two-time All-American at tackle.

The Sporting News 2004 Freshman All-America Team

Offense WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech*

WR Dwayne Jarrett, USC*

TE Zach Miller, Arizona State*

L (T) Jake Long, Michigan

L (T) Barry Richardson, Clemson*

L (T) Sam Baker, USC

L (G) Charlston Gray, North Carolina

L (G) Will Arnold, LSU

QB Chad Henne, Michigan*

RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma*

RB Jamario Thomas, North Texas*