Thirty-Three Former Tigers on NFL Rosters

CLEMSON, SC – Thirty-three former Clemson Tigers are on NFL rosters as preseason camps are in full swing this week.  Leading the way are the Buffalo Bills with five.

Here are some notes on Clemson players on NFL rosters:

• Clemson is represented on 20 NFL teams, including nine teams that have at least two.  Buffalo has the most with five former Tigers, C.J. Spiller, Chris Hairston, Crezdon Butler, Kourtnei Brown and Jonathan Meeks.
• The Tennessee Titans have the second most former Tigers with three, Coty Sensabaugh, Jonathan Willard and Barry Richardson.
• Seventeen of the 33 former Tigers on NFL rosters lettered on Clemson’s 2011 ACC Championship team.
• Clemson has at least one player from nearly every position represented on NFL rosters.  Leading the way is the defensive end position with six.  There are four safeties, four cornerbacks, three offensive tackles, three tight ends, three wide receivers, three defensive tackles, two running backs, two linebackers, one center, one kicker and one quarterback.
• 11 players off the 2012 Clemson team that won 11 games are trying to make the NFL as rookies.  They are split evenly, five offensive players, five defensive players and one special teams player.  All 10 of the seniors from Clemson’s 2012 team that are in NFL camps have their undergraduate degree from Clemson.
• While Clemson has had a record-breaking offense the last two years, 19 of the 33 former Tigers on NFL rosters are defensive players.  There are 13 offensive players and one special teams player.
• Charlie Whitehurst is the veteran among the 33 players on NFL rosters.  Whitehurst was a rookie in 2006 and is in his eighth year on an NFL roster.  DeAndre Hopkins, who left after his junior year after a record breaking 2012 season, is the youngest former Tiger in a camp.  He turned 21 on June 6.