Thirty-Two Former Clemson Players on NFL Rosters

CLEMSON, SC – Thirty-two former Clemson football players are on NFL rosters according to information on the NFL’s website.  The list includes 10 members of last year’s Clemson team that won 11 games and finished ninth in the final USA Today Coaches poll.  It was the most wins for the Clemson program since 1981.

Twenty-nine of the 32 players on the list below played at least one season for current Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney.  Seventeen of the players on the 2009 team, his first team, have played in at least one NFL game.  Twenty-seven of the 32 players on the list below were on the 2009 Clemson roster.

Former Clemson players are represented on 20 of the 32 NFL teams with the most former Tigers on the Buffalo Bills.  Five former Clemson players, Kourtnei Brown, Crezdon Butler, Chris Hairston, C.J. Spiller and Jonathan Meeks are on the Bills roster.  Spiller was a Pro Bowl running back last year.

Eight different teams have two former Clemson players apiece.  Those teams are the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, and Tennessee Titans.

The list of former Tigers on NFL rosters is well distributed by position.  There four linebackers, four defensive ends, four cornerbacks, three wide receivers, three cornerbacks, three defensive tackles, three tight ends, two centers, two running backs, a quarterback, an offensive tackle and an offensive guard.

The senior most player on the list is quarterback Charlie Whitehurst who is in his eighth year in the NFL.   He is in his second tour of duty with the San Diego Chargers.   He was Clemson’s starting quarterback from 2002-05.

Three players not on the list below are free agents Barry Richardson, Jamie Harper and Nick Eason.  All played last season, Richardson with the St. Louis Rams, Harper with the Tennessee Titans and Eason with the Arizona Cardinals.  Their status for 2013 is unknown.

Richardson has played in 64 games over the last four years, 49 as a starter. Richardson, Dwayne Allen and Chris Clemons were the only former Tigers who starter all 16 games for their respective teams last year.