Note: The following appears in the Furman football gameday program.
Clemson is deeply rooted in the idea of family. Whether you are from across the world or across the street, as soon as you step foot on Clemson University’s campus, you are a part of a family of Tigers. Much is the same when it comes to athletics, and that is where the story of Tyler Venables begins.
A native of Clemson, S.C., Venables began playing football at a young age and developed that passion over time with his older brother, Jake. Their father, Brent, became the defensive coordinator at Clemson in 2012, creating an avenue for the rest of the family to join. However, Tyler was mostly uninterested.
“I definitely did not want to go to Clemson at first, and I was really into the recruiting process, desperately chasing approval from other schools. Teams were not willing to offer me unless they really thought I was actually going to come there.”
Venables spent his time in high school playing quarterback and defensive back for nearby D.W. Daniel High School. In three years as the quarterback for the Lions, he totaled 73 passing touchdowns and 38 rushing touchdowns while setting the school record for career passing yards (6,927). Despite his excellence in the area, Venables sought to make a name for himself elsewhere and not live under the shadow of his coaching father.
“Coach (Dabo) Swinney called me and asked, ‘When are you going to stop running from your name?’ I always thought that I was underneath some huge shadow, but in reality, who cares? That’s what I realized…none of that matters and I should go where I need to be and be the best in that place.”
Venables committed to Clemson on June 2, 2019 after receiving offers from Wake Forest, Coastal Carolina and Nevada among others. He was recruited by Assistant Coach Mickey Conn and his father.
Enrolling in January 2020, he joined both his father and his brother, who played with the Tigers from 2018-21, as the next Venables who was a part of the program. The dynamic between father and coach was quite the endeavor to figure out.
“It was a lot of fun. It was definitely hard, because the line between parent and coach was blurred a lot. One morning in the offseason, I didn’t work out at a training facility that I used to go to, and if I didn’t go there, not only was my parent mad at me, but my coach was disappointed with me, too. It was tough to navigate at first, but once we figured it out, we had a lot of fun together.”
During his first three seasons with the Tigers from 2020-22, Venables averaged over 200 defensive snaps per season and started multiple games. His position as a backup safety allowed him to record 98 tackles across those seasons while being a critical special teams member.
“I learned that nothing is going to be given to you,” said Venables when asked about his first seasons as a Tiger. “You’re not going to stumble upon success. You have to show up every day and earn a seat at the table, and if you’re not willing to do that, then you’re inhibiting everyone’s ability to be successful.”
His father received an offer to become the head coach at Oklahoma, which he accepted after the 2021 season. The younger Venables knew that his father would earn himself a position like that at some point in his career, and despite his love for Clemson, he could not turn down such an opportunity. The new situation did create, however, a question in where his next steps should be.
“I was uncertain on whether I should transfer or do this or that, but Clemson was my place to stay, and I had incredible relationships already with a bunch of guys on the team. I’m really passionate about fighting for Coach Swinney, too. I think he’s one of the best leaders who I’ve ever been around and he’s an incredible human being.”
During the summer of 2023, Venables suffered a torn labrum and also had hip surgery, which kept him out for most of the regular season. He spent that time as a student coach, which helped develop his love for coaching even more.
“I want to go into coaching…college or NFL. I want to get my foot in the door and build some relationships and go from there.”
Venables returned to full action in 2024, and he has continued to play and fight for the Tigers up to this day. While Clemson’s 2025 season has not been what the team expected, Venables and his teammates have learned to persevere and continue to have purpose.
“You have to have a ‘why’ and you have to have a purpose to why you continue to show up every day when your record isn’t where you want it to be. What are you fighting for? You’re fighting for your name, you’re fighting for your relationships with the people who you work with and you’re fighting for the people who you love.”
Through all of the hills and valleys of his story, #24’s love and passion for the game and for the ones he loves has never wavered, and he will continue to fight for the Tigers until the final whistle.
