Thursday March 13, 2008

Two-Sport Hall of Famers

Two-Sport Hall of Famers
Kyle Parker has gotten off to an unbelievable start in his freshman season on the diamond while participating in matt drills and spring football. It is difficult to play two sports in college today and it got me thinking about some of the great two-sport stars at Clemson. I was shocked to find out 31 members of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame were two or three-sport athletes.

I did research on about half of the group but it was difficult to find information on some. So, I have included bio material from the Clemson Sports Information Department and the press guides for each sport. Sam Blackman and Tim Bourrett and their staff have done a terrific job with their bios on the former Tiger greats.

I was fascinated to learn so much more about some of these gentlemen and had no idea about some others. In the future I want to spend a little more time and get in depth with more history here on the blog.

The official Clemson athletic department website is www.clemsontigers.com and you can find the information below and much more detail on every member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame on their site. It was difficult to do and I regret not having enough space here to include each bio in full form but please find some of the edited versions of their bios from Clemsontigers.com of the 31 Hall of Famers that played at least two sports at Clemson.

Obed Ariri football, soccer 1976-80
Ariri set or tied nine NCAA records for field goal kicking and scoring while at Clemson. When he graduated, he was the NCAA's all-time leader in career field goals made with 63. He also set seven other ACC and eight Clemson records. Until 1994, As a soccer player, he once scored a game-winning goal against South Carolina only eight days after kicking three field goals to defeat Notre Dame in football.

Joe Blalock football 1939-41, Basketball 1940-41
Joe Blalock was Clemson's first two-time All-American. He was a starter on the Cotton Bowl team of 1940. For three consecutive years, he was the Tigers' leading receiver, and he averaged 20.3 yards per catch for his career. A panel of historians ranked him as Clemson's #16 football player of all-time in 1999.

Thomas Brown football, basketball, baseball, track 1933-37
During his final two seasons the team went 30-10 and in his senior season he was a second-team All-Southern Conference selection. As for football, his combination of power and speed helped him as an offensive guard and a defensive tackle. In his final two years he earned all-state honors, and during his senior year he was named to the All-Southern Conference and an All-American.

Dude Buchanon Basketball, baseball 1938-41
During his career, he set the Clemson single season record for batting average that still stands today and the record for single season slugging average, recently broken by Khalil Greene. He was named All-Southern Conference in 1941, the year he was captain of the team. His career batting average of .402 is second in Clemson history.

Jackie Calvert football 1948-50, track 1949-51
Jackie Calvert was a first-team All-American at safety. He still holds the career record for rushing yards per attempt and was the captain of the 1951 Orange Bowl team.

Jack Chandler track, basketball 1920-25
Jack Chandler, once described as the fastest man in the South, won the Garland Trophy as the Most Outstanding Athlete in South Carolina in 1920. He set the record in the 100-yard dash at the 1923 Southern Intercollegiate Track Meet. While at Clemson, Chandler never lost a 100-yard dash and lost only one 220-yard event.

Chip Clark basketball, track, golf 1942-46
He earned All-Southern Conference honors on the football field, but was forced to put athletics on hold when he joined the Air Force in 1943 due to World War II. Clark came back to Clemson after his military service and continued to play football under Coach Frank Howard. He also continued to play basketball and served as the team captain. Things got even busier for Clark when he started the golf team in 1946 and also served as team captain.

Roger Collins soccer 1969-70, track 1968-70
Collins competed for the Tigers from 1968-1970. He was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Outdoor Team after earning All-America honors in the javelin throw three times. He finished fourth at the NCAA Championships in the javelin in 1968 and 1970. He placed sixth in the nation in the event in 1969, and earned the ACC Meet Most Valuable Performer accolade that same year. Collins was a three-time ACC Champion in the javelin throw, and holds the Clemson record in the event with a mark of 269'1" set at the AAU Outdoor Championships in Miami, FL in 1969.

Bill Dillard football, baseball, track 1932-35
During his athletic career at Clemson, Dillard was named All-State in football and was captain of the basketball team in 1935. He also led the basketball team in scoring in 1933 and 1934. In track, he finished second in the state track meet in the shot put competition in 1934 and 1935. He was a third-place finisher for the Tigers in the Southern Conference meet in the shot put competition in 1935.

Mike Eppley football, basketball 1980-84
As quarterback of the football team, he threw for 28 career touchdowns, now fourth in school history. In 1983, he was third in the nation in passing efficiency and now ranks fourth on Clemson's career list. He was an honorable mention All-American his senior year and was invited to participate in the Blue-Gray game. Off the field, he was selected Academic All-ACC in both football and basketball three times. In 1984, Eppley was a fourth-team Academic All-American and first-team All-ACC in football.

Eddis Freeman football, basketball, golf 1943-46
Freeman lettered at Clemson in three different sports, still one of just 15 athletes in Tiger history to do so. On the hardwood, Freeman led the 1945 team with an 11.1 scoring average, as he played three seasons under Rock Norman. He set the freshman free throw percentage mark at Clemson as well.
Freeman died of a heart attack one year later at the age of 50 on June 11, 1974.

George Fritts football 1939-41, track 1940-42
George Fritts was a three-year starter on Clemson's football and track teams. In football, he earned All-Southern honors in 1939 and was named All-South Carolina tackle in 1939 and 1940. Also in 1940, Fritts was selected to the first-team All-Southern league and played on Clemson's first-ever bowl team in the 1940 Cotton Bowl.

Frank Gillespie baseball 1943, 47-49, Football 1946-48, basketball 1946-49
Frank Gillespie was Clemson's last three-sport letterman. He lettered in baseball in 1943 before spending three years in the Army. After returning to Clemson, he was a starting guard on the Tiger football team for three years. A native of Beckley, WV, Gillespie was also a starting guard in basketball for three years and played three more years of baseball, where he made the All-State team.

Dick Hendley 1946, 48-50, baseball 1949-51
Dick Hendley lettered in both baseball and football while at Clemson. In 1948, Hendley was a member of the Gator Bowl team. In 1950, he played on the Orange Bowl Championship team and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for South Carolina and the ACC. His grandson, Lucas Glover, played golf at Clemson and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. They are the only grandfather-grandson Hall of Fame combination in school history.

Doug Hoffman baseball 1957-59, basketball 1956-59
Hoffman was named All-ACC in 1959 and was the MVP of the NCAA District Playoffs. As an outfielder, he was selected to the All-College World Series team and was named an All-American in 1959.

P.B. Holtzendorf Swimming, tennis 1938-41
Holtzendorf lettered in tennis three years and was the team captain his senior season. He is best remembered for his swimming, though. In 1939, he led the Tigers to both state and Southern Conference titles. He served as the team captain in 1941.

Bob Hudson football 1947-50, track 1948-51
Bob Hudson is one of three brothers to play football for Coach Frank Howard in the late 1940s and 50s. Nicknamed "Cadillac," Hudson played tackle on the 1948 Tiger team that capped a perfect season by edging Missouri in the 1949 Gator Bowl. Hudson also played end on the 1950 9-0-1 team that defeated Miami in the 1951 Orange Bowl.

Bob Jones basketball 1927-30, football 1928-30
Bob Jones played football and basketball from 1927-1930. He was named to the All-South Atlantic Football team. He also lettered three years in basketball and was captain of the cage team. From 1931-1969 Jones was the Assistant football and boxing coach at Clemson and was the Southern Conference Boxing Commissioner in 1947. He coached golf from 1970-1974.

Whitey Jordan baseball, football 1955-58
Whitey Jordan excelled on the gridiron, catching 12 passes for 369 yards in 1957. The 30.8 average yards per catch stood as a single-season record for 30 years. He was a member of the 1957 Orange Bowl team and also played on the Tiger baseball team.

Frank Knoebel football, baseball 1950-52
Fred "Knobby" Knoebel played both football and baseball while attending Clemson from 1950-1952. He was a walk-on in both sports and ended up with many records. He is considered to be one of the best two sport athletes to come to Clemson. He had six interceptions to lead the team in 1950 and seven in 1951. The seven remained a Clemson record until 1989 when Robert O'Neal nabbed eight. In 1952 he led the baseball team with a .366 batting average, 29 runs-batted-in, 59 total bases, 7 home runs, and a triple. In baseball he stole 26 bases in 27 attempts in 1950. This set a record for stolen bases until they began playing many more games in a season.

Ray Matthews baseball 1948-50, football 1947-50
Ray Matthews was a football and baseball player. He was a starter on the 1948 team that went 11-0 with a win in the Gator Bowl. He was also a started on the perfect season team in 1950. Matthews also excelled on the baseball field. In 1951 he led the team in hits with 33, homeruns with 5, batting average with a .375, slugging percentage at .591, and total bases with 52. He had 10 RBI's in a game against Furman in 1950 as well as three home runs.

Banks McFadden football, basketball, track 1937-40
All-American in both football and basketball in the same calendar year (1939), only Clemson athlete to do that...named the nation's most versatile athlete for 1939-40...Clemson's first wire-service AP All-American...record setter on the field as a runner, passer, and punter...led Tigers to state championship in track twice in his three years on the team...elected to National Football Hall of Fame in 1959...received Distinguished Alumni Award from Clemson in 1966...charter member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame...only Clemson player to have his jersey retired in two sports...the number-four pick of the Brooklyn Dodgers (football) after the 1939 season, that is still the highest draft pick ever by a Clemson player...played one year in the NFL and led the league in yards per rush...coached the defensive backs at Clemson for 26 years, he was also the head basketball coach from 1947-56...Clemson's McFadden Building, dedicated in 1995, is in his honor...named to Clemson's Centennial team in April, 1996...ranked as Clemson's #1 football player of all-time by a panel of Clemson historians in 1999... member of the Clemson Ring of Honor.

Gene Moore football, baseball 1946-49
As a key contributor to the 1949 team, Moore was the center for the unit that kicked the winning field goal against Missouri in the 1949 Gator Bowl that Clemson won 24-23. Moore was also a key player on Clemson's undefeated 1948 team that finished 11th in the final Associated Press poll. Without his key play at center, Clemson may never have been able to finish undefeated. Moore was also a part of Clemson's first ever NCAA Tournament team in baseball. His team was knocked out of the playoffs by George Bush-led Yale to end the season.

Carter Newman track, basketball 1924-27
Carter Newman was probably Clemson's first "superstar" athlete. He was the state cross country champion in 1924, and the state half-mile champion three years running. Newman set the Clemson half-mile record as a sophomore and was a member of the medley relay team that set the American record at the Georgia Tech relays in 1925. Additionally, he was the first Clemson athlete to compete at the national championships.

Suzie Owens football 1919-1920, baseball 1920-1921
As a tackle and end for the 1919 and 1920 football teams, Owens was an anchor on the Clemson line. In addition to his duties as a lineman, Owens also handled the kicking chores for the Tigers. As an outfielder and one of Clemson's strongest pitchers, Owens starred on the Tiger baseball team. He served as captain of the squad in 1921.

Bob Pauling baseball, football 1979-83
As a kicker on the football team, he was a two-time All-ACC selection. His 1983 season was a career season. He led the team in scoring (90 points), was ranked 11th in the nation in scoring (8.2 points a game), was sixth in kick scoring, and 10th in field goals per game. For the year, he was 18-20 on field goals and made 36 extra points. For his career, he was 34-41 on field goals and 107-109 on extra point attempts giving him 209 career total points. That number ranks him eighth on Clemson's all-time scoring list. He is also seventh all-time in field goals made (34) and second all-time in PATs. In baseball, Paulling was an All-ACC and All-District first basemen for the Tigers in 1983. During that season, he batted 0.407 with a team-leading 10 home runs and team-leading 55 RBIs. Paulling Two remarkable feats Paulling accomplished during his baseball career was hitting three home runs in a game against Georgia and recording six hits in a game against Georgia Tech. Paulling was the only Clemson athlete in the decade of the 1980s to be named first-team All-ACC in two sports.

Carl Pulkinen boxing, track 1946-49
Carl "Spook" Pulkinen was a boxer and middle distance harrier for the Tigers in the late 1940s. Pulkinen fought at the 135-pound division in 1947 and boxed his way through the season without a loss, eventually being crowned the Southern Conference lightweight champion. On the running track, Pulkinen was a standout in the mile and half-mile for four seasons from 1946 to 1949.

Dewey Quinn football, basketball, baseball 1943-46
Quinn is one of just 15 athletes in Clemson history to letter in three different sports. Quinn's top sport was baseball. He led the 1946 baseball team in batting average (0.365). Led the 1946 and 1947 baseball teams in at-bats, hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, slugging percentage, and total bases.

Wallace Roy track 1924-26, football 1923-36, basketball 1925-26
In 1925, Roy set a new school, state, and conference mark in the quarter mile. A year later in 1946, at the NCAA meet in Chicago, Roy finished fifth in the meet. Roy was also a member of the distance medley relay team that set a new American record in the Tech Relays in 1925. In 1926, he was awarded the (Bill) Laval Medal as the best all-around athlete in the state.

Smiley Sanders baseball, football 1971-74
His success on the field began in 1972 when he scored Clemson's only touchdown in a 7-6 win over South Carolina, one of five he scored against the Gamecocks in his career. His dual-sport mastery continued during the 1972 baseball season, when he led the team in homers (6) and RBIs (21). Sanders saw his first regular-season ACC title during the 1973 baseball season, as he led the Tigers to a 10-2 ACC record. He was voted First-Team All-ACC as well. The 1974 baseball season was Sanders' greatest as a Tiger. Sanders led Clemson to a 10-1 ACC record and another ACC regular-season title. He was voted second-team All-District III after leading the ACC in homers (8), RBIs (30), and runs scored (41). Sanders also led the Tigers in doubles (11) and total bases (78). To cap off his stellar season, Sanders belted four homers in the ACC Tournament, leading the Tigers to three wins and Clemson's second tourney title game appearance in as many years.

Bill Spiers baseball, football 1985-87
As a freshman in 1985, he hit .380 in 171 at bats at a variety of positions. In his sophomore season, his power numbers improved, as he hit 11 doubles, five triples, 12 home runs, and stole 35 bases to go along with 53 RBIs and a .322 batting average. In 1987, Spiers led the ACC with 11 triples, while hitting .290 and stealing 16 bases as the Tiger shortstop. The 11 triples still stands today as the most ever in a single-season in Clemson history. The Sporting News tabbed Spiers as a First-Team All-American. In his Clemson career, Spiers accumulated 17 home runs, 119 RBIs, 34 doubles, 17 triples, and 60 stolen bases in just three seasons. Spiers was drafted in the first round (13th pick overall) of the '87 June draft by the Milwaukee Brewers.

James Trapp track 1990-93, football 1989-92
He was the 1992 NCAA Indoor 200m Champion, and ranks second on Clemson's all-time 200m list with a time of 20.66 recorded at the NCAA Championships. He was a six-time All-American outdoors and member of the NCAA runner-up 4x100m relay team in 1991. Trapp was the 1990 and 1992 ACC Outdoor MVP, and a nine-time ACC Champion. He ranks second on Clemson's all-time list in the 100m (10.03w) and in the 200m (20.17). In 1993, Trapp won the 200m Indoor World Championship and was the U.S. Track & Field Champion in the 200m. He was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, a member of the 2000 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl team, and inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame. Trapp was also a starting cornerback for the Tigers in 1992. He was the 1992 NCAA indoor national champion in the 200m, and held a Clemson record time of 20.66 in that event. Trapp also competed as a member of the 1992 United States Olympic team. In 1993, Trapp won the U.S. Indoor Championship in the 200m, won the world championship in the 200m, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders. Trapp was a member of the 2000 Baltimore Raven Super Bowl Championship team and was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame. Most recently, he was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Track and Field Team.

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