Eleven to Be Inducted into Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame
CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame committee on Monday announced a record-tying 11 former Clemson greats for induction this fall. The class of 2022 is composed of 10 former student-athletes and a former Clemson coach, representing nine different sports. It is the largest class since 2016 when Clemson also inducted 11 new members. The 2022 class will be honored at the NC State game in Memorial Stadium on October 1.
The Block C Club Board of Directors serves as the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee.
Any former Clemson student-athlete, living or deceased, who received an athletic letter from the Clemson University Athletic Department and who excelled athletically is eligible for Hall of Fame consideration 10 years after his or her athletic eligibility has been exhausted. In addition, former coaches, managers, trainers, etc., who made significant contributions to Clemson athletics are also eligible for consideration.
Quick Notes on the inductees
· Nine different programs are represented.
· All 10 of the former student-athletes earned All-America honors at least once.
· Three won National championships individually.
· Three were MVPs of the ACC regular season or postseason event.
· Six of the 10 went on to prominent professional careers, including one who won an Olympic Medal last year.
· Three are current professional athletes.
Former teammates Da’Quan Bowers and Dwayne Allen are members of the 2022 class in just their third and second years of eligibility, respectively. Bowers won the Bronko Nagurski Award as the National Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, while Allen won the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end in 2011.
Jacoby Ford is an inductee as a two-sport athlete. Ford was a productive wide receiver for the Tigers under Tommy Bowden and Dabo Swinney between 2006-09 and was a National Champion on Clemson’s track team during the same era.
Kyle Stanley, a full-time member of the PGA Tour, won the Ben Hogan Award as the top amateur golfer in the country in 2009 under Larry Penley’s guidance.
Brad Miller, the ACC Player of the Year on the baseball diamond in 2011, has more career home runs in the Major Leagues than any other former Tiger in history.
Patricia Mamona was a national champion in the triple jump, an academic All-American and won silver in the 2021 Olympic Games for her home nation of Portugal.
Wesley Russell won the NCAA Championship at the 1993 Indoor meet in the 400 meters and was named to the ACC 50-Year Anniversary Track team in 2002.
Oguchi Onyewu was named to the men’s soccer ACC 50-Year Anniversary team in 2002. He only played for the Tigers for two years, but he was one of the top defenders in the nation. He was a finalist for the 2001 Hermann Trophy and went to play for the United States National team in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. He serves an analyst for CBS Sports.
Joey McKenna was the only three-time ACC Champion in wrestling at any weight class over his career that spanned 1983-86. He finished fourth in the 150-pound division at the NCAA Meet his final year.
Suzanne Van Fleet was an All-American on Clemson’s rowing team in 2008 and was a big reason Clemson Varsity 8+ advanced to the NCAA Championships. She was a three-time Academic All-ACC selection as well.
The only coach in the 2022 Clemson Hall of Fame Class is former swimming coach Bob Boettner. Between 1977 and 1991, Boettner was a six-time ACC Coach of the Year, four for the women’s program and twice for the men. He won four ACC Championships, three with the women and once with the men. He led the Clemson women to three straight top 10 finishes between 1987-89.
Dwayne Allen, Football, 2009-11
•Winner of the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end for 2011
•Named first-team All-American by Associated Press, Football Writers Association, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and second team by CBS Sports in 2011.
•Joins Clemson Hall of Famer Bennie Cunningham as only consensus All-America tight ends in Clemson history.
•First-team All-ACC in 2011, he was second-team in 2010.
•As a junior, his final year at Clemson, caught 50 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns, helping Clemson to its first ACC Championship in 20 years.
•Finished his career with 93 catches for 1079 yards and 12 touchdown.
•Third-round draft choice of the Colts, he played 86 regular season games, plus 10 playoff games in seven years in the NFL.
•Won a Super Bowl Championship with Patriots in 2018.
Bob Boettner, Swimming Coach, 1977-91
•Six-time ACC Coach of the Year – four in women’s swimming and two in men’s swimming.
•Coached Clemson to four ACC Championships, three in women (1987-88-89) and one in men (1986).
•First in Clemson swimming history in women’s victories (78) and second in men’s victories (93).
•Finished in top 10 nationally four times and in top 25 seven times in women’s swimming and diving.
•Had three straight top 10s in women’s swimming, 1987-88-89.
•Coached 65 ACC Champions, 41 in women’s swimming, 24 in men’s swimming.
•Coached 66 All-Americans, 49 in women’s swimming, 17 in men’s swimming
•Coached 65 All-ACC selections, 49 in women’s swimming, 16 in men’s swimming.
•Coached six ACC Divers of the Year, three in men and three in women.
•Coached Olympic medalists Mitzi Kremer and Michelle Richardson.
Da’Quan Bowers, Football 2008-10
•Unanimous first-team All-American in 2010, one of just six unanimous All-Americans in Clemson history.
•Winner of the Nagurski Award as the National Defensive Player of the Year as chosen by the Football Writers Association of America.
•Winner of the Hendricks Award as the top defensive end in the nation in 2010.
•Lombardi Award finalist in 2010.
•Led the nation in sacks/game in 2010, it was the most by any ACC player in 11 years.
•Had 15.5 sacks in 2010, 26 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback pressures, and 74 tackles.
•His 26 tackles for loss tied for first in the nation.
•Those 15.5 sacks are still most ever by a Clemson defensive lineman for a season.
•Five-time selection as ACC Defensive Linemen of the Week, a first for any league defensive lineman.
•ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010
•Second round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Bucs, he played five years in the NFL and one in the CFL.
Jacoby Ford, Football and Track, 2006-10
Track
•One of Clemson’s greatest track athletes, he was an All-American and National Champion.
•Won the NCAA Championship in the 60 meters indoors in March of 2009 with time of 6.52.
•Had a streak of 18 straight victories in 60 meter and 100 meter races over the indoor and outdoor season.
•Five-time All-American in track, twice indoors and three times outdoors.
•Six-time All-ACC performer in men’s indoor and outdoor track.
•ACC Freshman of the Year in Outdoor track 2007
•Southeast Region Track Athlete of the Year in 2007
•Ran a 4.28 in the 40 at NFL Combine, one of the fastest times on record.
Football
•Ford finished with 4,086 career all-purpose yards, sixth-best in school history.
•Ranked sixth in Clemson history in career receptions at the time of his graduation with 143, and had 1,986 career reception yards to finish eighth in school history,
•Had 16 career touchdown receptions to rank tied for fourth in Clemson history at the time of his graduation.
•Ford and C.J. Spiller finished as the NCAA’s greatest all-purpose duo in history with a combined 11,671 all-purpose yards.
•Ranked sixth in school history in career kickoff return yards with 1,124 and was eighth in punt return yards with 479.
•Also had 494 career rushing yards and had an incredible 8.5 rushing average over his career, first in Clemson history among players with at least 50 carries.
•Caught at least one pass in 29 straight games to close his career and caught at least two passes in 27 of those 29 games.
•Played in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL on January 30, 2010
•Had eight career touchdowns of 50 yards or more, third-best in Clemson history.
•Fourth-round draft choice of the Oakland Raiders, he played four years in the NFL. Had four kickoff returns for touchdowns in his career, including NFL-best three in 2010.
Patricia Mamona, Women’s Track, 2008-11
•NCAA Champion in the Triple Jump, 2010 and 2011.
•Second Clemson female track athlete to win two NCAA Championships.
•Olympic Silver Medalist in triple jump at 2021 Summer Games.
•Winner of the Frank Howard Award for bringing honor to Clemson in 2010.
•Academic All-American in 2010.
•ACC Outdoor Track & Field Events Athlete of the Year in 2010
•All-ACC Academic team as a junior and senior
•Finished second in triple jump at the NCAA indoor championships in 2010.
•Three-time All-American in the triple jump.
•First-team All-ACC in 2009 and 2010.
•USTFCCA All-American in triple jump, 2011
•Helped Clemson to #7 finish at NCAA outdoor championships and ACC Championship in 2011
Joey McKenna, Wrestling, 1983-86
•Had career record of 105-34-1, his 105 wins rank third in Clemson history.
•Second all-time in career number of pins (31)
•Only three-time ACC Champion in Clemson wrestling history, 1983, 1985 and 1986.
•ACC Tournament MVP, 1986
•Four-time NCAA Qualifier
•All-American in 1986 when he won 33 times and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships.
•Had 18 pins in 1985, second-most in a season in Clemson history.
•Had 36 wins in 1985, fourth-most in a season in Clemson history.
•Led Clemson to top 20 team ranking his senior season in 1986.
Brad Miller, Baseball, 2009-11
•First-team All-American in 2011 as chosen by ABCA, Baseball America, and Collegiate Baseball
•ACC Player of the Year and first-team All-ACC shortstop in 2011
•Hit .395 with 50 RBIs, 21 steals and 77 hits in 2011.
•Three-time ACC Player of the week in 2011, and National Player of the Week on April 11, 20l1
•Named to USA Collegiate National Team in 2010 and 2011
•All-Atlantic Region, 2011
•Ranked 16th in the nation in on-base percentage in 2011 with .498, he was 25th in batting average with .395 figure.
•First-team Academic All-ACC in 2010 and 2011.
•For his career hit .339 with 16 home runs, 135 RBIs, 46 stolen bases and 36 doubles.
•Professionally, has more home runs in the MLB than any other former Clemson player with 115 entering 2022.
•Currently in 10th season in MLB.
•Hit 30 home runs in 2016, most ever for a former Clemson player in one season.
Oguchi Onyewu, Soccer, 2000-01
•Named NSCAA first-team All-American in 2001
•Named to the Soccer America second-team All-America team in 2001
•Hermann Award Finalist in 2001
•Named first-team All-ACC in 2000 and 2001
•Scored the winning goal in the 2001 ACC Championship match vs. North Carolina and two goals in the closing minutes of the 2001 NCAA Tournament match vs. UAB.
•Member of the ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team
•Player on the 2006 and 2010 US World Cup teams
•Named US Soccer Athlete of the Year for 2006, the first defender to win the award since 1995.
•Signed a professional contract with F.C. Metz of France in the spring of 2002 and had 15-year professional career.
Wesley Russell, Men’s Track, 1992-93
•National champion indoors in the 400 meters in 1993.
•Named to the ACC Men’s Track 50-Year Anniversary team
•Won four ACC Championships in just two years.
•Two-time All-American in the 400 meters.
•Won the ACC 400 meters, indoors and outdoors in each of his two years
•Won eight All-ACC certificates, six in individual events in his career.
•Set Clemson record in the 400 meters indoors with 45.92 time in 1993.
•It is still a top-five time outdoor, nearly 30 years later.
Kyle Stanley, Men’s Golf, 2006-09
•Winner of the 2009 Ben Hogan Award as top amateur in college golf, one of just two Clemson golfers to win the award (D.J. Trahan).
•National runner-up at the NCAA Tournament in 2007 to Jamie Lovemark and to Matt Hill in 2009.
•Joins Charles Warren as only Clemson golfers to finish in the top two at two different NCAA National Tournaments.
•ACC Most Valuable Golfer, and ACC Freshman of the Year in 2007
•Member of the 2007 winning US Walker Cup team
•Southern Amateur Champion in 2006 and 2008, only Clemson golfer to win that tournament twice.
•Finished seventh in the nation in the final college Sagarin Rankings in 2007 and fifth in 2009.
•First-team All-American in 2007 and 2009, he was honorable mention in 2008
•Only true freshman in Clemson history to be a first-team All-American according to the Golf Coaches Association.
•Three-time first-team All-ACC (2007, 2008, 2009).
•Has gone on to long PGA Tour career and has won two tournaments.
Suzanne Van Fleet, Rowing, 2005-08
•One of the biggest reasons Clemson qualified for the NCAA Championships in the 1st Varsity 8+, the first ever appearance for the Clemson program at the NCAA National regatta.
•First-team All-American in 2008
•Clemson’s Varsity 8+ was named best in the ACC in 2008, so she was considered a main reason Clemson got to the NCAAs.
•Team captain in 2007 and 2008
•First-team All-Region in 2008
•First-team All-ACC in 2007 and 2008.
•Also outstanding student, she was a three-time Academic All-ACC Selection.
•A National Scholar-Athlete in rowing three times as well (2006-08).
•Made ACC Academic Honor Roll all four years.
•Named to the United States Women’s National Team. As a member of this Under 23 team, she won a Gold Medal at the World Championships in Germany in the summer of 2008 and a Bronze Medal in 2007.
•Invited to train with the 2008 US Olympic team.
