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145 - DJ Reader Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Apr 8, 2024, 5:04 AM

Clemson DL DJ Reader (2012-2015) was not only a star on the football field, Reader played some Tiger Baseball as well. Combining that type of athleticism with his size made Reader a problem for opposing offenses.

Before Clemson:

DJ Reader’s high school coach described Reader as a superb high school athlete. According to SportsSkeeda.com:

“D.J. commanded attention, for sure,” Grimsley baseball coach Jason Simmons said. “The power he had at a young age was totally different than other kids had. Combine that with his athleticism and the way he moved with that body.”

https://www.sportskeeda.com/baseball/news-d-j-reader-little-known-fact-bengals-defender-baseball-star-famous-college

You might assume that quote was attributed to Reader’s high school football coach. It is worth noting that the above quote came from Reader’s high school baseball )not football) coach Jason Simmons. The man is simply a great athlete!

While at Clemson:

According to his bio on ClemsonTigers.com, Reader registered the following football stats at Clemson:

“Longtime backup at defensive tackle who found his way into the starting lineup as a senior en route to a lengthy NFL career … finished career with 145 tackles, nine tackles for loss, five sacks and 24 quarterback pressures in 1,087 snaps over 46 games (10 starts) in his career … became the second Tiger to letter on top-25 football and baseball teams in one academic year (2012-13) since 1994-95 (Kyle Parker (2009-10) is the other) … played in the 2016 Senior Bowl.”

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/d-j-reader/

Reader’s football career, however, does not tell the full story. He also joined the Clemson baseball team in 2013.

Reader’s baseball path created a particularly interesting dilemma for the Clemson baseball program. Credit to TNetter MSTiger02 for posting the following information in 2013. MSTiger02 did include a link to the original Greenville News article, but that link is apparently no longer working:

The biggest challenge facing D.J. Reader may not be trying to squeeze himself into a roster spot on the Clemson baseball team but rather squeezing into the appropriate attire to accomplish said goal.

“I wear a size 16 (shoe), and the biggest they had was a 15, so we’re waiting on my spikes to come in,” Reader said.

Also on the way are some baseball practice pants, shipped courtesy of his family in Greensboro, N.C., lest his current pair continue to ride considerably high on his shin.

“He’s a big young man,” Clemson baseball coach Jack Leggett said.

No question there. At 6-foot-3 and 335 pounds, Reader looks more like a defensive tackle -- which he is -- rather than a starting pitcher -- which is what he yearns to become.

https://www.tigernet.com/forum/thread/DJ-Reader-Making-Transition-to-Baseball-1209864

Now that is big! I could not find any information on Reader pitching for Clemson. But he played in 7 games as an infielder for Jack Leggette’s 2013 team. According to Baseball-Reference.com, Reader officially went hitless in three at-bats, but he registered two walks and he scored a run.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=reader000dj-

That 2013 Spring baseball season was sandwiched in between a 2012 Fall in which he registered 40 tackles and a 2013 Fall in which he registered 43 tackles.

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/d-j-reader/

According to HoustonTexans.com:

“He lettered on a Tigers top-25 football and baseball team in one academic year (2012-13).

While watching the NFL Draft, Reader admits he took a baseball bat and practiced some hits to blow off steam and pass time.”

https://www.houstontexans.com/news/get-to-know-d-j-reader-17133511

Clearly the love of the game, whether football or baseball, has never really left him!!

Reader’s Clemson career, however, was met with a family tragedy in 2014. According to ESPN, Reader described the 2014 football season as “a little cloudy.” He struggled because he lost his father that season. According to ESPN:

“Because David Reader taught his son everything -- he home-schooled him for several years in elementary school. He went with him to football practice, baseball practice, basketball practice, going over the finer points. He taught him to open his heart to others, to be generous, to always give.

D.J. Reader understood. He wanted to give to his dad, in need of a kidney transplant last summer. His dad refused, starting dialysis treatments early so there was no way his son could be a kidney donor. A week before he died, David Reader challenged his son.

"He told me, 'Look, son you’ve got to be ready. I’ve been training you since you were 1 year old to be ready for the day that I’m gone,'" D.J. Reader recently recalled. "You have to impact this world and make it a better place with the tools I’ve given you."

David Reader died one day before D.J. turned 20. When his mom delivered the news, D.J. Reader was crushed. But his mother remained stoic on the line.

"She just reiterated what my dad had always told me, 'to whom much is given, much is required,'" D.J. Reader said. "That situation was given to me. There was nothing I could do to control it. It was required of me to get over it as a man and move on. I’m honored that I wear the same last name as my father and the same first name. I’m a spitting image of him, and I take pride in that. It’s a blessing."

https://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/83779/fathers-memory-spurs-on-clemson-dt-d-j-reader

Very tragic for sure.

After Clemson:

The Houston Texans selected DJ Reader with Pick 166 (5th Round) in the 2016 NFL Draft. played with Houston between 2-16-2019 and with the Cincinnati Bengals between 2020 and 2023. According to ESPN, Reader has registered the following NFL stats:

- 106 NFL Games Played
- 277 Tackles (149 Solo, 128 Assisted)
- 9.5 Sacks
- 3 Fumble Recoveries

Impressive career that is still ongoing!

And just to show that he could still play on the diamond as well, Reader threw out the first pitch at a Cincinnati Reds game in April 2023. According to Sports Illustrated:

“Clemson fans have long known about the multi-sport abilities of D.J. Reader. During his time as a Tiger (2012-2014), Reader played defensive tackle for the football team and spent his freshman season as a member of the baseball team, becoming just the second player since the 90s to play both two Clemson varsity sports for top-25 programs during the same academic year.

Reader was a talented pitcher during his prep days, and the current Cincinnati Bengal got to show off his arm as he and teammate B.J. Hill were invited to throw out the first pitch by the Cincinnati Reds. Reader didn't disappoint, throwing a rope to home plate.”

https://twitter.com/Bengals/status/1648111485594337280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1648111485594337280%7Ctwgr%5E767dfac2ff5a403e642625308c587a792fd8b7aa%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fclemson%2Ffootball%2Fwatch-dj-reader-throws-out-first-pitch-at-reds-game

https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/watch-dj-reader-throws-out-first-pitch-at-reds-game

A true Clemson star!

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

DL Tyler Davis was a highly-rated recruit in the class of 2019. Being from Florida, many of the recruiting “experts” were predicting that he would sign with FSU. We Clemson fans are very glad he chose wisely and picked Clemson!

Tyler Davis (2019-2013) has been a rock for the Clemson DL ever since. His play in the interior of the line has been instrumental critical not only in creating opportunities for himself but also for his teammates. As Davis prepares for the upcoming NFL Draft, here is how NFL Draft Buzz describes Tyler Davis as a prospect:

“Coming from Apopka, Florida, Tyler Davis quickly established himself as a dominating presence on Clemson's defensive line. A highly recruited four-star talent, Davis wasted no time making an impact, racking up 45 tackles, 10.5 for loss, and 6.5 sacks over 549 snaps in his freshman year. This standout performance set the tone for his collegiate career, despite facing adversity in the form of injuries in the following seasons. In 2020 and 2021, Davis was limited in his contributions due to these setbacks but showed resilience and determination to return to form. By 2022, he was back on track, logging 31 tackles, 9.5 for loss, and 5.5 sacks, showcasing his ability to disrupt the backfield with regularity.”

https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Tyler-Davis-DT-Clemson

Davis’ Clemson stats tell an impressive story. Sports-Refernece.com provided Tyler Davis’ stats by year as follows:

2019:
- 45 Tackles (21 Solo, 24 Assisted)
- 10.5 Tackles for Loss
- 1 Fumble Recovery

2020: (Battled Injuries)
- 14 Tackles (9 Solo, 5 Assisted)
- 5.0 Tackles for Loss

2021:
- 21 Tackles (8 Solo, 13 Assisted)
- 1.5 Tackles for Loss
- 1 Fumble Recovery

2022:
- 31 Tackles (14 Solo, 17 Assisted)
- 9.5 Tackles for Loss
- 1 Fumble Recovery

2023:
- 34 Tackles (12 Solo, 22 Assisted)
- 3.5 Tackles for Loss

Clemson Career (2015-2018):
- 145 Tackles (64 Solo, 81 Assisted)
- 3 Fumble Recoveries

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/tyler-davis-4.html

Davis’ bio tells a similar story. According to selected (highlighted) excerpts from Tyler Davis’ bio on ClemsonTigers.com:

Second-team All-American in 2022 who became Clemson’s first defensive player to be a four-time All-ACC selection, including three consecutive first-team honors from 2021-23 … including offensive players and specialists, he became the fifth player in school history to be a four-time All-ACC honoree, joining RB Travis Etienne (five), RB C.J. Spiller (five), PK Nelson Welch (four) and OT Mitch Hyatt (four) … passed Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence and William Perry (three each) for the most career All-ACC selections by a defensive tackle in Clemson history, company befitting a player nicknamed “Baby Dex” by Dabo Swinney and “Mini Fridge” by former teammate K.J. Henry … in 2023, broke Christian Wilkins’ school record for starts by a defensive tackle and went on to set the Clemson record for career starts by any defensive player (52) … finished his career tied with PK Chandler Catanzaro (52) for the fourth-most career starts in Clemson history among all positions … made an immediate impact at Clemson, earning the starting role in his first career game as a true freshman in 2019 and becoming a key interior piece for Clemson’s defense ever since

2023: Voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain … first-team All-ACC selection … became the first defensive player in Clemson history to be a four-time All-ACC selection and joined RB Travis Etienne (five), RB C.J. Spiller (five), PK Nelson Welch (four) and OT Mitch Hyatt (four) as only the fifth player on all sides of the ball to accomplish the feat … also garnered first-team All-ACC honors from the AP and PFF … added second-team All-ACC honors from Phil Steele … All-ACC Academic Team selection

2022: Voted by his teammates as a permanent team captain … earned second-team All-America honors from the FWAA and Phil Steele … Bednarik Award semifinalist … first-team All-ACC selection … also garnered first-team All-ACC honors from the AP and Phil Steele … second-team All-ACC selection by Pro Football Focus … ACC Honor Roll selection

2021: First-team All-ACC selection despite battling injuries during the season … also collected second-team All-ACC honors from the Associated Press

2020: 196 snaps over seven games (all starts) while battling injury for much of the season

2019: Second-team All-ACC selection … his 13 starts were the most by a true freshman defensive lineman in school history … led all true freshmen interior linemen in the country in sacks … became the first true freshman defensive tackle to start a season opener for Clemson since Jeff Mills in 1974

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/tyler-davis/

Of Note:
After the 2022 season, Davis had a decision to make – enter the NFL Draft or return to Clemson for a fifth season. According to Sports Illustrated, Davis “had received positive reviews from scouts about his game heading into the NFL Draft. He would’ve undoubtedly been selected.”
…
“Thinking it over with my family. Just having guys like coach [Nick] Eason, Coach [Dennis] Love, tell me I could come back and maximize myself,” said Davis. “It just took a couple of minutes. I mean, I kind of figured, had a feeling, but we didn’t really know.”

https://www.si.com/college/clemson/football/tyler-davis-explains-decision-to-return-to-clemson

Clemson Sports Talk added the following notes on Tyler Davis as the NFL Draft looms:

Notes on Davis:
- He is the No. 117 overall prospect on the PFF 2024 NFL Draft board
- He is Clemson's first four-time All-ACC selection on defense.
- Davis is the fifth player in program history to be named All-ACC four times
- Second-team All-American in 2022
- Nickname: “Mini fridge” (given by former Tiger defensive lineman KJ Henry)
- Hobbies: Jet skiing

https://clemsonsportstalk.com/s/10204/senior-bowl-exclusive-tyler-davis-reflects-on-clemson-career-path-to-the-nfl-draft

Tyler Davis Clemson Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxUdieqZC0c

Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

145 runs through my home town. Traveled that road many a times.***

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

145 - DJ Reader Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Re: 145 - DJ Reader Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Re: 145 - DJ Reader Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Had a solid pro career!***

Thank you for the daily POSITIVE posts

145 - Tyler Davis Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Re: 145 - Tyler Davis Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Re: 145 - Tyler Davis Registered 145 Tackles for Clemson

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Slowly but Shirley!!! We're getting there!!

Re: Slowly but Shirley!!! We're getting there!!

Good morning MfO!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Ill vote for OJ

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Thanks, O.J.!

Go Tigers!***

Roar!

Re: Hill Watch...145 days!!!

Go Tigers***

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