Re: Hill Watch...153 days!!!

Clemson FB Chris Lancaster (1985-1987) played with all heart!

Lancaster had to walk-on to earn his spot with the Clemson football program. He was a physical, hard-hitting (power) fullback. The kind of guy who just seemed to love playing smashmouth football, including taking – and delivering – hard hits. His playing career at Clemson, however, ended one season earlier than it should have. GoUpstate.com describes what happened with Lancaster as he was preparing for his 1988 senior season:

“A deteriorating neck condition forced Lancaster to the sidelines late last summer, but only after doctors gave second opinion after second opinion. The diagnosis? A hit such as those Lancaster delivered to knock 148 defenders on their backsides in three seasons at Clemson could paralyze or even kill him. Clemson head coach Danny Ford says he's never known a player who loved football more than Chris Lancaster. Such love never ends.”

https://www.goupstate.com/story/news/1988/12/16/the-senior-season-that-never-came-lancaster39s-view-different-this-year/29507792007/

For a hard-nosed warrior like Lancaster, the injury must have been tough, but being forced to forever give up playing the sport he loved must have been far worse. After the neck injury was diagnosed, Chris Lancaster stayed on with the Clemson team in 1988. He served as a student assistant that season.

For his career, Lancaster put up the following stats according to Sports-Referece.com:

1985:
- 8 Carries for 19 Yards (2.4 Average)

1986:
- 103 Carries for 322 Yards (3.1 Average)
- 4 Rushing Touchdowns
- 2 Receptions for 8 Yards (4.0 Average)

1987:
- 42 Carries for 111 Yards (2.6 Average)
- 2 Receptions for 11 Yards (5.5 Average)

Clemson Career (1985-1987)
- 152 Carries for 452 Yards (3.0 Average)
- 4 Rushing Touchdowns
- 4 Receptions for 19 Yards (4.8 Average)

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/chris-lancaster-1.html

Lancaster made a number of hard-nosed big plays for Clemson. Those big plays included this touchdown against Stanford in the 1987 Gator Bowl:

After Clemson:

With playing football no longer on the table, Chris Lancaster stayed in the game. After Clemson, he dedicated his career to coaching other young men. He was an assistant coach at Kentucky in 2002 when TigerNet described him as follows:

As a competitor, a warrior, Lancaster had few peers. “The things I’m solid with and that I’m most happy about,” says Lancaster from his Lexington, Kentucky office, “are that I did my best, I did everything I could, and I gave every ounce I could.”

The red hair has receded a bit and, he admits with wry laugh, “I can’t fit in the sweats they used to give us – ####, I’m too fat.”

https://www.tigernet.com/clemson-football/story/tiger-insider-sneak-peak:-chris-lancaster---keeping-a-steady-course-1671

Fox 44News.com describes Lancaster’s coaching path after Clemson as he was named head coach of Academy Independent School District in Texas:

Lancaster has been coaching ever since, serving as a graduate assistant coach for Baylor University under Head Coach Grant Teaff (1990-1992) and Clemson University under Head Coach Ken Hatfield (1992-1993). He was hired as assistant football coach at the college level for Baylor University under Head Coach Chuck Reedy (1993-1996), Sam Houston State University (1996-1998), McNeese State University (1998-2000), University of Kentucky (2000-2002), and Baylor University under Head Coach Guy Morriss (2002-2006).

https://www.fox44news.com/sports/academy-names-chris-lancaster-as-their-new-head-football-coach/

In 2023, Fox 44News.com reported that Lancaster was named head coach of nearby Robinson High School:

Chris Lancaster confirmed with FOX 44 Sports that he is leaving Little River-Academy to take over the Rocket football team. Lancaster took the head coach mantle for the Bumblebees in 2020.

https://www.fox44news.com/news/local-news/bell-county/football-coach-moves-from-academy-to-robinson/

All our best, Coach! Thank you for demonstrating what true heart looks like every time you took the field – and even the times when you couldn’t.

CBProf®

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153 - Austin Bryant Made 153 Clemson Tackles

Mar 31, 2024, 12:06 AM

DL Austin Bryant (2015-2018) was fortunate to start on a DL with three future NFL First Round Draft picks. Each of them was fortunate to start on a DL with Austin Bryant.

While at Clemson:

ClemsonTigers.co provides the following bio for Bryant, along with some key highlights from each season he was at Clemson:

Was part of Clemson’s two-deep rotation for his entire career, completing his time as a Tiger with 153 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 20.0 sacks, 32 quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, two caused fumbles and an interception in 1,807 snaps over 51 games (29 starts) in his career … earned Outstanding Defensive Player honors in the CFP Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl Classic in the midst of Clemson’s undefeated 2018 campaign … entered 2018 as the No. 32 player in the nation in the preseason by Sports Illustrated and No. 57 player by NFL.com … No. 7 defensive end in the nation in the preseason by Lindy’s

2018: Third-team All-ACC … All-Bowl team selection by the AP and Rivals … credited with 44 tackles (14.5 for loss) and 8.0 sacks in 667 snaps in 15 games (all starts) …

2017: First-team All-American by Football Writers Association … second-team All-American by Walter Camp … third-team All-American by AP … Second-Team All-ACC selection … first-team All-ACC by Phil Steele … second-team All-ACC by AP … had 58 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, 12 quarterback pressures, two pass breakups, two caused fumbles and an interception in 677 snaps over 14 games (14 starts) … tied for third in the ACC in sacks and tied for fifth in tackles for loss …

2016: Earned share of the defense’s 12th Man Award, along with Marcus Edmond and Scott Pagano … suffered a foot injury in August camp and missed the first six games of the season … had 16 tackles, including three for loss and two sacks, in 244 snaps over nine games …

2015: Logged significant action as a backup to both Kevin Dodd and Shaq Lawson, appearing in 13 games and 219 snaps … had four quarterback pressures and two special teams tackles, as well as a fumble recovery …

https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/roster/austin-bryant/

Braynt’s journey at Clemson took a lot of interesting twists.

Playing alongside such tremendously talented teammates meant that Bryant did not always receive the credit he would have received otherwise. As 49ersebzone.com put it:

“Bryant would have been the star on most college defenses, but at Clemson he was one of many. He waited his turn behind Shaq Lawson as a freshman, then shared a defense with Ferrell, Wilkins, Lawrence, cornerbacks A.J. Terrell (Falcons) and Trayvon Mullen (Ravens), safety K'Von Wallace (Eagles... as 49ers fans surely remember) and linebacker Isaiah Simmons (Cardinals). Among the stars on offense for the 2018 Clemson team were quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne (Jaguars), wide receiver Tee Higgins (Bengals), and wide receiver Hunter Renfrow (Raiders).

Bryant's defensive line mates took much of the spotlight, which he admitted during the NFL Scouting Combine was a motivating factor, even if he was proud of what they accomplished.

"I mean, I'll be lying if I said it doesn't kind of kind of get to me sometimes, but for me, I've always been a person that I've always been doubted," Bryant said. "Even coming from high school, people doubted I'd be a good college player. Well, went to college, All-American, all-conference, eight-and-a-half, sacks my junior/senior year.

"So for me, it's more so about proving myself right, believing in myself rather than trying to prove people wrong."

https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/167873-things-know-about-new-49ers-austin-bryant/

Excellent attitude from an excellent player!

While at Clemson, Austin Bryant and his DL teammates became known as the Power Rangers. Dressing as Power Rangers probably had something to do with that. Making hand motions like Power Rangers also likely helped.

Bryant, like a couple of his teammates, had the option of going pro after the 2017 season. He chose to return out of his desire to win another Clemson national title. According to Clemson Sports Talk:

Ferrell (Green Ranger), Wilkins (White Ranger), and Bryant (Red Ranger), 2015 signees, and Lawrence (Pink Ranger), a 2016 signee, won ACC Championships and appeared in the College Football Playoffs every year, and initially helped Clemson win its first national title (2016) since the program's lone championship in 1981.

https://clemsonsportstalk.com/s/9121/nfl-draft-clemson-power-rangers-revisited

He suffered an injury in 2018 that would need surgery. Bryant displayed his tema-first attitude by delaying the surgery until the end of the season. Doing so allowed him to remain an active part of Clemson’s 2018 title run, but it also mean the would have to forgo the NFL Combine. Knowing it might have risked his draft position, Bryant chose to put the team ahead of personal aspirations. As the Detroit Free Press put it:

One of the key parts of Bryant’s story is the pectoral muscle he tore Nov. 3 against Louisville. He chose to delay surgery and finish the season.
…
Bryant’s selfless act might have hurt his draft stock. He wasn’t able to take part in the combine or pre-draft workouts. But the explanation for his choice to delay surgery and finish out his college season was exemplary.

“I thought about it,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I knew what I came back to school to do, and that was not only to get my degree, but play and win the national championship. And that’s what I wanted to do. If I can walk, I was going to be out on that field with my teammates just because that’s how much I love those guys. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I knew that I could’ve went out there and played, and I didn’t do so.

“I’m very glad I made the decision to play, even though it may have had its consequences. It’s well worth it, and I ended up in the right place.”

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/04/27/detroit-lions-take-austin-bryant-round-4-2019-nfl-draft/3599013002/

After Clemson:

The Detroit Lions selected Austin Bryant with the 117th pick (4th Round) of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played for the Lions from 2019-2022. He played with the San Francisco 49ers last year. In his five NFL seasons, Bryant has registered the following stats according to Pro-Football-Reference.com:

- 66 Tackles (42 Solo and 24 Assisted)
- 7 Tackles for Loss

https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BryaAu00.htm

Bryant has shown versatility in his NFL career. 49erswebzone.com wrote the following when Bryant was announced as having joined the team:

Bryant has been used in a number of ways throughout his football career. The 49ers should be able to find creative ways to use him if need be.

"I think I can do it all," Bryant said during the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. "I can play three technique and sub packages. I can play the five technique and rush the passer, and I can also play the Jack on some defenses, the SAM linebacker, just according to how they use them... But I definitely think I can do it all. Dropping space run with tight ends and backstop the backfill into the flats and rush the passes and play the run. So I think I'm a guy that can do it all."

https://www.49erswebzone.com/articles/167873-things-know-about-new-49ers-austin-bryant/

Austin Bryant Clemson Highlights:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YU8_Xp8r04

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Clemson: Academic Excellence! Athletic Excellence!

Hill Watch...153 days!!!