Ring of Honor

The Clemson Ring of Honor is in its third year of existence in Clemson Memorial Stadium. On September 3, 1994, during ceremonies prior to the Clemson vs. Furman football game, Frank Howard, Steve Fuller and Banks McFadden were inducted into the Clemson Ring of Honor. On September 2, 1995, Jeff Davis was added to the Clemson Ring of Honor.

The Ring of Honor is the highest honor at Clemson football player can receive. A recipient must first be a member of the Clemson Hall of Fame, earn at least an undergraduate degree, and make a significant contribution to the heritage of Clemson athletics. Honorees will have their jersey retired.

Howard was Clemson's head coach between 1940-69 and he guided Clemson to eight conference championships, six bowl games and six Top 25 seasons. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and is the second winningest coach in ACC history. He had 165 wins when he retired, most in ACC history.

McFadden was named the Nation's most versatile athlete in 1939. He was an All-American in football and basketball, the only Clemson athlete in history to do that. McFadden led Clemson to it's first bowl bid ever, a 6-3 win over Boston College in the 1940 Cotton Bowl. He was the number-three pick of the 1940 NFL draft, the highest draft selection in Clemson history.

Fuller is the only football player in Clemson history to be chosen an All-American on the field and in the classroom. Fuller was a first-team Academic All-American in 1977 and 1978 and was a third-team AP All-American in 1978. Fuller, who was ACC MVP on two occasions, is still Clemson's all-time leader in total offense. He was an NCAA Top Five Award winner in 1979, the only Clemson athlete to win the award.

Davis, captain of Clemson's 1981 National Championship team was a first-team All-American that year when he led the Tigers in tackles with 175, the highest total in Clemson history. Davis was also named the MVP of the ACC and was the Defensive MVP of the Orange Bowl victory over Nebraska, the game that clinched the national championship for the Tigers.

RING OF HONOR GUIDELINES

Purpose: The charge of the Ring of Honor committee is to bestow the highest athletic award presented by the Clemson Athletic Department on deserving candidates. The committee will examine the careers of candidates in all Clemson sports.

Nominations: Nominations are made by any member of IPTAY, a member of the faculty or a relative of a worthy nominee, and are accepted up to 30 days prior to the committee meeting. The committee will meet once every two years in the month of April to vote on the nominations.

Nominations will be made in the form of a letter with a complete list of accomplishments and submitted to the chair of the committee, currently Clemson sports information Director Tim Bourret, who will retain an active file of nominations. Letters of support may also be submitted. All nominations will remain on file for a period of three voting committee meetings (five years). The Chair of the Committee will screen all nominations to make sure they meet eligibility requirements.

Eligibility: This committee will recognize individuals who have demonstrated consistent and unique national excellence in their sport during their Clemson career. Their accomplishments must be significant on an individual and team basis. Their statistical accomplishments must Fran be noteworthy, but they should also have an outstanding record in terms of leadership. In general, they must have made a noteworthy contribution to the history of the Clemson Athletic Program.

Athletic accomplishments after their Clemson career are not a primary consideration in the nomination, but they must retain an unblemished record of citizenship after they leave Clemson.

A candidate must be a member of the Clemson Hall of Fame and must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited four-year University or college.

Financial contributions to Clemson University will not be a consideration when evaluating the candidates. For a coach to be nominated he or she must be retired from coaching that sport at the college level.

Selection Process: Each member of the 11 person selection committee will cast one vote per sport. An honoree must obtain at least seven votes to be selected. There will be just one ballot. The committee does not have to select any honorees at its meeting. There shall be no more than one honoree in a sport for every two years.

Conferring: In the sport of football, the honoree will have his name, number, years participated and helmet enshrined in the Ring of Honor at Clemson Memorial Stadium. In the sport of basketball, the honoree's jersey will be hung from the rafters of Littlejohn Coliseum. In the sport of baseball a jersey replica will be hung from the fence of Tiger Field. Other sports will establish appropriate sites at the home facility.

When a student-athlete is selected the person's jersey is honored, but the jersey number may be worn in the future. However, it is encouraged that the number be issued only on special occasions. These occasions are determined by the head coach and athletic director. The ceremony honoring the recipient will be determined from a meeting between the honoree the athletic director, the committee chair and the head coach of the sport involved.

Source: 1996 Clemson Football Media Guide