8
Saturday, October 21,1000 • DTH Sport Saturday
SepL 2, Clem. 38, Citadel 0
Sept. 9, Clem. 62, Missouri 9
Sept. 16, Clem. 55, Wake 7
Sept. 23, Clem. 31, Virginia 10
Sept. 30, Clem. 52, Duke 22
Oct 7, Clem. 34, N.C. State 27
Oct 14, Clem. 35, Mary. 14
Today at UNC
Oct. 28 vs. Georgia Tech
Nov. 4 at Florida State
Nov. 18 vs. South Carolina
SESSHUS?
1998 Clemson 21, UNC 14
1997 UNC 17, Clemson 10
1996 UNC 45, Clemson 0
1995 Clemson 17, UNC 10
Rushing yards:
Woodrow Dantzler, 819
Passing yards:
Woodrow Dantzler, 1,271
Receptions:
Rod Gardner, 34
Receiving yards:
Rod Gardner, 565
Tackles:
Keith Adams, 80
More stats on page 12
Adams Enjoying Resurgence
By Adam D. Hill
Staff Writer
The renaissance that the Clemson football pro
gram is enjoying this season has brought happi
ness to many people.
Death Valley is once again filled to the brim
with orange-clad fans. Tiger apparel is hard to
find in stores but easy to spot on the street.
In short, Clemson is once again a national tide
contender, and people are enjoying it.
It is hard to imagine, though, many people
enjoying the success as much as Keith Adams.
Adams was a freshman when the Tigers
endured a 3-8 (1-7 in the ACC) campaign in 1998,
when the only time his team was mentioned
among the nation’s elite was when they played
Florida State.
“Going through that season has helped us this
year,” Adams said. “It makes you hungry for
every game, we appreciate every win. We were
1-7 in the ACC that year. Asa result we don’t take
anything for granted.”
Not only has Adams been around for the resur
gence, he has been an integral part of it.
The outside linebacker leads the Clemson
defense - the second-ranked unit in the nation -
with 11.4 tackles per game, tallying a tackle every
4.7 plays. The Sporting News listed Adams as the
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top linebacker in the nation in its preseason pub
lication.
“I just go out and play,” Adams said. “I would
like to be one of the best linebackers in the coun
try, and it was an honor to be named the top line
backer. It is a motivation from the standpoint that
I have something to live up to, and if the team
plays well, then I play well.”
The 2000 season isn’t the first year that offens
es have centered their blocking schemes around
Adams. His sophomore year was stellar as well.
Adams became the first sophomore in
Clemson history to earn All-American honors,
leading the team in tackles with 186 and tackles
for loss with 35.
The College Park, Ga., native was tabbed the
ACC Defensive Player of the Year and finished
second in the nation with 16 sacks.
Perhaps the reason Adams performed so well
so early in his college career is that football has
always been an important part of his life.
Adams’ father played for the New England
Patriots for 15 years and instilled a love of the
gridiron in his son at an early age.
“My father tells the story that we used to watch
games together when I was 2-years-old,” Adams
said. “When my father changed the channel off
the football game I would start crying. When he
changed it back to the game I would stop.
“I guess you could say football was in me at an
early age.”
If Adams’ inherited the love of football from his
father, he received his cat-like quickness that allows
him to track down opponents from his mother,
whom Adams describes as a former track star.
“People always talk about my size,” the 5-foot
- 11, 220-pound Adams said. “But it is my speed
and quickness that let me get to people.”
Getting to people is what Adams does best, and
he must continue to do that if the Tigers hope to
capture the national championship.
The Lowdown on
No . .Name Pos Class
1 .. .Woodrow Dantzler QB Jr.
2 .. .Brain Mance CB So.
3 .. .Eric Meekins SS So.
5 .. .Keith Kelly RB Fr.
6 .. Justin Watts WR Sr.
7 .. .Willie Simmons QB Fr.*
8 .. .Travis Zachery TB Jr.
9 .. .Robert Carswell FS Sr.
10 . .Chad Jasmin TB Fr.*
12 ..JeffScott WR Fr.*
13 . .Tif Miller PK/P Jr.
15 . .Matt Schell QB So.
16 . .Joe Don Reams WR So.
17 . .Kevin Youngblood WR Fr.*
19 ..AaronHunt PK Fr.
20 . .Bernard Rambet TB So.
23 . .Rod Gardner WR Sr.
24 . Jamie Somaini P/PK Sr.
25 . .Marcus Houskin FS Fr.*
26 . .Terry Witherspoon FB Sr.
27 . .Kevin Johnson CB Fr.*
28 . .Alex Ardley CB Jr.
29 . .Tord White TB Jr.
30 . .Darrel Crutchfield CB Sr.
31 . .Chad Speck FS Sr.
32 . .Marcez Mitchell PK Jr.
34 . .Charles Harper FS Fr.*
36 . .Toure Francis DB Fr.
37 . .Marvis Jenkins WR So.
38 . .Tony Elliot WR So.
39 . .Tony Lazzara PK So.
40 . .Charles Hafley SS Jr.
41 . .Rodney Thomas LB So.
42 . .Altroy Bodrick LB Jr.
43 . .Keith Adams LB Jr.
44 . .David Ellis LB So.
45 . .John Leake LB Fr.
46 . .Chad Carson LB Jr.
47 . .Rodney Feaster LB So.
48 . .Braxton K. Williams LB Jr.
49 . .Kenzi Ross LB Sr.
50 . .Will Merritt OG Jr.
51 . .Brian Outlaw C Sr.
53 . .Tommy Sharpe DS Fr.
55 . .Marcus Lewis DE Fr.*
56 . .Khaleed Vaughn DE Fr.*
58 . JJ. Howard TE Fr.*
59 . .Kyle Young C Jr.
60 . .Theo Mougros OG Sr.
63 . .Henry Owen DS Jr.
67 . .John McDermott OT Sr.
68 . Jermyn Chester OG Fr.*
70 . .William Henry OT Fr.*
73 . .TJ. Watkins OT Jr.
74 . .Nick Black OG Fr.*
76 . .Jason Holloman DT Sr.
77 . .Brady Washburn OT So.
78 . .Gregory Walker OG Fr.*
79 . .Gary Byrd OT So.
80 . .Matt Bailey WR Jr.
81 . .Joel Gardner WR Jr.
82 . .Jackie Robinson WR So.
83 . .Morgan Woodward TE Jr.
84 . JJ. McKelvey WR So.
85 . .Ronnie Thomas WR Fr.
86 . .Tyronne Dickerson DL Fr.*
87 . .Tyrone Lee TE So.
88 . .Nathan Gillespie OT So.
90 . .Freddie James DT Sr.
91 . .Bryant McNeal DE So.
92 . Jerry Jolly DT Sr.
93 . .Terry Bryant DE Sr.
94 . .Paul White, Jr. DT Fr.*
95 . .Jovon Bush DT Jr.
97 . .DeJuan Polk DT Fr.*
98 . .Nick Eason DE So.
99 . .Gary Childress DE Sr.