Bowden builds quarterback success at Clemson

By Stephen Jerdan  |   Monday, May 29, 2006  |  Comments( 5 )

Clemson Tigers
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In Tommy Bowden's eight-year tenure as the head coach of the Clemson Tigers, he has built a program that has produced some of the most prolific quarterback talent in recent ACC history.

Upon arrival to Clemson in 1999, Bowden inherited former head coach Tommy West's standout dual-threat quarterback, Woodrow Dantzler. When Bowden learned of Dantzler's mobility and arm strength, he had no question as to who would become Bowden's first field general.

The eventual Heisman candidate began his career as a starter his sophomore year of 1999, and maintained his starting position until his final year of 2001. Throughout his career at Clemson, he threw for 5,819 yards and rushed for 2,704. Dantzler became one of Clemson's greatest playmakers ever with his versatility, and in the age of Michael Vick, Dantzler proved to be one of the better college football players in the nation during his career.

Through his senior season, Dantzler set 53 Clemson records. During his final two games he led Clemson to 108 points in the scoreboard and had an outstanding performance against Duke, where he threw for 243 yards and rushed for 135. In that game, he became the third player in NCAA history to eclipse the 5,000 yards passing and 2,500 yards rushing milestone. Dantzler finished the year with 2,578 yards passing and 1,061 rushing, which also made him the first player in NCAA history to pass for 2,000 and rush for 1,000 in a single season.

When Dantzler left Clemson, however, the question of his replacement lingered. Junior Willie Simmons was named the starter for 2002 season, but was replaced by redshirt freshman, Charlie Whitehurst, halfway through the season after trouble followed Simmons both on and off the field.

Although he only started in half of the Tigers' 2002 games, Whitehurst had an outstanding freshman year, throwing for 1,554 yards and 10 touchdowns. Whitehurst's 27-20 win over the Tigers' in-state rival, the South Carolina Gamecocks, cemented Charlie's position as the starter, and he quickly became a fan favorite.

Charlie didn't miss a beat his sophomore season, throwing for an astounding 3,561 yards and 21 touchdowns while completing 61.9% of his passes. Throughout 2003, Whitehurst led Clemson to three very significant wins - Florida State, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

During #3 Florida State's visit to Death Valley, Whitehurst purely dominated the game and led the Tigers to a 26-10 victory, which knocked the Seminoles out of National Championship contention. Two weeks later, Whitehurst led the Tigers into Columbia, SC to take on the hated USC Gamecocks. Not only did Whitehurst lead Clemson to victory, but he handed the Gamecocks one if its worst losses the rivalry had ever seen. By halftime, Clemson fans outnumbered those of South Carolina, and the Tigers went on to a 63-17 victory.

Receiving a Peach Bowl bid, Whitehurst then led unranked Clemson against #6 Tennessee, who felt it had been cheated out of a decent bowl by having to play the lowly Tigers. Whitehurst and the Tigers went on to 27-14 routing of the Vols, making the 2003 season one to remember.

Although Whitehurst's 2004 junior year was plagued with an awful 7:17 touchdown to interception ratio, Whitehurst still managed to claw his way into bowl eligibility with a 6-5 record - including a win over the formidable Miami Hurricanes at the Orange Bowl and a 29-7 domination of the Gamecocks, yet again. Due to a brawl with South Carolina, however, Clemson was not able to attend a bowl game for the first time in Bowden's career at Clemson.

Whitehurst then entered this past season, his final one, with high expectations, and led the Tigers to wins over three ranked opponents in #25 Texas A&M, #17 Florida State, and #19 South Carolina. Whitehurst's 13-9 win over South Carolina became one of the most important moments in Clemson history, making him the first ever quarterback to not only start against the Gamecocks' four consecutive years, but to win all four contests, as well.

Under Bowden, both Dantzler and Whitehurst excelled to become two of the nation's best quarterbacks during their respective collegiate careers. At one point, Dantzler held over 50 Clemson records for passing and rushing. Whitehurst broke most of those, and now holds over 40 school records.

With the 2006 season just around the corner, Bowden is currently developing his next protégé, senior Will Proctor, whose mobility and versatility has impressed both Bowden and offensive coordinator Rob Spence.

Also grabbing attention from Bowden is high school senior Willy Korn out of Byrnes High School in Duncan, SC. Korn is projected to be one of the top three quarterback recruits in the entire country, and is, arguably, the best dual-threat high school quarterback in the nation. Bowden has already promised Korn that he would not recruit a quarterback to take Proctor's place if Korn committed early to the Tigers, which Korn announced before his junior year, last season.

Bowden's success with his quarterbacks has not only earned Clemson several marquee wins over nationally prestigious teams, but it has propelled Clemson into the national spotlight this season. If Proctor can perform the way that Spence believes he can, Bowden will add to his already reputable list of quarterbacks coached. Also, with Willy Korn staying firm on his decision to attend Clemson, Bowden brings a multi-talented quarterback into the picture for the Tigers' future.

The Clemson Tigers are beginning to make their presence felt in the ACC, and they are being led by star-studded athletes at the quarterback position. With Bowden at the helm, Clemson will continue to produce quality quarterbacks, and that will translate into wins for the Tigers.

Get more Tommy Bowden insight at Realfootball365.com
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CommentsComments: 5  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
bob glenn		10:05 AM
05/29/2006
You need to check the location of Byrnes HS. It is not in Dillon, SC. However Dillon is home to Ben Bernanke and Derrick...
No.2
Blake Smith		11:12 AM
05/29/2006
Great article. Just one suggestion. This story seems to suggest Willie Simmons had 'off-the-field' issues. Simply, he did not....
No.3
Matt		12:59 PM
05/29/2006
Willie did have off the field issues. He was arrested on campus for disobeying a police officer and he was arrested during a...
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