Unparalleled traditions thrive at Clemson

By Stephen Jerdan  |   Monday, August 14, 2006  |  Comments( 13 )

Clemson Tigers
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As the college football season inches its way closer and closer to fans across the nation, none are more excited than the followers of the Clemson Tigers. Over the span of 11 decades, football in Clemson, SC has transformed from a simple game to a religion of pageantry, passion and pastime. The traditions that pour from this quiet, little town in the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains are matched by none, and in mere weeks, the ecstasy that is Clemson football will pulse from the hearts of all that bleed orange.

As Clemson's annual First Friday Parade, which takes place on the Friday prior to the each season's kickoff, draws nearer, thousands will flock to Old Greenville Highway where a spectacle of fraternity floats and school spirit are proudly displayed on Clemson's old entryway. Following the parade, fans migrate towards a small stretch of two-lane road that leads to historic downtown Clemson for shopping in Old Judge Keller's souvenir shop or for a quick drink at Tigertown Tavern. As a bright orange sun sets on dear old Clemson, families and friends separate for an evening, only to meet again the next day.

When that glorious Saturday morning finally arrives, the children are stirring as if it were Christmas day. Fans arrive early from surrounding towns of Seneca, Easly or Anderson to search for only the best tailgating spot. Once established, old friends reunite at the Esso Club or designate their tailgating area by raising an orange flag with a pristine, white tiger paw.

Children then plead with their parents to walk the streets of downtown Clemson, where tiger paws await to be painted on their faces and cotton tiger tails hang from their britches. Then just when you think kickoff should be approaching, Tillman Hall strikes 12 on its thunderous bell, and fans begin to make their way to Memorial Stadium, known to the Clemson faithful as Death Valley.

From the Class of 1915 Outdoor Amphitheater, a rendition of Clemson's fight song, Tiger Rag, can be heard from the Tiger Band. Many line the streets surrounding Death Valley just minutes before kickoff to see the band march to the stadium, still playing that sweet, Southern tune. As band members make their way into the stadium, the fans find their seats to watch pre-game warm-ups.

With the scoreboard clock showing mere minutes until kickoff, the Tigers leave the field and head to a column of busses lining the street behind Clemson's west end zone. Fans in the upper deck rush to look over the edge to watch the busses, filled with players, wind around the stadium. As the busses begin to unload the players on the opposite end from which they started, the stadium is on the brink of eruption.

With 80,000 of your closest friends yelling and jumping, a voice from the loudspeakers screams to the crowd, "And now, the song that shakes the Southland...Tiger Rag!" The band explodes with Tiger Rag, yet again, and the fans begin to scream and clap to their favorite anthem. As the introduction of the tune ends and the verse beings, the excitement builds and the loudspeakers boom again with Brent Musburger's coined phrase, "Now, the most exciting 25 seconds of college football!"

Head coach Tommy Bowden runs to Howard's Rock, a rock from Death Valley, CA that legendary Clemson coach Frank Howard placed in the stadium, and rubs it to promise Howard he will give 110 percent. The packed stadium immediately looks to Clemson's nationally-famous hill, and as the band booms with the chorus of Tiger Rag, a cannon explodes and Bowden leads his players down "The Hill" as each and every Tiger rubs the rock, renewing their vow to play their hearts out.

The traditions involved in Clemson football go far beyond any expectation. Upon arrival in Clemson, one would think you were in a Vogue or GQ catalogue. In place of body paint and beer guts, you find sundresses and silk ties. Football in Clemson is unlike any other place.

A tradition of excellence is instilled not only on the field, but in presentation, as well, at Clemson. There is an excess of Southern hospitality, as seen in the tailgates where you will find Clemson faithful inviting complete strangers from either team playing that day to sit and relax awhile, and the pageantry involved throughout a football Saturday is without comparison.

So if you're ever near South Carolina in the fall, be sure to find your way into Pickens County. A trip to Clemson on a warm, autumn Saturday afternoon will, undoubtedly, etch a fond memory into your heart.

The traditions in Clemson are, indeed, unparalleled.

Get more original Clemson Tigers coverage at Realfootball365.com
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