It’s About Time Spiller’s Name is on the Ring of Honor

CLEMSON — It’s about time Clemson.

C.J. Spiller graduated from Clemson in 2009. It took 15 years, but Spiller is finally where he should have been all along.

In case you missed it, Spiller was named to Clemson’s famed Ring of Honor on Monday, along with Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Graham-Miller, who was an ACC Champion, All-American and National Runner-up on the women’s track team from 1990-’93. You can make an argument for Graham-Miller being inducted a lot sooner too.

The Ring of Honor is the highest award bestowed by the Clemson Athletic Department.  Recipients must have made an outstanding contribution to the heritage of Clemson Athletics, must be a member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and a graduate of a four-year institution for consideration.

I understand there are guidelines for former athletes to be considered for the Ring of Honor. However, when it comes to a guy like C.J. Spiller, there needs to be some concessions.

There are only a few special athletes that have come through Clemson like Spiller. Not only was he a Unanimous All-American on the football field, but he was also an All-American in track and was a member of the 4×100 relay team that finished third in the nation in the spring of 2009.

However, his on the football field and on the track accomplishments are not the reasons why Spiller should have been in the Ring of Honor sooner.

C.J. Spiller, the person, is what makes him a Ring of Honor inductee.

Look at it this way. How many people do you know received a standing ovation from the board of trustees upon graduation. I know of only one and that person is C.J. Spiller, a 2008 All-ACC Academic Team selection. He earned his degree from Clemson in December 2009, garnering the before mentioned standing ovation from the Clemson University Board of Trustees during his commencement.

In the fall of 2010, Clemson Football retired his No. 28 jersey, as they should’ve.

Why am I so high on Spiller and feel so adamant about it. As a young sportswriter, I had the pleasure to cover Spiller at Clemson. He was the first real superstar I covered.

However, you never would have known Spiller was a superstar by just knowing him. He is very down to earth and, to be honest, he probably would not like this column I have written.

Spiller is as humble as one can be. When I joined IPTAY Media in the summer of 2009, I got direct access to the Clemson Football Program, as well as other sports teams.

I got to know a lot of the student-athletes over the next four seasons, but few were like Spiller.

He carried himself differently. He was not demanding. He never had an issue speaking to you if you needed something, and he is still that way today.

I did a story on Spiller for IPTAY’s Orange: the Experience Magazine in the summer of 2009. Tim Bourret, who should also be in the Ring of Honor—this is my official nomination for Bourret by the way—set up the interview in his office.

We talked for almost two hours that afternoon. It is still one of my favorite interviews, as Spiller talked about his mom, grandmother, who meant the world to him, and his daughter. It was an amazing conversation, and I had a blast writing his story.

Later that year, I went on to watch Spiller become the second Unanimous All-American in Clemson history, and the first player in college football history to be named as an All-American at two different positions in the same year by the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

I also got the pleasure of seeing how Spiller interacted with his teammates and how much they loved and respected him. He went onto become a first-round pick (No. 9 overall) by the Buffalo Bills and had an eight-year career in the NFL.

Spiller has always been Clemson’s biggest ambassador – proven by the fact he bought his off-season home in Clemson when he still played in the NFL. When his career was over, he came back to Clemson, eventually landing a role on Dabo Swinney’s staff as an unpaid coaching intern in 2020 and then as the full-time running backs coach in 2021.

Spiller’s influence can be seen all over the Clemson Football Program, from his time as a player, as a graduate and now as a coach.

C.J. Spiller deserves to be in the Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium and it’s about time his name is on it.

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available. Get yours while supplies last! Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!