We are under 100 days until Clemson kicks off the season against LSU, and with that we want to take a look at some of the most important numbers in Clemson football history.
We already know that when the Tigers and the other Tigers meet under a twilight sky and then the lights in late August, it will be hot and humid and a national television audience will be tuned in to ABC to watch the show. That doesn’t count the 80,000-plus in the stands and maybe another 20,000 hanging around tailgates on campus.
And it all happens in 96 days. Until then? We know the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte is in 57 days, and head coach Dabo Swinney’s annual media outing will be the week before that. That’s right – we might be within 50 days of the first interviews.
But with the countdown to kickoff beginning – we are at 96 – we wanted to do a series on the number of days remaining and how that number ties into Clemson football history. It might be a year, a statistic, a date, a player’s number – it could be anything.
And starting at 96? I thought it would be great to look at 1896, the very first year of Clemson football. There were a whopping 350 students enrolled that year. For this year, I am going to use something written by Clemson historian Sam Blackman, who wrote about Clemson’s first year and first game several years ago. From here on out, this is all Sammy.
The First Practices
In 1896, the first year of Clemson football, practice did not start until October 5th. Clemson began practice on a 50×200-foot field in front of the college. It is believed that this field was located in front of what is now the student union building (the area between Tillman Hall and the Trustee House) on campus. Also, the first football team had training rules to be followed to the letter. They were as follows:
(1) Will report promptly to all practices prescribed by the coach unless physically disabled or prevented from attending on account of college duties.
(2) That in any of the above instances, we will report the facts beforehand, when possible, to the coach.
(3) That we will not, without the consent of the coach and trainer, eat anything at any time except at the training table; will not drink an alcoholic beverage or spirituous liquors or soda water.
(4) Will not use tobacco in any form or engage in any form of dissipation.
(5) Will retire not later than 11:00 p.m. unless permission is granted by coach and trainer or prevented by college duties.
(6) Will obey the directions of the coach and captain on the field of play as before specified, and use our influence to promote discipline both on and off the field of play.
