Brian Dawkins is one of the most decorated players in Clemson football history, and no one would question you if you said he’s the best player in program history simply because he’s the Tigers’ only Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. But Dawkins didn’t always want to be a Tiger – he wanted to be a South Carolina Gamecock. Thanks to Patrick Sapp and the lack of interest from the Gamecocks, Dawkins wound up in orange instead of garnet.
A three-year starter at free safety for the Tigers, he finished his Clemson career with 247 tackles and 11 interceptions.