Nine Elected to Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame

Eight former Clemson athletes representing seven sports, plus a former athletic director who made one of the most important coaching hires in the 123-year history of the school’s athletic department, represent the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame Class for 2019.  The announcement was made Monday by Director of the Block C Club Bob Mahony. The nine-member class will be inducted the weekend of November 15-16, 2019 in conjunction with the Wake Forest football game. 

This year’s class includes six former All-Americans, a national player of the year, three athletes who were named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary Teams, and three athletes who are still ranked in the top 10 in scoring of their respective sports. 

The class includes Clemson’s #2 all-time leading football rusher James Davis, All-American offensive lineman Dave Thompson, baseball All-American and former Major League player Brian Kowitz, former All-ACC basketball player K.C. Rivers, Jimmy Glenn, a finalist for the Hermann Award, the Heisman Trophy of college soccer,  and Mitch Sprengelmeyer, the first player in college men’s tennis history to win national Senior Player of the Year and the national Sportsmanship Award (Von Nostrand Award) in the same year. 

Also included in the 2019 Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame Class are Karen Hartmann, a women’s track great who made the ACC 50-Year Anniversary team in 2002,  Nadra Simmons, a seven-time women’s swimming All-American, and Terry Don Phillips, Clemson’s award-winning athletic director from 2002-12, who made the decision to hire Dabo Swinney as head football coach in 2008. 

2019 Hall of Fame Class: 

JAMES DAVIS - Football  (2005-08)

• #2 Rusher in Clemson history with 3,881 yards just 85 yards short of Raymond Priester’s career record
• Had 47 rushing touchdowns, still the Clemson career record.  Third in Clemson history in total touchdowns with 49 and seventh in scoring.
• 1st Team All-ACC in 2006 and 2007
• ACC Rookie of the Year in 2005 when he rushed for 879 yards and led Clemson to a Top 25 final ranking
• Had 1,187 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns in 2006
• Will always be remembered for his 216-yard rushing game against 12th ranked GA Tech in 2006
• Finished his career with 14 100-yard games, still third in Clemson history
• Most Valuable Player of Clemson’s win over Colorado in 2005 Champs Sports Bowl
• Played two years with the Cleveland Browns

JIMMY GLENN - Soccer   (1990-93)

• One of four finalists for Hermann Award in 1993, the Heisman Trophy of soccer
• First-team All-American in 1993
• 1993 ACC Player of the Year
• Led the nation in scoring with 76 points and in goals with 32 in 1993
• First on Clemson list for goals in a season with 32 and points in a season.
• Had eight career hat tricks, tied for first in Clemson history.
• Scored Game winning goal with one second left to beat #1 ranked Virginia in 1993.
• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary soccer team

KAREN HARTMANN - Women’s Track   (1992-95)

• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary track team
• Four-time ACC Champion
• 1993 ACC Indoor Meet MVP
• Five-time All-ACC honoree.
• Two-time All-American in the indoor 800m and the outdoor 1500m

BRIAN KOWITZ -  Baseball  (1987-90)

• Had a 37-game hitting streak in his career, the second longest in school history
• 1990 Second Team All-American by Baseball America
• 1990 ACC Player of the Year, when he was second in the nation in runs scored
• 1988 and 1990 All-ACC Tournament
• 1990 All-Atlantic Region
• 1990 Team MVP, (Mitchell Award)
• Had a career Batting average of .319 with 53 doubles, 11 triples and 124 RBIs
• Ninth round draft choice of Atlanta Braves in 1990, played for Braves in 1995.

TERRY DON PHILLIPS - Clemson Athletic Director  (2002-2012)

• During his career, Clemson had 57 top 25 finishes and won 13 ACC Championships
• Clemson Football team had 6 Top 25 seasons, including 11-2 his final year as AD (2012), most wins by the Clemson team in 31 years.
• The athletic program invested more than $140 million in facilities
• Named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Athletic Director-of-the-Year for the Southeast Region
• In 2012 won Bobby Dodd Athletic Director Award.
• Responsible for building the West End Zone  Building and the Poe Indoor Football Facility
• Hired Dabo Swinney, Clemson Football’s Head Coach

K. C. RIVERS - Basketball  (2005-09)

• Ranked eighth in Clemson history in scoring with 1684 points
• Second Team All-ACC in 2007-08
• Second Team All-District by American Basketball Coaches Association in 2007-08.
• Helped Clemson to NCAA Tournament each of his last two years and to the NIT Finals in 2007 as a sophomore
• Led Clemson’s 2007-08 team in scoring with 14.7 points, he scored exactly 500 points. 
• That 2007-08 Clemson team finished in the AP Top 25 and reached the finals of the ACC Tournament for the first time in 46 years.
• Tied Clemson record for three-point goals in a game with eight at Virginia in 2008
• Made 88 three-point goals in 2006-07, still fifth in school history
• Clemson’s career leader in three-point goals with 281, he is also third in steals with 210.
• Scored 28 points in ACC Championship game against North Carolina in 2008
• Went on to a long professional career in Europe

NADRA SIMMONS - Women’s Swimming  (1984-88)

• Seven-time All-American during the greatest era of Clemson women’s swimming
• Team finished 19th at the NCAA meet in 1985, 7th in 1986 and program best 5th in 1987
• Team won women’s program’s first ACC Championship in 1987
• Simmons was an All-American in the 100 backstroke in 1985, 1986 and 1987
• She was also All-American in 1986 and 1987 on the 400  medley relay and the 200 MR
• Clemson women’s team had a 19-6 dual meet record during her career

MITCH SPRENGELMEYER – Tennis   (1994-97)

• Named National Senior Player of the Year for 1997.
• Also won the Van Nostrand Award for sportsmanship in 1997, the only player in college tennis history to win both honors in the same year.
• Had a 36-7 record in 1997, a .837 winning percentage, fourth best in school history
• All-American in singles in 1997, he was All-American in doubles in 1996
• ACC Player of the year in 1997, he led Clemson to the ACC Championship that year
• Led Clemson to a #19 national finish, he was #19 in the final singles poll
• Named to ACC 50-Year Anniversary Team

DAVE THOMPSON - Football   (1968-70)

• First-team All-American by Newspaper Enterprise Association and second-team All-American by UPI in 1970 as an offensive guard.
• First-Team All-ACC in 1970
• Won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the state of South Carolina in 1970
• Second round selection of the Lions in the 1971 draft, he was the 30th pick overall.
• Played for the Detroit Lions in 1971-73
• Played for the New Orleans Saints, 1974-75