Three Tigers Earn Super Bowl Title
CLEMSON, S.C. — Former Clemson standouts Will Shipley, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and K.J. Henry all earned their first Super Bowl championship rings on Sunday evening, as their Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 40-22, in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
In all, five former Tigers were under contract with the two Super Bowl LIX participants, including Chiefs wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Justyn Ross. Hopkins recorded a touchdown in the fourth quarter, joining William Perry (one rushing touchdown in Super Bowl XX) and Tee Higgins (two receiving touchdowns in Super Bowl LVI) to become the third Clemson product to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl. He also added a two-point conversion in the final minutes.
Clemson was one of only four programs nationally to have at least five former players under contract with this year's Super Bowl teams, joining Georgia, Oklahoma and Alabama. Inclusive of players on active rosters, practice squads and reserve lists, the 2024 NFL season marked the seventh straight season that Clemson has had at least one player on the roster of the Super Bowl champion. Clemson's seven-year streak with a Super Bowl champion is the nation's second-longest streak, trailing only Michigan (11).
Overall, the 2024 season marked the ninth consecutive year in which a former Clemson player was under contract with a Super Bowl participant. Clemson is one of only 10 programs to produce a member of a Super Bowl roster in each of the last nine years, a group that also includes Georgia, LSU, Florida State, Washington, NC State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Auburn and Florida.
CLEMSON PLAYERS ON SUPER BOWL ROSTERS, LAST NINE YEARS
(ACTIVE ROSTER, PRACTICE SQUAD OR RESERVE LISTS)
Super Bowl LI: Vic Beasley, Grady Jarrett and Malliciah Goodman (Falcons)
Super Bowl LII: Dwayne Allen (Patriots)
Super Bowl LIII: Dwayne Allen (Patriots)
Super Bowl LIV: Bashaud Breeland, Dorian O’Daniel and Sammy Watkins (Chiefs)
Super Bowl LV: Bradley Pinion (Buccaneers); Bashaud Breeland, Dorian O’Daniel and Sammy Watkins (Chiefs)
Super Bowl LVI: Tremayne Anchrum (Rams); Jackson Carman, Tee Higgins and D.J. Reader (Bengals)
Super Bowl LVII: Cornell Powell, Justyn Ross (Chiefs); Mario Goodrich, K’Von Wallace (Eagles)
Super Bowl LVIII: Cornell Powell, Justyn Ross (Chiefs); Austin Bryant, Clelin Ferrell and Ray-Ray McCloud (49ers)
Super Bowl LIX: K.J. Henry, Will Shipley and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (Eagles); DeAndre Hopkins, Justyn Ross (Chiefs)
Shipley was selected by the Eagles in the fourth round (No. 127 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft after a superlative three-year career both athletically and academically at Clemson from 2021-23. In addition to exiting Clemson in the Top 10 in school history in total touchdowns (33), rushing touchdowns (31), 100-yard rushing games (10), all-purpose yards (4,253) and kickoff return yards (904), he is the only known FBS player on record to both produce 4,000 career all-purpose yards while simultaneously graduating with a perfect 4.0 career GPA in only a three-year span.
Trotter was selected by the Eagles in the fifth round (No. 155 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, joining the same organization where his father spent eight of his 12 NFL seasons and earned four Pro Bowl selections and a spot in the organization's Hall of Fame. The younger Trotter spent three years at Clemson from 2021-23 and was named as an All-American in both 2022 and 2023, becoming Clemson's first multi-time All-American at linebacker since Keith Adams in 1999 and 2000.
Henry just completed in his second NFL season after originally being drafted by the Washington Commanders in the fifth round (No. 137 overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. After stints with the Commanders, Cincinnati Bengals and Dallas Cowboys, he signed to the Eagles' practice squad in November. He played six seasons at Clemson from 2018-22, collecting 147 career tackles (28.0 for loss), 13.5 sacks, 11 pass breakups, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles over 58 career games (24 starts).
In addition to their athletic and academic exploits, Henry and Shipley made a philanthropic impact at Clemson. In 2023, the duo established the “1 CLEM5ON” endowment to help provide resources to Clemson University students, including fellow scholar-athletes. The five-figure donations by Henry and Shipley are benefiting Clemson University’s Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center and Clemson Athletics’ “Hear Her Roar” campaign for five years, and every year thereafter will support Clemson’s P.A.W. Journey program.
Henry was a true freshman on Clemson's 2018 national championship team. With the Eagles' win on Sunday, he joined joined Justyn Ross, Cornell Powell, Tremayne Anchrum Jr., Dan Benish, K.D. Dunn, Andy Headen, Terry Kinard, Dorian O’Daniel and William Perry among Clemson players to earn both a national championship ring and a Super Bowl ring.