Housed in the Department of Communication and currently led by RHBSSI Faculty Fellow, Brandon Boatwright, Ph.D., the Clemson University Social Media Center (SMLC) is an interdisciplinary lab that utilizes industry-leading social analytics software to harvest, analyze and engage in social media conversations across thousands of sources of digital data. The SMLC is a cutting-edge laboratory that supplies researchers at Clemson with data for a diverse range of topics and projects.
Brandon Boatwright, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Communication and director of the SMLC
Sports researchers at Clemson have utilized the SMLC to advance their studies in the behavioral sciences, such as in sports communication and education. Boatwright has partnered with other fellows in the Department of Communication, such as Virginia Harrison, Ph.D., and fellows Sarah Stokowski, Ph.D., and Chris Corr, Ph.D., from Clemson University’s athletic leadership program in the Department of Educational and Organizational Leadership Development on recent studies that have examined social media trends to collect qualitative data.
Published this year in the journal Communication & Sport, a study by Boatwright, Stokowski, Corr and colleague Marry Holly from the University of Florida, titled The Local Perspective: Regional Television Framing of Name, Image, and Likeness, utilized the SMLC “…to examine the manner in which local television media in the United States framed NIL during news broadcasts,” analyzing television broadcast content across the United States during Fall 2024. Helpful for collegiate athletic administrators, the study revealed that a similar number of comments framed NIL positively, for promotion, and negatively, for its disruption.
Prior to this, in 2023, Harrison and colleagues from her department, as well as from The Pennsylvania State University, announced their study, “Save Our Spikes”: Social Media Advocacy and Fan Reaction to the End of Minor League Baseball, published in Communication & Sport. The team utilized the SMLC to collect “…social media data to extract fan emotions during identity threats” on X (formerly known as Twitter) surrounding the decline of Minor League Baseball during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. “…the study found that most discussions of contraction were negative in tone and contained emotions like anger” and, overall, made an important contribution to the field “…by bringing advocacy communication into the discussion of sport fandom” and using social media data to shed light on sport fan emotions during a crisis.
The SMLC serves as one of the premier social media laboratories in the nation with the ability to harvest data, only scratching the surface of social media research and application. To that end, the SMLC provides students and researchers with tools and techniques to analyze and make sense out of datasets. The SMLC can support various methodological approaches from content analysis, sentiment analysis, network analysis and more. Click here to learn more about the SMLC.
Jack Kamsickas graduated from Clemson in August 2024 with a double major in Management and Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management with a PGA Golf Management concentration. He received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2023. Throughout his time at Clemson he utilized his concentration in PGA Golf Management to thrive as a PGA intern in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
My concentration in PGA Golf Management taught me how to become proficient in a variety of skills, which helps me be a good teammate in a variety of environments. At Clemson, I learned how to be a sponge with an open mind, and it has helped me learn from as many different opportunities as I can. The skills I learned at Clemson set me up for immediate success after graduation.
What is your current role and where are you located?
My current role is a Seasonal PGA Assistant Golf Professional at The Country Club in Brookline, MA, and the Hole-In-The-Wall Golf Club in Naples, FL. I spend 6 months of the year at each location.
What has your journey been like since graduating from Clemson?
Since graduating from Clemson, I have worked in Florida and Massachusetts, learning about different sizes and types of golf operations while expanding my network too. My goal is to eventually become a Head Golf Professional or Director of Golf.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
My biggest advice is to take advantage of as many networking opportunities that the college provides. Relationships you build at Clemson will help you in ways that you least expect, and resurface in times you least expect them down the road. Some of my strongest professional connections started in college!
Hardie and the SADEV group having dinner in Costa Rica
In June 2025, Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute Fellow and Assistant Professor in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Ashlyn Hardie, Ph. D., recently embarked on a journey to Costa Rica. She was accompanied by Mike Clark, former assistant director for Clemson Student-Athlete Development, Nick Singleton, assistant director for Clemson Student-Athlete Development, and nine female student-athletes from Clemson Women’s Rowing, Track and Field, Softball and Gymnastics.
Clemson Student-Athlete Development (SADEV) is a branch within Clemson Athletics where staff work with student-athletes to help them grow in their leadership skills, prepare for post-graduation careers and work on holistic human development. The Director of Student-Athlete Development, Tori Niemann, and Dr. Hardie originally connected because of Hardie’s research expertise on women in sport and sport in the international context. Subsequently, Hardie began to assist the SADEV staff in their goal to ensure the service trip to Costa Rica was intentional, impactful, had measurable research outcomes, and would benefit the Costa Rican community.
Hardie’s research emphasizes the importance of understanding intention versus impact in international development and service work. Her mission is to help others understand that in order to make a positive change, there has to be more than just positive intention; service providers and volunteers also have to acknowledge and embrace the culture and norms of the country they are in to optimize positive outcomes for all parties. According to Hardie, she was really impressed with the SADEV staff’s intentionality in learning about ethical international service practice and prioritizing that in the trip preparations.
Embarking on the trip
On the trip, all of the student-athletes were women, and the two staff members leading the trip, Clark and Singleton, were men. So, in addition to Hardie’s professional contributions, she was excited to be an example to these young women of an experienced female traveler. Hardie shared, “While it wasn’t the intended purpose of my role on the trip, I cherish any opportunity to be an example for young women of how to break out of their comfort zone, embrace different cultures and different people, and seize opportunities to grow through travel. The idea of traveling internationally as a young woman can feel daunting or unsafe, but it makes all the difference to have an example and mentor who can share some helpful tips and support in the process.”
The team on a zip-lining excursion through the rainforest
During their service trip, student-athletes learned about the local communities and cultures of Costa Rica, explored the city, zip-lined through the rainforest, gained deeper insight into the ecological elements of Costa Rica and the importance of eco-friendly practices in their culture. The main purpose of the trip, which took up four of the six days of the trip, was to work at a school in the rural mountains of Costa Rica called La Jolla. There, they helped build a community space with a kitchen and bathroom area, along with more creative tasks such as painting signs in English with the school’s core values so that the Costa Rican students could learn English and important values such as empathy and self-awareness. Clemson athletes also helped with general clean-up, participated in a Father’s Day fundraiser and dance classes, and supported with other tasks during the week.
The team standing in front of the school they worked at throughout their trip
Service trips can benefit both the community that is being assisted and leave participating volunteers with lasting memories, a greater understanding of other cultures, and comfort traveling to a new environment. To this end, Hardie states that there were three main takeaways that were voiced from the Clemson group collectively at the end of their travels.
The first was that the student-athletes expanded their Clemson horizons while abroad and stepped out of their comfort zones. On day one of the trip, the athletes mostly hung out with their teammates and were more reserved; by day six, they formed a little sisterhood and had shared experiences and developed friendships across teams as a result.
The second takeaway was that the student-athletes were able to recognize differences in the way Americans live and what many people take for granted every day. When people picture a trip to Costa Rica, they visualize lying out on the beach during the day and using their resort WiFi to wind down at night, and trust that there will be water coming out of the showerhead so they can rinse off the sand after a long day at the beach. Instead, the women on this trip experienced inconsistency in cell service and WiFi, and the water being shut off for a night at their homestays as a result of a small earthquake (that was not felt by people, but as a safety precaution). Although this made individuals anxious and feel inconvenienced, their host families explained this was relatively normal, which ultimately broadened the scope of Clemson athletes’ understanding of how experiences can vary greatly in other parts of the world.
The team working on curating the garden
The last takeaway that the group expressed was that they had a greater desire to connect and contribute to the community surrounding them. The girls were nervous at first, but once they saw all that they could accomplish, they took pride in their work. They also dove more into the culture, they practiced the language and overcame their own discomfort to connect with their environment. These learnings applied to both the student-athletes and the staff leaders alongside Hardie, who acknowledged in real-time that they were in a new place and were able to embrace new things that they had not experienced before.
Hardie states that this trip allowed for self-reflecting and conquering challenges that the group does not normally encounter day-to-day in Clemson, South Carolina. Instead of preparing for a hard exam or training for a new personal record in their respective sport, the athletes had to navigate language barriers so they could communicate with their host families and learn new norms, try new foods, and navigate new cities/towns.
Six days is a short amount of time to fully appreciate being immersed in a new culture, but the student-athletes made the most out of their time. They connected with the locals and attempted to speak the native language, and even participated in a dance class. Cultural acclimation can take weeks for some, but Hardie was proud of them for going out and trying new things and maximizing the time they had.
Aftermath of the service trip
Ashlyn Hardie and Mike Clark participating in service work
Hardie says that, for the staff and faculty who go on service trips such as these, it allows for moments of learning and reflection that can be utilized to inform future Clemson student-athletes’ community service projects. The impact this group made does not just stay in Costa Rica; it follows them back to Clemson and influences their future projects.
In addition to the service trip itself, Hardie and Niemann partnered together on a research initiative to assess the impact of these opportunities for Clemson student-athletes and donor support. Before, during, and after this trip, Hardie collected data. She challenged the girls to reflect on things like how their identities influence the spaces they are interacting in, cultural understanding and integration, and their own personal development from the trip. She took ethnographic notes throughout this time about her experiences working and interacting with the group, and her observations from the week.
Hardie will be analyzing the qualitative data and asking questions such as, “How did the relationship between the student-athlete development staff and the student-athletes change?” and “What were the most meaningful outcomes for those student-athletes?” and “What was the change in their global perspective?”The information can be used for future trips to prepare student-athletes on how to better interact with other countries, and to seek and interact with donors for projects such as these.
In the future, Hardie is excited to continue working on and supporting international service projects with SADEV as a point-of-contact, regardless of whether or not she travels alongside the team, to provide insight and advice as to how to prepare student-athletes before travelling abroad, as well as support in future research endeavors.
Elisa Aldrich graduated from Clemson University in 2020 with a double major in Marketing and Spanish. She received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2019. Throughout her time at Clemson she invested her time in multiple clubs such as the Spanish Club, Spikeball Club, and Watersports Club.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
My internship with the Winter Olympics opened the door to opportunities across multiple industries. My involvement in sports taught me discipline, resilience, and how to perform under pressure, qualities that have been essential throughout my consulting career.
What is your current role and where are you located?
I’m currently a Senior Consultant at Incendium, a European boutique consulting firm. I specialize in advising clients on real estate strategies and workplace transformation.
What has your journey been like since graduating from Clemson?
After graduating from Clemson, I began my career at Deloitte, where I worked on consulting projects across the tech and manufacturing sectors. I had the opportunity to support clients like Toyota, Intel, and Chevron. That experience allowed me to pivot into real estate consulting, where I now help organizations optimize their real estate portfolios and future workplace strategy.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
Be open to opportunities in all industries and sectors. You never know where a single role or experience might lead. Your path might not be linear, but each step will add to your growth and perspective.
Patrick Neal graduated from Clemson in May 2025 as a double major in Business Management and Sport Communication. He received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2023. Throughout his time at Clemson he utilized his love for sports and major in Sport Communication to succeed in internships with Augusta National Golf Club and Clemson Athletics.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
I worked as a Coaches’ Recruiting Assistant with Clemson Football for 3.5 years while at school, and my concentration in sports helped me manage relationships and work successfully to bring in high school recruits to the program. I was also to have some experiences working with the Atlanta Falcons shadowing their community relations team, which was really special to see and only possible because of the communication and relationship skills I learned at school.
What is your current role and where are you located?
I work now as a Transportation Supervisor with DHL Supply Chain in Greer, SC. There I use my management and communication skills I learned to successfully manage 25 drivers and their route planning, along with the transportation operations of the site.
What has your journey been like since graduating from Clemson?
I’ve only been out of school for a month and a half or so, so really still trying to learn what it’s like to live as a college graduate. I got to travel around Europe with college friends right after graduation, which was awesome to see and experience some of Europe’s different cultures.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
I’m still learning a lot, but I’d tell other scholars that as they approach post-grad, I think it’s just important to reflect on what you find most important in your life and to try to align your experiences with that. Find career opportunities and create goals that are going to help you fulfill what is most important and meaningful to you, and while career success is important, the people and relationships you have are going to be more important in the end.
Did you know that Clemson has a Bicycle Research Team housed in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management (PRTM)? Their objective is to conduct research projects pertaining to bicycling knowledge, processes and cycling-related systems.
Since the 2025 Tour de France kicked off on July 5, we connected with Clemson’s Bicycle Research Team to find out more about the latest news and research in cycling.
Charles Chancellor, PRTM associate professor and director of Bicycle Research Team
“Our team of multidisciplinary researchers strives to promote cycling holistically as part of community development and as a contribution to an area’s quality of life,” said Charles Chancellor, Ph.D., associate professor in PRTM and director of the team.
Dr. Chancellor is currently advising PRTM Master’s student, Trevor Romans, who recently presented his research titled, “Exploring Bicycle Commuters’ Experiences Commuting in and Around Clemson.”
Romans asserts that “Every thesis looks to fill a gap in the scholarly literature. I chose to learn about what it is like for Clemson students, staff, and faculty who bicycle commute to work and class. The gap in the literature was about understanding the psychological and behavioral experiences of bicycle commuters. I wanted this study to contribute to that knowledge, but also potentially improve Clemson’s bicycle friendliness.
Trevor Romans, PRTM Master’s student
“I interviewed 13 bicycle commuters, who mostly had positive things to say about their experience of bicycle commuting. They found it efficient, reliable, refreshing, and less stressful than driving, especially when they avoid parking hassles and traffic. Many also valued the health benefits, environmental impact, and opportunities for social interaction.
“However, not everyone had a great experience. Some felt unsafe due to car drivers’ behavior or felt rules of the road were unclear, and that the infrastructure for bicyclists was inconsistent. Despite these challenges, bike commuters were hopeful and willing to improve bicycle commuting in Clemson. This leads me to think that Clemson needs someone to champion making Clemson more bicycle-friendly and bring together all these passionate voices.
“Clemson has the potential to support bicycle commuters by making commuting easier and ensuring their safety. Overall, investment in bicycling and exploring alternative modes of transportation like walking, scootering, and public transportation can improve community health and reduce the number of cars on the road.”
This year, Romans also helped relaunch Clemson’s ReCyclery Club, which aims to find a healthy method of recovering bicycles while also cultivating a community around bike riding.
Photo provided Grace Nammouz, president and co-founder of Clemson ReCyclery
Romans told The Tiger, “My primary goal was to foster a community where students could feel a sense of belonging and share or develop their enthusiasm for bicycling in a safe, judgement free and collaborative space. I wanted to empower students to learn new skills, exchange experiences and contribute to a more environmentally sustainable and active lifestyle.”
In another recent study from 2023, Dr. Chancellor and colleagues examined “…youth bicycle programming through the empowerment-based youth development model.” They evaluated Momentum Bicycle Clubs (MBC) by engaging eight cross-sectional focus groups of MBC youth participants, aged 10-17, through sessions covering the MBC program, the mentors and the bicycle. MBC provides youth with the opportunity to develop mastery over the bicycle and to develop their moral reasoning through relationships with a group of adult mentors.
Click here to learn more about Clemson’s Bicycle Research Team.
Brian Smith graduated from Clemson in May 2023 with a major in Marketing and a minor in Entrepreneurship. He received the Markvan Bellamy Brooks Endowed Scholarship in 2022. Throughout his time at Clemson, he utilized his studies to succeed in his internships with major sports teams such as the New York Giants and the New York Yankees.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
My major played a huge role in shaping my overall business knowledge and expertise, but the experiences I had outside the classroom is really what allowed me to learn the business of sports firsthand. Being able to see different facets of the industry throughout my time in college helped determine the direction I wanted to go post-grad, and gave an understanding of how they all work and interact.
What is your current role and where are you located?
I am currently with Genesco Sports Enterprises, a sports marketing consulting agency specializing in brand partnership strategy. I’m fortunate enough to help manage some of the largest portfolios in sports sponsorship out of our New York City office.
What has your journey been like since graduating from Clemson?
After graduation I took a season-long internship in the New York Jets corporate partnerships department. After 8 months there I took the job with Genesco as an Assistant Manager and have since been promoted to Manager.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
There’s never a job or task too small and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.
Nicole Entrup graduated from Clemson University in December 2021 with a major in Recreational Therapy and a minor in Nonprofit Leadership from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management. Throughout her time at Clemson, she focused her coursework and field experiences on the power of adaptive sports as a therapeutic tool to support individuals with physical disabilities. Her studies allowed her to explore how sport fosters not just physical recovery, but also social connection, resilience and purpose.
How have you utilized your major/concentration in sports to help your career?
Nicole Entrup in front of the Wounded Warrior Project building
Since graduating, I’ve dedicated my career to leveraging the therapeutic and empowering nature of sport to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical disabilities, especially service members. I first served as an Adaptive Sports Coordinator for the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program, supporting athletes on their journey to the Warrior Games. I later transitioned to a clinical setting at the Center for the Intrepid, where I collaborated with nonprofit partners to design sport-based interventions aligned with patient goals. Many of these patients had experienced limb loss, burns or nerve damage. In this role, I created and led an adaptive sports program focused on improving functional movement, promoting camaraderie and helping individuals rediscover a sense of purpose. My foundation in recreational therapy was instrumental in understanding how to intentionally use sport as a tool for healing and growth.
What is your current role and where are you located?
I currently serve as an Adaptive Sports Specialist for Wounded Warrior Project, based out of San Antonio, Texas. My primary focus is programming within the Central U.S., though I travel nationwide to coordinate single-day and multi-day adaptive sports clinics. These events introduce or advance participants’ skills in a variety of sports from outdoor recreation like kayaking and fishing to competitive team sports like wheelchair basketball, sled hockey and sitting volleyball. I work closely with external partners to deliver meaningful experiences that promote physical wellness, build social connection, and strengthen each warrior’s sense of identity and purpose after injury.
What has your journey been like since graduating from Clemson?
My post-grad journey began almost immediately as I accepted a job with the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program just two days after graduation. I returned to San Antonio where I had interned at Morgan’s Sports during my undergrad. As I’ve moved through different roles from clinical and community-based, to now nonprofit, I’ve stayed rooted in the belief that sport is a powerful tool for transformation. I credit much of that perspective to mentors like Dr. Jasmine Townsend, who helped me see how sport can be used with intention to help individuals reclaim independence and reimagine their futures.
What advice would you give to future Brooks Scholars as they approach post-grad?
I challenge future scholars to stay grounded in the belief that sport has the power to change lives, and let that belief guide your next steps. Always be curious and committed to learning, not just in the classroom, but out in the field where sport meets real-world challenges. Seek out experiences that push you to grow, whether that’s through hands-on practice, conferences, collaborations or taking on new responsibilities.
Additionally, never underestimate the value of building genuine connections. The relationships you form, whether with peers, mentors or program participants, will open doors and shape your path in unexpected ways. Finally, when you lead with passion and keep the focus on creating impact through sport, you’ll be prepared to make a meaningful difference wherever you land.
Photos by Josh Wilson, August 2024, Women’s Golf, The Walker Course, Clemson University
Women’s Golf Month is celebrated throughout June each year. This June, we celebrate Clemson Women’s Golf which has a strong history of elite performance and camaraderie with the academics at Clemson University.
Over the years, various faculty at Clemson have studied the science behind the game and its players.
Faculty from Clemson University’s Department of Bioengineering, including Interim Director of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, John DesJardins, Ph.D., have studied ‘balance improvements and golf swing kinematic consistency with eight-week balance interventions.’ The purpose of the study, conducted in 2020, was to determine if a training program targeted specifically at balance could enhance players’ overall performance by improving postural stability and swing consistency. After studying eight NCAA Division I players, it was determined that balance training would enhance posture but, while no negative effects were measured, swing consistency did not improve. Another benefit of the study showed the importance of conducting research to help coaches and players understand both the positive and negative effects of their training programs and to potentially make modifications based on that data. While the original study was conducted with male golfers, its conclusions can be applied across teams. Click here to read the full article in the Journal of Sports Research.
Another Clemson faculty member, Gregory Cranmer, Ph.D., from the Department of Communication and fellow of the Robert H. Brooks Sports Science Institute, has studied ‘female golfer’s uncertainty management during their transition into professional golf.’ The 2020 study offers potential strategies for collegiate organizations and professional associations to prepare student-athletes for the uncertain transition into professional golf.
On August 28-29, the Tiger Golf Gathering (TGG) Foundation will host the 2025 Tiger Golf Gathering in Clemson, an annual fundraising event that benefits the Clemson Golf program. The event features a Thursday Open at The Walker Course and Auction Party in the afternoon at the Madren Conference Center and Inn. Friday morning features the Tiger-Am at The Cliffs at Keowee Springs. Meet current and former Tigers and bid on some amazing items to support your Clemson golfers. Sponsorships and online donations are also available.
Click here to learn more about Clemson’s sports science faculty.
Ahead of Clemson’s week one game against Georgia last August, there was the same nostalgic buzz in the air as there always is when the border rivals meet. After more than a century of football, the teams had built up quite the reputation. However, a special account chronicling the two teams’ history was nearly lost to time – if it weren’t for two Clemson students’ determination ahead of the 2024 matchup.
The story begins back in 2013 when author T. Kyle King published Fighting Like Cats and Dogs. King grew up a Georgia fan, living in Atlanta and attending school in Athens. After school, he became a co-host of The Dawg Show and, eventually, of Dawg Sports, reporting on all things Georgia Athletics.
In his writing, King highlights the biggest moments of the Clemson and Georgia football rivalry. He begins in 1977, a time in which he says, “there was no more closely contested or nationally significant rivalry in college football” than the one between the border neighbors, and extends all the way through the 2003 season. After that, the teams did not meet for a decade.
Sounds interesting, right? There’s just one problem – its publishing came to a halt in 2021.
For a book that “always sold well” according to Allison Mero, director of Clemson University Press since 2017, King’s was gone at an inconvenient time: the beginning of the Clemson vs. Georgia series that occurred in 2021 and 2024.
The Reprint
Mero put the book’s reprinting on University Press’ back burner until the spring of 2024. However, she later discovered the problem was more complex than it going out of print.
First, there was no backlist on file for the book allowing for online production of the text. Second, although most books in modern publishing are created in Adobe InDesign, there were no previous InDesign files.
O’Keefe’s redesign included creating a cover which accurately reflected the contents, selecting a new font and sizing it to increase the overall thickness and readability of the book.
With these issues combined, a forced manual reprint was necessary.
Two Clemson students helped with the book’s revival: Mars O’Keefe, a junior Art major, and Yana Gudakova, an editorial assistant studying both English and Spanish Language and Literature. O’Keefe updated the cover while Gudakova retyped the book, something she did with no prior typeset experience. The press staff then reviewed it after the typeset was complete.
Typesetting was done through optic character recognition (OCR), a feature provided through Adobe Acrobat. The technology converts scanned images and text into editable files much quicker than arduously retyping an entire 248-page book.
The entire operation was no easy task but, because of the team’s hard work, the book was reprinted and released before the Clemson versus Georgia game last August in Atlanta. For O’Keefe and Gudakova, it was a semester-long project requiring dedication and countless hours of work. For Mero, it was a chance to preserve the legacy of Clemson.
“The press is small but mighty – our mission is to publish high quality scholarship and publish books that need to be published, regardless of how many sell,” she said. Her goal is “professionalizing CU Press and trying to make books more available and discoverable.”
The press is an institution within the Clemson Library but technically is its own entity. Therefore, Mero says she is not a librarian, rather a historian.
As a historian, she considers herself “an interpreter of facts.” After reading King’s work, Mero decided the content was fairly unbiased and worthy of publishing. It was not heavily skewed towards either team and presents more like a recounting of games than an opinion.
“It taps into the people who have been fans for decades,” she said. “That’s who this book is for. It’s for getting the legacy right.”
Author T. Kyle King
King spent time on both campuses while writing, making sure to emphasize successes from both sides of the rivalry. His research included a brief meeting with ex-head coach Danny Ford, which King appreciated.
“While I was introduced to the rivalry as a Georgia partisan, I spent a great deal of time at Clemson doing research for the book,” he said.
“I have a great deal of respect for the Clemson community and I tried very hard to do justice to both sides. Particularly in light of the fact that there was a time when conference expansion threatened to end this rivalry, I am strongly encouraged to know that current students recognize the ongoing vitality of the rivalry and want to make certain others are aware of it, as well.”
King no longer writes for Dawg Sports. He stopped around the time of his book release, putting down the pen and paper to work as a senior partner for a law firm in Atlanta. Although no longer actively writing, the reprinting of King’s novel has him both “humble and grateful that this important aspect of history has been preserved.”
While the Bulldogs enjoy a modern level of success to compete with the 1980s, King has no regrets about leaving the press box.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time working in that arena, but I left because I thought it was time to go, and I haven’t looked back,” he said.
“Again, I’m grateful to everyone who stepped in to fill whatever void I may have left, and they’re doing a wonderful job in all of those areas, so I haven’t had any reason to wonder about what might have been.”
Clemson University Press was instrumental in maintaining such a beloved piece of Clemson’s history. “We’re just glad that it’s going to be available,” Mero said.
The book can be purchased on Clemson University Press’ website, where it is currently the best-selling title, while the opportunity for an e-book is still forthcoming.
For King, he got his wish in the end: seeing a piece of Tiger versus Bulldog history become available once again.
“The great thing about college football is that so many people are so passionate about it that they leave behind a lasting record of their heritage and intensity, which especially comes to life in the local press and the student newspapers from the period,” he said.
“There is an old saying that journalism is the first draft of history, and in this case, it really is true.”
