By Nathan Inman
When college football players graduate and their time as a collegiate athlete draws to a close, they often wind up in careers within the football industry. Whether it be playing professionally or coaching at different levels, those are the typical paths former college football players take.
Two former Clemson Tigers opted to take a much less-traveled path.
Landon Walker, ’12, and Jonathan “Tig” Willard, ’13, played football together at Clemson over their four seasons, including the 2011 ACC Championship game, which delivered Clemson its first conference title in 20 years.
When the two players transitioned into their professional careers, they saw their paths take them in a very different direction than they had expected — a direction that has led the former teammates to become competitors.

Landon Walker
Walker went undrafted in the 2012 NFL draft, but later intended to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent. The only thing that stood between Walker and his NFL dreams was a physical.
However, the physical revealed arthritis in his knee, leaving Walker to face the reality of the condition.
“I got hit in the face with some reality really fast,” Walker said in a 2023 interview. “The reality of the decision was that you either try to continue to play football with a knee that has failed an arthritis physical, or you try to do something different.”
Soon after the physical, Walker was contacted by Hendrick Motorsports, the winningest team in NASCAR history. The team wanted Walker to attend its pit crew combine, something very similar to the workouts Walker participated in as a football player.
That was 14 years ago. Walker officially joined the organization shortly after the combine and has remained with the organization as the fueler for William Byron’s No. 24 Chevrolet. In the last several seasons, Walker has been part of numerous victories on the No. 24 team, including two consecutive Daytona 500 wins in 2024 and 2025.

Jonathan “Tig” Willard
Like Walker, Willard went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft. However, Willard wound up signing with the Tennessee Titans that offseason and joined their practice squad.
Willard did not appear in any games for the Titans throughout the 2013 season and did not return at season’s end. This left Willard in a position similar to the one Walker had been in a few years prior, contemplating what life would look like after professional football.
In the years that followed, Willard found himself joining motorsports giant Chip Ganassi Racing ahead of the 2017 NASCAR season. Throughout his stint with the organization, Willard served as a jackman for numerous pit crews across the three major NASCAR national touring series.
Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Chip Ganassi Racing’s NASCAR program was purchased by Trackhouse Racing, a brand-new NASCAR team. Fortunately for Willard, he was able to remain with the organization in the same role — a role that led to his being part of NASCAR history.
In 2023, NASCAR took to a street circuit for the very first time in Chicago, and Trackhouse entered a special entry for three-time Australian Supercars champion Shane Van Gisbergen to take part in his first-ever NASCAR race. Willard was the jackman for Van Gisbergen, who went on to win the race — the first driver to do so in their first NASCAR Cup Series start since 1963.

In the years since then, Willard has joined Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2024 and is currently the jackman for Ryan Preece and the No. 60 Ford. Just last month, Willard was part of the pit crew for Preece’s first career victory that secured him a spot in the NASCAR Chase.
A chance for a championship
Both former Tigers now have an opportunity in front of them to accomplish something they have never done before: win a NASCAR championship. Their respective drivers, William Byron and Ryan Preece, both qualified for the NASCAR Chase — the sport’s version of a postseason — and have a chance over the last 10 races to secure the title.
The Chase began on Labor Day weekend in the Palmetto State at Darlington Raceway, and continued this past Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis. With just eight races remaining in the season, the two teams have their work cut out for them, as they both sit more than 100 points behind championship leader Denny Hamlin.
While that gap might seem insurmountable, anything can happen, and both Walker and Willard will be working with their teams to put together strong performances to potentially cap off the season as NASCAR champions. Only time will tell if one of these former Tigers will be helping their teams hoist the Bill France Cup in just eight weeks’ time.

























