While we waited for the bus to take us to campus, I was approached by Clemson fans and signed autographs. I even had a few of the other recruits wanting me to sign things. Brook bailed on me when a crowd began to form. I was glad Fritz and Chuck were with me. It wasn’t that people were rude, but crowds sometimes grew to have a life of their own. My security helped keep everything calm.
When I glanced over at Brook, I saw her in an animated discussion with Tim and Wolf. I wondered what they were talking about, but soon forgot as I focused on the people who wanted to meet me.
I was glad when the buses arrived. On the way to campus, we learned about the area. Clemson University is located in Clemson, South Carolina, which is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the northwest corner of the state. The town was no bigger than my hometown area, with a population of under 15,000. That wasn’t counting the university; it added another 23,000 students. The recruiting coordinator had told my mom that nearly 300,000 people would show up for game day.
Clemson had become a coeducational civilian institution in 1955. It still had a strong military connection and had both an Army ROTC and Marine Corps Semper Fi Society on campus. The cadets participate in home football games by doing pushups for scores and forming a rope line as the team enters the stadium from ‘The Hill.’
The campus itself sat on an old plantation that covered 1,400 acres. As we drove down the main street, you could already see fans beginning to show up. We were taken to the Alan N. Reeves Recruiting Center, where they had breakfast for us. They gave us a brief talk about Clemson and then broke us up into groups. Larry joined us, and we were off to our first stop, academic advisors.
Larry and his family joined Wolf, Tim, me, and our crew. It made sense to have the two quarterback prospects together. We’d been sent to a room in the library where there was plenty of space for everyone. I was a little embarrassed that I essentially had an entourage when you included my security and Brook.
The Clemson academic advisors almost outnumbered us. It was apparent they wanted to cater to whatever needs recruits might have. A kindly older gentleman, who reminded me of Grandpa Dawson, started our meeting.
“Welcome. I’m Dr. Carmichael. We’re on rather a tight schedule, so let’s split up so the right academic advisor can talk to the right recruit. I’ll go around and visit each group, but I’ll start the ball rolling with Mr. Foresee.”
There was some conversation as three different groups formed in different areas of the room. But when Dr. Carmichael motioned for me to walk with him, I realized there wasn’t one for me.
He walked up to Tim and put a hand on his arm.
“I understand you want to pursue a career in architecture. Am I correct in that assumption?”
“Yes, sir,” Tim answered.
“Great. Ms. Daniels will take the lead, then.”
I guess we were pressed for time because she began her presentation without any fanfare.
“Clemson has a different DNA from other schools, especially in the school of Architecture. Because it fits into our schools of Humanities and Arts, it allows you a broad base of educational experiences. Our goal is that our students have both a breadth and depth of education. You’ll be required to have a minor and take a language. We also expect you to spend a semester off campus.
“Unlike at other universities, architecture undergrads take architecture classes from the first day they are on campus. Our goal is to give you the tools to be able to not only learn the unique terms but to ensure you understand how to get started. It forms the basis for your education moving forward.
“It’s hoped that it will also help you decide what direction you want to focus on …”
I was impressed by how they handled things. From that point forward, Ms. Daniels focused exclusively on Tim, ignoring even his parents, and gave a frank presentation outlining what he could expect. We could tell that the educational experience at Clemson would be unique, and it was evident that Ms. Daniels wanted Tim to succeed. I know she won more than his parents over.
Dr. Carmichael touched my arm, and we walked around to the other two groups. Larry and Wolf were receiving treatment similar to Tim. Larry wanted to study sports communications. I’d never heard of such a degree before. I shook my head when they talked about how professional athletes needed to have strong communication skills, and the university’s approach. Clemson offered a—and I’m quoting them here—“multi-faceted and diverse approach to sports communication through examining areas such as social media, public relations, organizational communication, and interpersonal communication.”
I thought that was what I paid people for.
Wolf talked to his group about someday wanting to own a construction company. That discussion wound up focusing on business management with an emphasis on entrepreneurship.
