P.A.W. Journey Year in Review 2022

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW

THE PILLARS OF P.A.W. JOURNEY 1 3

STRIPED intentionally identifies and fosters each individual’s sense of purpose and the man they aspire to become. This pillar of P.A.W. Journey emphasizes personal growth by teaching and encouraging our young men to utilize their influence, overcome adversity and initiate their own transformation.

As part of the Striped pillar, P.A.W. Journey focuses on three key aspects of personal development: Character, Confidence and Conviction

Through these mental and moral attributes, young men develop their ability to adapt, contribute and lead in a way that will stand the test of time.

C.U. IN LIFE provides Clemson football scholar-athletes opportunities to learn and apply transferable skills such as: financial literacy, communication and mental health awareness. This pillar of P.A.W. Journey also encourages civic engagement through sustainable service that promotes the understanding and appreciation of humanity in both domestic and global contexts.

5TH QUARTER instills entrepreneurial spirit and executive skills through professional development, influential marketplace exposure and purposeful employment opportunities. This pillar provides a platform for continual connection to Clemson.

As part of the 5th Quarter pillar, P.A.W. Journey focuses on three principles of career and professional development: Preparation, Passion and Purpose. Through these tenets, scholar-athletes are able to define their professional aspirations and accelerate the pathway(s) to reach them, invest the time and effort needed to refine industry best practices and establish professional networks and build confidence and competence in the skills and abilities that align with the career field they are pursuing.

4 2

OVERTIME provides Clemson Football alumni and former players with opportunities for leadership, growth and relationships internal and external to Clemson University.

To Educate, Empower and Engage is the aim of fostering skill development and civic engagement within the C.U. In Life pillar of P.A.W. Journey. In pursuit of this aim, our young men are exposed to various experts and experiences in order to attain and refine high-yield knowledge and skills, which will lead to them utilizing their power from within to earnestly engage with themselves, their communities, and society, and ultimately enjoy a lifestyle of winning.

Celebration, Connection and Commitment are the three key aspects of Overtime’s engagement with our alumni and former players. By providing targeted resources and opportunities for the scholarathletes matriculating on their P.A.W. Journeys, Overtime empowers our football alumni and former players to take ownership of the unique service and leadership they can provide at Clemson and beyond.

Sophomores Will Shipley (L) (Running Back) and Marcus Tate (Offensive Line) completed micro-internships with the NFL in New York as part of P.A.W. Journey's 5th Quarter pillar.

the PILLARS of p.A.W. JOURNEY

SEEKING PERSONAL GROWTH AND SENSE OF PURPOSE

pgs. 12-23

HOUSE OF TRUTH MENTORSHIP

Jeff Davis offers 1:1 mentorship to develop first-class men and world-class leaders pgs. 13-14

LETTER FROM THE FOUNDER

Jeff Davis discusses what P.A.W. Journey and its scholarathletes stand for. pg. 2

COLLEGE: WHERE THE TIGERS

PLAY

The P.A.W. Journey theme for 2022 was to maximize the college experience for Clemson’s football scholarathletes pgs. 3-5

PRAISE FOR P.A.W.

JOURNEY

Dabo Swinney, James P. Clements and Graham Neff discuss the key role P.A.W. Journey plays in the holistic development of Clemson scholar-athletes. pgs. 6-9

P.A.W. JOURNEY STAFF

Meet the students’ mentors, advisers, coordinators and friends. pgs. 70-73

AMBASSADORS

These scholar-athletes take on leadership roles within the program pgs. 74-75

VETERAN TEAM MEMBERS

2022's returning Tigers pgs. 78-81

ROOKIE TEAM

MEMBERS

2022’s new Tigers pgs. 82-83

1 CLEM5ON

Two current scholar-athletes fund an historic endowment. pgs. 85-87

NOTE TO DONORS

A thank you and request to our supporters. pg. 88

The epitome of P.A.W. Journey's Striped pillar, the P.A.T. Man of the Year award recognizes a scholar-athlete who is an exemplary citizen, scholar and athlete. The 2021 honoree is two-time Clemson graduate and Campbell Trophy semifinalist K.J. Henry. pg. 20

SERVICE AND SKILLS FOR A MEANINGFUL LIFE

pgs. 24-37

TEAM SERVICE 2022

Scholar-athletes showed servant leadership by working at two Anderson-area nonprofits pgs. 28-29

PREPARING FOR PURPOSEFUL EMPLOYMENT

pgs. 38-51

100% CAREER PLACEMENT

For four consecutive years, 100 percent of Clemson's football scholar-athletes have found employment after leaving campus. pgs. 40-41

CONTINUAL CONNECTION TO CLEMSON

pgs. 52-69

HALL OF FAME AND DONOR DINNER

At the Donor Appreciation Dinner, we honored our latest Hall of Famers while thanking those who helped make their success possible. pgs. 66-67

The purpose of this publication is to inform and to express our gratitude for the partners, pillars and donors of P.A.W. Journey. Distribution of this publication is in accordance with NCAA Compliance standards to ensure its use as informational material for the partners, pillars and donors of P.A.W. Journey. As P.A.W. Journey, Clemson Football and Clemson University have not created this informational material for prospective student-athletes, as defined by NCAA Bylaw 13.02.13, P.A.W. Journey, Clemson Football and Clemson University shall not be liable for any act or inaction hereunder regarding the second-hand distribution of the publication to prospective student-athletes.

When Ella,

the sister of #11 Bryan Bresee (Sophomore Defensive Tackle), fought

and then sadly passed from brain cancer, the team bound together to support Bryan and his family.

House of Truth Standing Is Required

FROM JEFF DAVIS, Assistant AD of Football Player Relations

WHETHER A GRADUATE WALKS ACROSS THE STAGE OR DOES NOT GET TO DANCE IN THE LOCKER ROOM — STANDING IS REQUIRED. If we don’t stand, we can’t move forward and become what God desires for us to be. P.A.W. Journey develops young men to be passionate about winning. Passion for winning is the desire to stand on your own two feet — stand for, stand with and stand strong in the face of success and failure.

Emphasizing the ability to stand is P.A.W Journey’s response to life’s many challenges: exiting a pandemic, adapting to NIL and the transfer portal, and enduring the aftermath of what many considered a failing season. Thus, in order to sustain a standard of excellence, you must know what you’re standing for. In Clemson Football and P.A.W. Journey, we stand for finishing.

Coach Swinney defines finishing as graduating, having tools for life and a great experience and winning a championship. I define finishing as first-class manhood, worldclass leadership. The common denominator being that paying the price is required to build a sure foundation. When you sacrifice to build a foundation, you stay grounded and constantly moving toward what you will become.

When you know what you’re standing for, you can stand with others. Tré Williams, Sherrod Covil, Jr., Riggs Faulkenberry, Kevin McNeal, Domonique Thomas, Blackmon Huckabee, Jr. and Tristan Leigh stood with Tanglewood Middle School after the fatal shooting of one of its 8th grade students. K.J. Henry and Will Shipley stand with Clemson students by creating an endowment to support women in sports, the retention of students in need of financial aid and the future football scholar-athletes of P.A.W. Journey. Clemson Football stood with each other in academic excellence by achieving a 3.1 GPA in the spring, the highest GPA in the team’s history. Standing with others is another opportunity for our young men to display their passion for leadership and one of life’s greatest joys: the power of their altruism. Standing strong together is inevitable on a sure foundation. You are fortified by the core values and vision you’re pursuing. You have an unwavering conviction that the price you pay to lead and love will not be in vain because who you will become is on the horizon. You’re undeterred

by material success and driven by holistic elevation, including when others can elevate with you. P.A.W. Journey’s football scholar-athletes are able to stand strong as we do life together with our brothers, partners and donors. We enjoy celebrating individual and collective elevation on our teams, in our families, and in our communities.

P.A.W. Journey’s holistic development is set apart by this understanding: in view of the weight of the responsibility of winning, the trophy is light. Standing on the journey to win takes strength and resilience that goes beyond mantras and measurables. It’s about enduring and thriving in an ever-growing industry. Standing for, standing with, and standing strong… we will now and forever be THE example — Passionate. About. Winning.

“As Matthew 7:25 tells us, ‘The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.’”

COLLEGE

WHERE THE TIGERS PLAY

maximize the college experience

p.a.w. Journey

Ruke Orhorhoro (Graduate Defensive Tackle) helped determine this year's P.A.W. Journey theme. He defines the college experience as “finding joy in the little moments.”

“ “

COLLEGE inspires me to grow and have fun with my friends because next thing you know, we're not going to be together anymore, so we gotta do it now.

- SHERIDAN JONES (Graduate Cornerback)

Too many young people endure their college experience instead of enjoying it. With the demands on a student-athlete’s time and the pressures to be great at every turn, it’s easy to fall victim to the college experience becoming a check-the-box obligation for a well-paying job. When really, college should be a unique privilege to grow, discover, have fun and win for a lifetime.

Thus, for Clemson’s football scholar-athletes, P.A.W. Journey’s purpose is to prevent them from falling victim to this challenge by equipping them to make the most of their college experience.

“College: Where the Tigers Play” is both an ode to dear old Clemson, referencing our alma mater and how integral athletics are to its uncommon culture, as well as a mentality about the best way to approach your college experience. One of the originators of this theme, Ruke Orhorhoro, a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador who has interned with Adobe, Pepsi and Synnex, defined it as: “finding joy in the little moments...It’s important to stop and smell the roses in the midst of our busy schedules as football scholar-athletes.”

This “stopping and smelling the roses” mindset is the embodiment of P.A.W. Journey, where humanity is the first organizational value, and the staff are diligent about the young men they serve not becoming so consumed with the physical health needed for achievement in football that they neglect the mental and emotional health needed for excellence in their daily lives.

P.A.W. Journey launched “College” in July at its annual Player Symposium, an initiative that aims to unify and inspire the entire team through discourse and discovery about a relevant concept pertaining to their holistic development. Clemson Football alumni like Tajh Boyd, 2012 ACC Player of the Year and current offensive player development coach for the team, are invited to pour into the young men with wisdom from their experiences as scholar-athletes, professionals and men.

College isn’t meant to be a burden, it’s meant to lead to personal and professional elevation. During this season and beyond, P.A.W. Journey will encourage those it serves to internalize this understanding as they embark on their journeys.

Beaux Collins knows exactly what it means to elevate his life through P.A.W. Journey: “Utilizing P.A.W. Journey will be one of my greatest investments. They have all the doors there for us, we just have to walk through them.” He has already begun doing so by becoming a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador, volunteering for community service, and earning a micro-internship with the NFL. This is the vision of P.A.W Journey for all of Clemson football’s young leaders: instead of being overwhelmed by the quantity of doors or opportunities available to them, they see the number of doors available as an indication of the college experience that’s within their reach.

To Jake Briningstool, “College” reminds him to “have fun with my brothers and enjoy these moments. The College theme inspires me to maximize my opportunities and do everything I can while I am here.” “Play” in the “College” theme isn’t meant to only highlight the fun in playing football — it’s meant to remind scholar-athletes like Jake — who put in the work through a micro-internship with Elliott Realty in North Myrtle Beach, attendance at summer golf lessons and service in the Clemson community — to have fun in life doing what matters.

PRAISE FOR P.A.W. JOURNEY

HEAD COACH DABO SWINNEY

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY DISTINGUISH CLEMSON FOOTBALL FROM ANY OTHER PROGRAM?

There are other programs that have checked the boxes, but there are not many programs that have a living, breathing space in their football building that is equipped with people who come to work with one objective: to serve our players and to help them grow into great men. When you walk in [to the Reeves Complex], the first thing you see is, “I am the example.” You see P.A.W. Journey, and you also see the National Championship trophies. It is a very symbolic thing: it is not just winning, it is how you win. We have always said we want to win as badly as everybody else, but we want to win the most in the hearts and minds of our players. We want to build great men; that is how you create generational change. We want to have a bunch of 30–50-year-old men one day whose lives were changed and their families were changed because of their experience in P.A.W. Journey. That is what separates us: it is not just someone sitting in a room or someone coming once a month. We do it every day. It is in our DNA. Our

staff is around our players all the time, at practice, travel, team meetings.

We have a holistic approach as P.A.W. Journey but we also have a specific curriculum for our freshmen, our sophomores, our juniors, our seniors. In [14 years], we have built an incredible program that really is the model. We have created amazing resources from a physical space standpoint and our personnel.

WITH THE CHANGES IN THE OVERALL LANDSCAPE OF FOOTBALL, FROM THE PANDEMIC TO NIL AND MORE, SCHOLAR-ATHLETES HAVE HAD TO ADAPT A LOT. WHY DO YOU BELIEVE P.A.W. JOURNEY REMAINS RELEVANT?

When we had social justice issues, the pandemic, upheaval in our country, mental health, schools shutting down, we were more equipped than most every place out there to come alongside our players at a time like this. It was very challenging for everybody in the world, but it has also been very encouraging and uplifting to see what's been built here. The foundation of this program, the culture, the connectivity of our

organization, the people who we have really won the day. Places that didn’t have that crumbled, and more importantly, kids suffered. To me, P.A.W. Journey has always been relevant, but it became more relevant and intentional as it ever has.

In terms of changes in the football world in NIL and the transfer portal, there is no program more equipped to help navigate that. At the end of the day, it is about being equipped as a man to make decisions. That is what P.A.W. Journey is about. We are trying to equip them to deal with life now. We are challenging them in how they think, relationships, networking, career stuff, whatever issues they are dealing with in the world. What you have seen in our program is a lot of injuries, a lot going on, and they still go out and win. Ultimately everyone sees, you win or you lose, but the reason we win consistently is because of how we win in the hearts and minds of our players on a daily basis.

P.A.W. Journey has always been relevant to me, but with all the other things that have come about in their world, the world has changed but they are still the same 18–22-year-old guys. It is a good thing for college football because P.A.W. Journey is the standard.

YOU SAID, “P.A.W. JOURNEY AS A PROGRAM

HELPS FOOTBALL SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

TRANSITION FROM FOOTBALL BEFORE THEY EVER HAVE TO.” CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT?

Our sport is not like golf or pick-up basketball that you can play forever; when football ends, it is cold-blooded. When the game ends, you are a very young person. [Only] 1.7 percent of people make it to the NFL, and half get a second contract. When this game ends, you either get hurt and can't play anymore, there is nowhere else to play, or you play long enough to where your body won’t hold up anymore over time. The game usually ends not on your terms.

The transition away from the game is incredibly hard. The transition is hard because football is so structured, so organized and such a commitment. You know this is what you’re doing and you are a part of a team, and all of a sudden it’s gone. What we have tried to set up in this program is the question of what is best for the 30-year-old version of this kid, and then helping them transition before they have to. The message is: let's not wait until football is over to have career development, internship experiences, relationships in place and thinking about what you want to do.

When a lot of these kids come in here, their identity is football. When football goes away, so many people lose their identity. What we try to do through P.A.W. Journey is to teach these guys they are great men who just happen to be good football players. So many of them have so much pressure on them

to make it as a football player, but we try to free them up through P.A.W. Journey to show them they are great men with bright futures. We show them the resources they have and help them create a vision for themselves after football. When they buy into that and start thinking in a different way, it frees them up to go be a great football player.

That's what I mean by the transition before they have to: so when that time comes you are still sad, but you are ready and equipped with the tools of what's next.

WHY IS THE NEED FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT SO GREAT IN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS?

You need a holistic approach because what happens on the scoreboard is a direct reflection of the type of men in your program. Talent is only gonna get you so far. If you want consistency, you have to be about a whole lot more than football. If a kid comes to Clemson and just becomes a better football player, then we failed. It aligns with the purpose of the program to graduate players, to equip them with tools for life, to make sure they have a good experience, and that they win. You want them to think: I am a great man who just happens to be a good football player.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ENDOW A PROGRAM LIKE P.A.W. JOURNEY TO ENSURE IT WILL LAST?

It is so much bigger than us, and we can’t be here forever. If we are truly going to be a program that serves [students’] hearts and not their talent, it is the right thing to

do. You can’t create the initiatives, fulfill the curriculums, or provide the opportunities and experiences that we provide without funds. I hope that my grandkids’ kids will come through Clemson one day and see all that has transpired through P.A.W. Journey: service trips abroad, internships all over the world, people coming from all over to pour into our players. All of these things don’t just happen; it takes funds. [P.A.W. Journey] is an incredibly well thought-out and intentional, beautiful program, and it to me is the epitome of what every athletic department should strive for. At a place like Clemson, the expectations are high…but really showing [students] that you love them and that you are truly preparing them for life [as] firstclass men and world-class leaders — that is why.

“Ultimately everyone sees, you win or you lose, but the reason we win consistently is because of how we win in the hearts and minds of our players on a daily basis.

- HEAD COACH DABO SWINNEY

Clemson University

PresidenT Jim Clements

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY DISTINGUISH CLEMSON UNIVERSITY WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION?

I often talk to others about Clemson and share how the value of the Paw has never been higher. The same can be said about P.A.W. Journey. This unique leadership program is more valuable than ever as the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve. Clemson was at the forefront in creating such a development program and the investments that have been made in resources and

personnel have made it the premiere program in the nation.

WHY IS THE NEED FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT SO GREAT WITHIN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS?

Our athletes are much more than the sport they play — they are young men and women who have goals and dreams that extend beyond the field or court. As leaders in higher education, it is our job to ensure all of our students are fully prepared and equipped for the next chapter in their lives — whether it is seeking a higher degree or moving into a professional career. Clemson’s robust student-athlete development programs, such as P.A.W. Journey, provide the holistic

“

Our athletes are much more than the sport they play – they are young men and women who have goals and dreams that extend beyond the field or court.

“- CLEMSON UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JIM CLEMENTS

development that our dedicated student-athletes, who give so much to the University, need and deserve to set them up for success in life after sports.

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY ENHANCE THE COLLEGIATE EDUCATION EACH CLEMSON FOOTBALL SCHOLARATHLETE RECEIVES?

The University will soon roll out our new strategic plan, Clemson Elevate, that is built on three pillars — the #1 student experience, research and innovation, and dedication to service. For our student-athletes, P.A.W. Journey is similar in that it provides a path to strategic personal development that mirrors those pillars. It provides them with a unique student experience, provides realworld exposure to innovative companies through internships and immersive experiences and instills in them a passion for serving others. Each student who chooses Clemson knows that we have some of the most amazing opportunities available.

P.A.W. Journey certainly provides complementary and dynamic opportunities for our student-athletes.

(L to R) Walker Parks (Junior Offensive Line), Jim Clements, Graham Neff and Will Putnam (Senior Offensive Line) catch up at the Clemson Student-Athlete Development’s Welcome Back Picnic.

Director of Athletics

Graham NeFf

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY DISTINGUISH CLEMSON FOOTBALL WITHIN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS?

Nationally, P.A.W. Journey is a program that models how student-athlete development can operate. P.A.W. Journey isn’t new — it’s been embedded in the culture at Clemson for more than a decade and is mature. Because it was founded by a Clemson trailblazer in Jeff Davis, it is built specifically for us — it’s not just a program we’ve seen elsewhere and are trying to make our own version. It’s clear just how much effort, care and attention go into the programming.

WHY IS THE NEED FOR HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT SO GREAT WITHIN COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS?

The mission of college athletic departments should be to provide well-rounded educational, developmental and competitive environments for our student-athletes. It is imperative that modern athletic departments invest deeply in our students beyond just their impact on the field.

This is an impressionable time for our young people, and when we tell parents that

we’ll care for their sons and daughters, we mean it. This is an extension of being able to feed the mind, body and futures of our student-athletes in a way that provides meaningful opportunities off the field.

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY ENHANCE THE COLLEGIATE EDUCATION EACH CLEMSON

FOOTBALL SCHOLARATHLETE RECEIVES WHILE AT CLEMSON?

P.A.W. Journey enhances the education Clemson football scholar-athletes receive in many ways, from the programming to the time and energy invested by the staff. Attending college is about realizing opportunity and being made aware of not only the doors available, but how to walk through those doors. Whether it’s interview skills, workshops, etiquette, leadership development or representing the University on a larger stage, our students have access to industry-standard tools and practices.

One of the programs that brings enduring value is the micro-internship program, where our studentathletes get first-hand experience with some of the largest companies in the world. International service trips, the Ambassador program, and some of the other workshops also provide

direct and indirect learning experiences away from the game.

HOW DOES P.A.W. JOURNEY INSPIRE EXCELLENCE WITHIN CLEMSON ATHLETICS?

P.A.W. Journey provides a great blueprint for how we can care for and give attention to our student-athletes. Within athletics, we also have a student-athlete development arm that serves all students, and they work together to create opportunities for all kinds of learners, career tracks, and goals. P.A.W. Journey’s approach of caring for the person first, and their life outside of football, is one that we carry throughout our department.

When a young person decides to attend Clemson, it’s one of the biggest decisions they can make, and together with the support of IPTAY, it is imperative that we provide value, regardless of on-field performance. We have to look beyond the onfield results and invest, and I’m proud of how we do that as an athletic department.

Attending college is about realizing opportunity and being made aware of not only the doors available, but how to walk through those doors.

- DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

GRAHAM NEFF

VISION

P.A.W. Journey will be the paragon of student-athlete development and player relations in the industry of athletics by producing first-class men, worldclass leaders.

MISSION

Through sacrifice, truth and discipline, P.A.W. Journey will love and celebrate who our football scholar-athletes are as men and leaders.

VALUES

Humanity, Work Ethic, Independence, Excellence and Servant Leadership

Hunter Helms (Sophomore Quarterback) takes a break during a golf outing designed to teach the game, build skills and have fun.

CURRICULUM AT-A-GLANCE

YEAR 01 02 03

OBJECTIVES

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

DEMONSTRATE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESS ONAL ET QUETTE AND BEST PRACTICES:

BUSINESS WR TING: EMAIL COMPOS TION & SIGNATURES, THANK YOU CARDS, ETC (SHARE TEMPLATES, BANK OF GREETINGS & CLOSINGS, ETC )

RESUMÉ WRIT NG

PROFESSIONAL DRESS

PROOF OF MASTERY PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES

ET QUETTE DINNER

ATTENDANCE AT REQUIRED N TIATIVES

COMPLETION OF SURVEYS & NTERVIEWS

ASKING FOR SUPPORT ON EXECUT NG SKILL

SUBM TTING PRODUCT TO SHOW EXECUTION OF SK LL AND/OR CONFIRMING

CREATION OF PRODUCT IN N TIATIVES

INFORMAL RECOGN TION FROM TIGERHOOD MENTORS FB STAFF & OTHER PARTNERS

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

DEMONSTRATE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESS ONAL ET QUETTE AND BEST PRACTICES:

CAREER AND NDUSTRY EXPLORATION (UTIL ZE ASSESSMENT)

NETWORKING (BUSINESS CARDS ELEVATOR SPEECHES ETC )

CREATE LINKEDIN PROFILES

SCHOLAR-ATHLETES DEMONSTRATE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF PROFESS ONAL ETIQUETTE AND BEST PRACTICES:

APPLICATION OF ALL BEST PRACT CES/SKILLS LEARNED N YEARS 1 AND 2 FOLLOW-UP ON NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES AND RELAT ONSH PS

SELECT ON FOR PART CIPATION IN COMPETITIVE ANNUAL N TIATIVES

VOLUNTARY PART CIPATION IN INIT ATIVES OR NETWORKING

OPPORTUN TIES, SIGN-UPS FOR 1:1S

SELECTION FOR AWARDS AND PR V LEGES (ACC MEDIA DAY, PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR, P A T MAN OF THE MONTH OR YEAR)

INVITATIONS TO REPRESENT P A W JOURNEY IN A PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY LEADERSHIP OR MENTORSH P ROLE, ETC

OBTA N NG PROFESS ONAL CERTIFICAT ONS, SCHOLARSH PS, MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS, ETC

PARTNERSHIP WITH CAREER CENTER & OTHER EXPERTS TO HOST REQU RED OR VOLUNTARY IN TIAT VES &1:1 FOLLOW-UPS

TARGETED T GERHOOD

MENTORSH P

CAREER EXTERNSH PS

BUS NESS WEEK

BR DGE WEEK

MICRO-INTERNSH PS

ALL L STED ABOVE

5TH QUARTER PROFESS ONAL COMB NE

CAREER FEEL: CAREER EXPLORAT ON COMPETENCY & PERSONALITY ASSESSMENTS

C U IN THE C TY

ALL L STED ABOVE

OPPORTUN TIES FOR LEADERSHIP & CONTR BUT ON IN INITIATIVES, PEER MENTORSH P ETC

TARGETED NETWORKING FOR POST-GRADUATE SUCCESS

Tigers are not born; Tigers are made. Becoming a Tiger is about earning your stripes through intentionality and introspection, which requires continuous effort from every young man, whether they’re experiencing success or failure on their journey to first-class manhood and world-class leadership.

STRIPED

The P.A.T. MAN OF THE YEAR demonstrates leadership and civic engagement, ethics and demeanor. The 2021 honoree is K.J. Henry (Graduate Defensive End). See pg. 20 for more.

HOUSE OF MENTORSHIP TRUTH

P.A.W. Journey is, at its heart, about connections: connecting young adults to their teammates, to the college experience, to their potential and to their future. While many of our programs help encourage these connections, often the best way to connect with a scholar-athlete is one-on-one. Jeff Davis, founder of P.A.W. Journey, opens his office regularly for mentorship sessions that make such connections.

1:1 TIME WITH JEFF DAVIS BUILDS TRUE CONNECTION

JEFF’S PHILOSOPHY ON MENTORSHIP CENTERS ON FIVE KEY GUIDELINES. These pillars guide his “House of Truth” sessions and ensure that each student gets the mentorship best suited to his needs.

Through P.A.W. Journey’s existence, many Tigers have taken the time out of their very busy schedules to consistently engage in House of Truth mentorship. These students include: Will Shipley, Tyler Davis, Davis Allen, K.J. Henry, ET Reuben, Malcolm Greene, Tre Williams, D.J. Uiagalelei, Will Putnam, Sage Ennis, Myles Murphy, Hamp Greene, Phil Mafah, Ruke Orhorhoro, Jordan McFadden, Trenton Simpson, Troy Stellato, Tristan Leigh, Landen Zanders and Bryton Constantin.

As long as students are ready to put in the work, Jeff’s office will remain open for House of Truth mentoring sessions.

HOUSE OF TRUTH MENTORSHIP GUIDELINES

ORGANIC: Sessions are not formal, but rather are inspired by where a student is in his life, what is happening right now and where he wants to be. As such, students set their mentorship times based on their own vision and identity.

AUTHENTICITY: Mentees are encouraged to be sincere in their awareness of their weaknesses, strengths, goals, desires and vision.

CONNECTIVITY: For true connection, both the mentor and mentee must be transparent and vulnerable. This bridges the gaps in age and experience to find shared experiences and relatable actions.

CONSISTENCY: Though sessions are organically scheduled, they can be consistent throughout a student’s college experience. This mentorship is often the

pinnacle experience of P.A.W. Journey’s programs.

LIBERTY: Students are free to develop spiritually and to express vulnerability. This freedom enhances confidence and a personal sense of self.

THE SPIRIT OF LEADERSHIP

Founder | Mentor | Pastor | Leader | Champion

HAILING FROM GREENSBORO, N.C., DAVIS MADE THE DECISION TO BECOME A TIGER IN 1978. He notoriously became known as “The Judge” for his leadership and defensive domination, also serving as the captain for the 1981 nationalchampionship team. Davis went on to play professional football with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before utilizing the influence of football in other career fields.

school teachers in the state of South Carolina. His impact on the institution continued as he worked as a Development Officer, raising funds for the now constructed WestZone.

Davis returned to Clemson Football in 2009 as newly appointed Head Coach Dabo Swinney’s first hire. He was asked to serve the team by creating opportunities for personal growth and mentorship, ultimately founding P.A.W. Journey, the model program for football student-athlete development.

Continuously representing Clemson with excellence, Davis is able to challenge the mindset of each young man to center on who they want to become and the future they envision for themselves. Davis not only leads the entire P.A.W. Journey

program but also the Striped pillar and its initiatives. Through Striped, he is able to help our young men prepare for manhood and identify and overcome adversities, seeing each hardship as an opportunity to forge the stripes that define a Tiger.

Beyond his many accolades, Davis is most proud of the man he has become and the pillar he is for his family and local community. A father of six college graduates, a husband of 38 years, and a grandfather to Doren, Davis’ pride and overwhelming love for his family is tangible. He is also the founder and pastor of FreeWay Church in Central, S.C., where he is able to share his infectious energy as a man guided by his faith and family.

After capitalizing on his competitive spirit in the car business and opening his own church in Tampa, Davis returned to Clemson University to be the field director of Call Me MISTER, a program focused on AfricanAmerican males becoming elementary

“Our gratitude should be fueled by those who have sacrificed before us and with us, and those who will sacrifice after us.”

Jeff Davis is more than the founder of P.A.W. Journey — he is a true inspiration, a fellow Tiger who succeeded in football and in life, then returned to give back to Clemson. Jeff’s memorable maxims and constant energy define the spirit of the program and impact everyone he meets.

J.D. is one of the biggest influences in my life because he is genuine. He's always going to keep it real with me.

- TRÉ WILLIAMS (Sophomore Defensive Tackle)

STRIPED

PLAYER SYMPOSIUM

College: Where the Tigers Play

“IN TERMS OF WHAT COLLEGE HAS TO OFFER, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE EXPOSED TO OR EXPERIENCE?”

“WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS HOLDING YOU BACK FROM HAVING A GREAT COLLEGE EXPERIENCE?”

These were just a few of the questions scholar-athletes worked through during this year’s Player Symposium.

The annual Player Symposium kicks off a new season each year by providing a time for the team to establish their plans and come together with focused goals related to their holistic development. The Symposium takes many different forms each year in its delivery, guests and activities, but always aims to build leaders and bind the team together.

This year’s Symposium theme was “College: Where the Tigers Play,” and it brought together an engaging keynote speaker, a panel of Clemson Football alumni and a series of breakout sessions, all constructed to inspire scholarathletes to make the most of their college experience and cultivate the intentionality needed to do so.

The keynote speaker was Desi Banks, an actor, comedian, entertainer and host who played football in college, but found his passion in creating content for social media. He shared his journey from college football to having 4 million followers on

T.J. Dudley (Freshman Linebacker) snaps a photo of the Symposium's keynote speaker Desi Banks, an actor, comedian and influencer.

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter combined, and how the experiences and lessons from football translate to bringing levity every day, whether doing stand-up or hosting an event with the NFL. Desi was the perfect keynote because his life experiences are marked with his intentionality around enjoying himself and inspiring others to enjoy themselves through laughter and joy, which aligns with the “College” theme that’s all about how to enjoy college at the highest level.

After the keynote, Desi hosted a panel of Clemson Football alumni that included Patrick McClure ’21, Chris Hairston ’10, Michael Wade ’10 and Jock McKissic ’08. The purpose of this panel was to hear from alumni who had holistic

college experiences that extended beyond the football field, and could articulate how their college experiences impacted the journeys they have continued to take into adulthood and beyond football.

In breakout sessions, the current team members were challenged to create a bucket list of college experiences they each wanted to have to make the most of their time at Clemson. They then worked together to create a Team Bucket

List of shared college goals for the entire team.

Scholar-athletes left the Symposium encouraged to pursue college activities and experiences outside of football to have enjoyable, fulfilling years at Clemson that will impact the rest of their lives.

TEAM BUCKET LIST

Win a Championship

Build Relationships and Network Outside of Football

Travel Outside of South Carolina

Invest in Ourselves and P.A.W. Journey

Seek and Accept Discomfort

STRIPED MEETINGS

Strengthening personal growth and identity

P.A.W. Journey focuses every spring on providing opportunities for each Tiger to learn more about who he is and the man he wants to become. In particular, STRIPED Meetings offer a venue to pursue personal growth and identity development, in line with the tenets of the STRIPED pillar. We break these meetings up by academic year in order to best meet the needs of our students and to make individualized connections at important moments in their lives.

JUNIORS & SENIORS: Becoming First-Class Men

The Striped session offered to upperclassmen was led by Pastor Dan Lian from NewSpring Church to discuss the essence of the Striped pillar: manhood development.

Pastor Dan described his tenets for how to be a man, remarking that a

man is: secure in his identity; knows his purpose; values relationships; honors women; and pursues spiritual health.

“Pastor Dan Lian taught us the significance of finding and developing our ‘Stripes’ to be first-class men and world-class leaders,” said Hamp Greene, Graduate Wide Receiver. “My greatest takeaway from the session was the importance of the foundation of our life being in Christ, and that football is what we do, not who we are.”

P.A.W. Journey empowers young leaders to continually learn about themselves so that they can in turn interpret, influence and impact the lives of others.

My greatest takeaway from the session was that football is what we do, not who we are.

- HAMP GREENE (Graduate Wide Receiver)

Pastor Dan Lian talked with upperclassmen about the tenets of being first-class men.

The Self-Coaching Model

CIRCUMSTANCE = Facts

THOUGHTS = Judgments, Add-Ons

FEELINGS = One Word

ACTIONS = What You Do

RESULTS = Outcome

To solve problems: Start from any point and work your way up then back down.

To create results: Start from bottom and work your way up.

Applying the Self-Coaching Model

1. Identify the situation

2. Write an acronym of model components vertically. C-T-F-A-R

3. Fill in any one line

4. Fill in remaining lines

Example Situation

I want to know why I’m not getting up at 5 a.m. despite really wanting to get in a workout before my day starts.

C = I want to exercise/workout

T = Even if I do it, it won’t make a difference

F = Apathetic

A = Don’t get up at 5 a.m., don’t exercise

R = No difference is made

FRESHMEN & SOPHOMORES: Adjust Your Perspective to Adjust Your Approach

For our newest team members, P.A.W. Journey brought in keynote speaker Yashica B. Martin, executive coach and CEO of YBM Coaching Services, to talk about the power of perspective and approach, as well as equip scholar-athletes to handle both challenges and goals. Yashica taught students the self-coaching model, a tool they could use to gain new insights, solve problems and produce new results in life. The model defines circumstances, thoughts, feelings, actions and results and how they affect one another.

Scholar-athletes were given the opportunity to share their application

of the model, as well as multiple opportunities to reflect throughout the session.

“One thing [Ms. Martin] said that stuck with me is, you can’t always change the circumstances, but you can change your perspective,” said Domonique Thomas, Sophomore Running Back. “This made me think about my life and how changing my perspective got me through a tragedy.”

To conclude, the team discussed how perspective and approach separate success and failure, and how self-coaching can help to gain control of your attitude and actions. P.A.W. Journey continues to equip young men with tools and tactics to assist in their success both on and off the field.

“

One thing . . .that stuck with me is, you can’t always change the circumstances, but you can change your perspective.

- DOMONIQUE THOMAS (Sophomore Running Back)

Yaschica B. Martin taught students how to apply the Self-Coaching Model to gain control of attitudes and actions.

2022 P.A.T. AWARD WINNERS

THE P.A.T. AWARD, OR POINT AFTER TOUCHDOWN, honors someone who personifies manhood through leadership, ethics, demeanor and civic engagement. The objective of this award is to recognize a scholar-athlete who is an exemplary citizen, scholar and athlete.

This young man finishes strong by scoring points in every area of his life while accomplishing his goals and setting new ones. He endeavors to continually move forward in his pursuit of becoming a first-class man and world-class leader.

A P.A.T. AWARD WINNER DEMONSTRATES:

Leadership & Civic Engagement

He serves as a positive influence in academics, athletics and community involvement — on or off campus

Ethics

He is consistent in moral values and guiding principles

Demeanor

He demonstrates care in what he accomplishes, but also in the manner in which it is achieved

K.J. Henry

“The P.A.T Man of the Year award, to me, simply speaks to a man in the program who has focused on growing in all aspects of his life and is doing so intentionally.

My growth came in my discipline and accountability as a man and a teammate. Through the maturation process, I was also able to lend a helping hand to other young players whose shoes I was once in. Saying I am honored to receive this award is a huge understatement due to the love and respect I have for P.A.W. Journey and what it embodies.

I'm blessed to have been granted the opportunity

to come to Clemson and become an Ambassador because from day one I have wanted to grow in every aspect of my leadership, and there is no better program in the country to help me do so than P.A.W. Journey. Being an Ambassador has opened up many network opportunities as well that I had never truly imagined for myself.

I will continue to give thanks to my Lord and Savior, teammates, coaches, family and the P.A.W. Journey staff for their parts in my journey because I never would be where I am today without these amazing individuals.

A NOTE FROM 2021’s P.A.T. MAN OF THE YEAR

MARCH

Brannon

Spector

CONSISTENT, POSITIVE, DETERMINED

JANUARY

Myles Murphy

Junior

SPECIAL, INTELLIGENT, MULTIFACETED

Phil Mafah

Sophomore Running Back

FEBRUARY

MIGHTY, COMPASSIONATE, INTENTIONAL

Ruke

Orhorhoro

STRIPED

JUNE

Sage Ennis

Graduate Tight End

VOCAL, CONFIDENT, RELATABLE

Tyler Davis

Graduate

SEPTEMBER

EXEMPLARY, HARD-WORKING, WITTY

JULY

Malcolm Greene

MATURE, INFLUENTIAL, EARNEST

APRIL

DJ Uiagalelei

LEVEL-HEADED, HUMBLE, RESILIENT

MAY

OCTOBER

Hamp Greene

FUN-LOVING, VIVACIOUS, CONSIDERATE

UNIQUE, MAGNETIC, HUMOROUS

Beaux Collins

AUGUST

ARTICULATE, POISED, COMMITTED

Tristan Leigh

NOVEMBER

WHOLESOME, SELFLESS, MINDFUL

Defensive End

Junior Wide Receiver

Defensive Tackle

Junior Cornerback

Freshman Offensive Lineman

Sophomore Wide Receiver

Graduate Wide Receiver

Graduate Quarterback

Graduate Defensive Tackle

P.A.W. JOURNEY AMBASSADORS

P.A.W. JOURNEY AMBASSADORS are leaders within the team who show their commitment to the development of others, as well as to themselves.

During their monthly meetings, Ambassadors offer feedback on the team’s needs, and old and new initiatives within Clemson Football. Ambassadors are representatives of P.A.W. Journey, demonstrating advanced understanding of maturity, service, professionalism and leadership. Ambassadors are voted on each semester, and in October 2022, we added 11 new scholar-athletes to the group.

The 2022 P.A.W. Journey Ambassadors pose for a group photo inside the Allen N. Reeves Football Operations Complex. Each young man provides leadership to the team and communication to the staff regarding the thoughts, needs and initiatives of their peers. Our Ambassadors set the example for scholarathlete advocacy and skill application.

By Davis Allen (Graduate Tight End)

STRIPED

ALUMNI AMBASSADORS

Tremayne Anchrum

Kaleb Bevelle

Kelby Bevelle

Matt Bockhorst

Tyler Brown

Will Brown

Austin Bryant

Kelly Bryant

Jackson Carman

I joined the P.A.W. Journey Ambassadors in spring of 2020 and since then, I have grown as a man, leader, teammate and professional. This group has pushed me out of my comfort zone to utilize my voice and express myself both on and off the field.

I have a great sense of pride being part of a group of scholarathletes who share a similar perspective on maximizing their college experience. We all want to leave Clemson better than we were when we moved on campus, and we want to leave Clemson better than we found it. Even though most of us have professional football aspirations, we know life is more than ball.

Being an Ambassador means you have taken the extra step in growing as a professional, leader and man.

During our meetings, Ambassadors serve as a leadership committee that makes decisions on behalf of the entire football team and shares opinions, suggestions

and feedback each month. P.A.W. Journey is player-led, and the staff takes that very seriously when planning for their events throughout the year. We are able to decide companies we interview with, local organizations to help with community service, guest speakers, mental health activities, etc.

Not only does P.A.W. Journey and the Ambassador experience equip us with tools for life to be successful in any career path we decide to take, it also equips us to be the best fathers, sons, husbands and friends we can be. I can say with full confidence that I am a better person for being a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador.

Nyles Pinckney

Sean Pollard

Cornell Powell

Klayton Randolph

Chandler Reeves

Darien Rencher

Chris Register

Milan Richard

Amari Rodgers

Adam Choice

JD Davis

Judah Davis

Jacob Edwards

James Edwards

Justin Falcinelli

Clelin Ferrell

Justin Foster

Daniel Funderburk

Braden Galloway

Mario Goodrich

Carter Groomes

Landon Holden

Greg Huegel

Austin Jackson

Josh Jackson

Darnell Jefferies

Mike Jones

Kendall Joseph

Xavier Kelly

Frank Ladson Jr.

Tre Lamar

Trevor Lawrence

Jaelyn Lay

Jack Maddox

Max May

Sylvester Mayers

Jack McCall

Patrick McClure

Zac McIntosh

Matt McMahan

Isaac Moorhouse

Dorian O’Daniel

Cam Scott

John Simpson

Cannon Smith

Chad Smith

Shaq Smith

Alex Spence

Austin Spence

Will Spiers

Will Swinney

Trevion Thompson

Elijah Turner

Kanyon Tuttle

Regan Upshaw

Jake Venables

K’Von Wallace

Christian Wilkins

Garrett Williams

Jalen Williams

Richard Yeargin

My experience as a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador has been nothing short of amazing.

The Ambassador Experience

The transferable skills developed through the game of football, combined with diverse and progressive pathways to learn and serve, prepare each Tiger to experience and enjoy what it means to win in every arena of life and see the impact of their winning on themselves and others.

C.U. IN LIFE

C.U. IN LIFE’S SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARD is given each year to a scholar-athlete who has dedicated his time and energy to helping others in true servant leadership. The 2021 honoree was Will Spiers ’20, M ’21, who served more than 300 community service hours while on the team and was president of Clemson's chapter of Uplifting Athletes, which supports people with rare diseases.

LIFE SKILLS

Tigers are prepared for well-rounded lives through skills developed in seminars, workshops, internships, travel and mentorship.

TEAMWORK coming together to achieve a common goal

PUBLIC SPEAKING delivering presentations, speeches and interviews

MEDIA TRAINING representing team and self through messaging

FINANCIAL LITERACY education in budgets, taxes, credit and investing

PROFESSIONALISM industry decorum and best practices

VALUES IDENTIFICATION knowing personal values and application in multiple contexts

CRITICAL THINKING active problem-solving abilities

INFLUENCE extending leadership to positively impact others

CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY serving communities and engaging in civic duties

NETWORKING fostering meaningful relationships

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE understanding interpersonal relationships and self-awareness

TIME MANAGEMENT strategic planning of time used to meet priorities

ETIQUETTE understanding the social behavior required in settings

MENTAL HEALTH PRACTICES managing stress and anxiety through wellness practices

BRAND MANAGEMENT marketing and promotion strategies

Jordan McFadden (Graduate Offensive Lineman) speaks with reporters at ACC Media Day.

With Jeff and Joni Davis being my parents, I can declare with pride and confidence that although I’ve never played a down of football, I am P.A.W. Journey. The values and tenets of this rare jewel of a playerrelations program are ones my father, the founder of P.A.W. Journey, and my mother have instilled in me throughout my life. I cannot articulate how much I’ve benefited from parents who empowered me to freely discover my gifts and talents, determine which ones I was passionate about and pursue them with excellence and leadership. This empowerment has informed the lifestyle of winning I have been blessed to establish, as well as the first-class womanhood and world-class leadership I have committed to displaying in every arena I have entered.

Not only have I been a direct beneficiary of P.A.W. Journey, but I worked with my father in its early stages of

origination. I like to refer to myself as the “black and gold sheep” of the Davis family since I am the only one of the eight of us who did not attend Clemson University for my undergraduate degree. Instead, I attended Vanderbilt University and obtained a bachelor’s in Secondary Education and English. Over the summer I would return home and help my dad in his office when he was a one-man player-relations department. I assisted with the planning and execution of flagship initiatives such as the Player Symposium and Lake Day, witnessed and learned from the power of the daily mentorship that occurred in my father’s office and collaborated with him to establish the founding pillars and structure of P.A.W. Journey. I am P.A.W. Journey not just for my connection to its founder, but because of my passion for this work and contribution to it as

an outgrowth of my gifts and calling to education, and the empowerment and development of young people. In addition to the special partnership I forged with my father in the name of P.A.W. Journey, one of my first opportunities to mentor and support young men came through my relationship with my younger brothers, Jedidiah and Judah Davis, who are also Clemson Football alumni and National Champions. Before I ever left my home, I cultivated a love for developing young people and their life skills.

This new stage of my P.A.W. Journey is the one I am most excited about because I can now impact this program inhouse through all the wisdom I’ve gained and wins I’ve

earned in the other spheres of life I’ve occupied. I’ve built and experienced success as a public school teacher and assistant principal, a pastor, a coach and a mentor. I’ve developed hundreds of people of all ages, backgrounds and creeds, and I’ve founded organizations and groups of my own with missions to educate, empower and develop. So it brings me great joy to now pour into Clemson Football and its scholarathletes with my training, my experiences and the championships I’ve won in life. The very life I live has been largely impacted by Clemson Football, and my father’s and brothers’ hands in it. Now, I get to return the blessing, and hopefully, increase it for many young men to come.

“ It has been my distinct honor to have joined the P.A.W. Journey staff as the new Director of Life Skills and Community Service this past April.

Letter from JEUEL DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF LIFE SKILLS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

“I Am P.A.W. Journey”

CITIZENS OF THE WORLD

Annual Abroad Service Trips

EACH YEAR, SCHOLAR-ATHLETES CHOOSE A LOCATION, SELECT SERVICE PROJECTS AND CRAFT AN EXPERIENCE abroad unlike any other in collegiate sports. From intense pre-trip education to on-site work and cultural immersion, our scholar-athletes gain life-changing experiences in countries around the world.

2017

Partnering with Souls4Soles, the first P.A.W. Journey Worldwide trip was in PortAu-Prince, Haiti, where over 3,000 shoes were distributed. From washing feet, to measuring, to picking out the perfect pair of shoes, our young leaders were immersed in the daily routines and needs of local children.

2020 & 2021 SOUTH AFRICA 2022 LONDON

Again postponed due to COVID-19, 15 scholar-athletes were prepared to embark on P.A.W. Journey’s inaugural holistic trip that would have included community service, marketplace exposure and networking, and exploration and enculturation through fashion, food and sightseeing.

Though postponed due to COVID-19, scholar-athletes were prepared to make the trip to South Africa for the 2020 and 2021 Abroad Service trips. Here, they would serve the local community through water conservation and access projects, as well as engage in the vibrant culture of Cape Town.

2023 ON THE HORIZON

Next year, P.A.W. Journey will relaunch the Abroad Service Trip, and many scholar-athletes are eager to spend a week in late spring expanding their college experiences on a worldwide scale.

2019

Serving the Las Palmas community, volunteers for this trip built three transitional homes and paved a road for a neighborhood that was traditionally unsupported. The location and projects were chosen by students after learning of the devastating tropical storms that had hit the community.

Fifteen scholar-athletes traveled nearly 9,000 miles to Bangkok, Thailand, where they served at the Mercy Center School. From repairs, to teaching, to daily soccer matches, our servant leaders dedicated time to the children and to cultural learning in the Land of Smiles.

HAITI 2018 COSTA RICA

TEAM SERVICE

LOCAL COMMUNITY SERVICE CREATES LIFELONG IMPACT

After two years of restrictions due to the pandemic, the P.A.W. Journey program was able to return to a beloved activity: team service. Servant Leadership is one of P.A.W. Journey’s values, and students were eager to return to helping their community.

P.A.W. Journey Ambassadors voted this year for the team to split up in order to expand their impact during the two hours they would be serving. On October 25, representatives from Habitat for Humanity in Anderson, S.C., and Anderson Interfaith

Ministries (AIM) visited the Reeves Football Complex for a pre-service team meeting to present on their organizations, the populations they serve and the needs of those populations. Inspired and ready to work, half of the team went to work with AIM and half served with Habitat for Humanity.

At AIM, the scholar-athletes focused on campus beautification, working on projects such as gardening, weeding, trimming hedges, clearing tree limbs, raking pine needles, building fences, sweeping and re-painting parking lots, blowing leaves, organizing the food pantry, cleaning out storage, collecting and taking out trash and organizing Christmas toys. The students made improvements internally and externally to all six buildings on AIM’s campus. AIM’s leadership praised the students for being hard workers who made the campus “look amazing.”

At Habitat for Humanity, the scholar-athletes worked on three different houses. At two homes, the scholar-athletes completed all the landscaping, including laying sod, raking dirt and rocks, spreading mulch and planting flowers. At one home, students completed minor construction tasks, such as installing mailboxes and house numbers, adding hurricane and truss clips, installing anchor bolts and ceiling plates, painting interior doors, cutting out thresholds and helping with housewrap. During the project, the team and Coach Swinney were able to meet two of the families who would

Scholar-athletes completed hours of service in 2022.

“You all are amazing. Our staff and crew leaders were impressed with your positive attitudes and hard work on our construction sites.

…Habitat is team building in the most literal sense, and you rocked it.

Thank you for helping to turn houses into homes. The future homeowners are grateful and excited. …You made a huge impact in moving three families closer to their dream.

Y'all are futurechangers!”

be moving into the homes they were working on.

In two hours of hard work, our scholar-athletes completed four times what the average volunteer group would have been able to complete in the same amount of time.

Through learning how even small acts of service can change lives for the better, our scholar-athletes are becoming future-changers, and setting habits that will impact their world for years to come.

Being able to work firsthand on making a change in someone's life was rewarding for me.

- GREG WILLIAMS (Graduate Defensive End)

- KYLIE YERKA HERBERT, Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County

Phil Florenzo (Sophomore Long Snapper) volunteers at Anderson Interfaith Ministries.

Newly eligible scholar-athletes registered to vote

VOTER REGISTRATION

Teaching civic engagement as a duty

2022 WAS A NATIONAL ELECTION YEAR, and P.A.W. Journey seized the opportunity to engage our student-athletes in their civic responsibility. For the first time since the pandemic, the program conducted in-person voter registration in the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex

In early October, P.A.W. Journey partnered with the League of Women Voters of Oconee and Pickens County, a nonpartisan group, to register new voters or update voter registration information. Twenty-two scholarathletes registered to vote before the November midterm elections.

P.A.W. Journey included voter registration as a way to apply the importance of civic engagement and civic responsibility. Contributing to electing government officials who lead in the legislative process for our cities, states and country is key to every American citizen’s quality of life. Voting is one important way to lead, influence and use your voice. And voting is important not just for the presidential election, but for all elections and offices.

Myles Oliver (Freshman Cornerback) talks with volunteers from the League of Women Voters of Oconee and Pickens County about registering to vote.

C.U.

IN LIFE

Supporting Mental Health

Resources to Recharge and Restore

P.A.W. JOURNEY intentionally creates opportunities for action, grounding and reflection to benefit the mental wellness of its scholar-athletes. Through Coach Swinney’s support of mental health awareness and time allocation for stress management, Clemson Football offers our students resources for the recharge needed in any highperformance environment.

MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

To encourage the integration of small “mental health moments” each day, scholar-athletes and staff at Fall Camp were given journals and around 20 prompts to write focused on mindfulness. Staff explained what mindfulness is, why it’s important and how it translates in football. Students were also guided in a brief meditation about where their lives were 5 years ago, and where they hope to be in 5 years, with a focus on gratitude and goals.

ENCOURAGEMENT & AFFIRMATION

All athletic staff who work with players were asked to write personal notes to remind and affirm our young men about who they are holistically, what they have to offer, how they’ve grown and ways to address anything they’re struggling with. Scholar-athletes found these small but meaningful notes in their lockers, along with sweet treats, and many chose to display the notes publicly.

FORMAL

December is when most college students finish finals and head home for the holidays. However, collegiate athletes in-season often have sport-related requirements late into the month. When asked what kind of recharge our scholarathletes wanted for this time, the answer was unanimous: a winter formal dance. As a part of ensuring an enjoyable college experience, P.A.W. Journey happily obliged and has since created an annual event of fun. This year’s theme was “Black and White meets New York Fashion Week,” and students dressed to the nines for their fun night out.

LAKE DAY

In the throes of Fall Camp, P.A.W. Journey partners with The Reserve at Lake Keowee, a community in Six Mile, S.C., to host a Lake Day getaway for the students, staff and families. Whether it’s grilling out and taking poolside naps, or being more active with lake tubing or golf, this time is designated for the bonding and restoration of our program.

Griffin Batt (Freshman Tight End) enjoys wakeboarding on Lake Keowee.

FINANCIAL LITERACY

From the Basics to Building Wealth

“WHAT DOES MONEY MEAN TO YOU?

WHO IS YOUR FINANCIAL ROLE MODEL?

WHAT ARE YOUR LONGTERM FINANCIAL GOALS?”

These are just a few of the big questions asked of incoming freshmen in the first financial literacy initiative they attend.

P.A.W. Journey understands that our scholar-athletes are concerned about money: how to earn, save and invest, so we offer a series of initiatives to help them understand finances and prepare for their financial goals — as students, and in life after football.

Last spring, P.A.W. Journey hosted a five-part series on financial literacy led by financial coach Steven Stack and financial adviser Nick Schuessler ’16 (former quarterback). The session topics were: Budgeting and Money Management; Financial Goal-Setting and Investing; Preventing Extensive Debt; NIL, NFL and Life Beyond; and Winning with Money: Tips, Tools and Ways to Build Your Portfolio. Scholar-athletes are always listening closely, asking great questions and taking lots of notes during these sessions because of the relevancy of the topics covered for where they are and where they will be financially. Regardless of

whether a graduate enters the corporate world, starts a company or plays in the NFL, the tools and strategies learned in these sessions will prepare them for successful lives and empower them to develop generational wealth.

In the fall, new freshmen and other interested students attended an orientation session on budgeting led by Nick Schuessler and Adam Wilson from Sugarloaf Wealth Management. Scholar-athletes completed a personal budgeting questionnaire and worked on their budgets in small break-out groups. Topics covered in the session ranged from how to open a bank account to how to prepare for NIL money and taxes.

Teaching financial literacy is part of P.A.W. Journey’s commitment to holistic education that prepares scholar-athletes for the life they’re living now and the futures they can intentionally create.

Financial coach Steven Stack leads K.J. Henry (Graduate Defensive End) in a financial literacy workshop.

Financial adviser and Clemson Football

alumnus Nick Schuessler led a session for freshmen on personal budgeting.

“

What

“

I learned that is going to help me be a firstclass man and world-class leader is how to have money work for me — and not the opposite.

- MICHAEL MANKAKA (Freshman Wide Receiver)

SPECIAL THANKS

P.A.W. FOR THE COURSE

Life Skills and Lessons through Golf

GOLF: A MULTIFACETED SPORT THAT CHALLENGES its players in technical skill and mental acuteness. Perhaps not immediately thought of for its life skills, golf presents an opportunity for decorum, mental health, networking and personality to be on full display on the course.

Partnering with PGA Golf Management Director and PRTM Professor Rick Lucas, P.A.W. Journey co-created a golf curriculum to advance the skills of our young leaders. From beginner to advanced golfers, 45 of our scholarathletes participated in more than 12 opportunities to putt, drive and play at five local courses in training sessions and tournaments.

Serving as part of the holistic approach of the program, P.A.W. for the Course clinics expand the personal and professional development of each participant. In a game that traditionally has limited access, these clinics bridge the gap while providing the opportunity to try something new alongside teammates.

The game of golf often creates connection, whether invited by a coach, business owner, future partner or anyone of influence. Explaining rules and instilling confidence in each participant’s golfing ability creates an environment to learn, improve and develop a potential lifelong love of the game.

The John E. Walker Sr. Golf Course

The Par 3 at Woodhaven Boscobel Golf Club

The Cliffs at Keowee Springs Oconee Country Club

The golf lessons were so fun. It was good to learn skills that I don’t normally use and other football players don’t usually learn until later in life.

- R.J. MICKENS (Junior Safety)

Fletcher Cothran (Freshman Linebacker) takes a swing.

C.U. IN LIFE

“Having the opportunity to take golf lessons was valuable because we got to learn the game of golf and improve our skills outside of football.

“

- MALCOLM GREENE (Graduate Cornerback)

1 | Phil Mafah and Will Shipley (Sophmore Running Backs)

2 | Myles Murphy (Junior Defensive End)

3 | Tré Williams (Sophomore Defensive Tackle)

4 | Joseph Ngata (Graduate Wide Receiver), Ruke Orhorhoro (Graduate Defensive Tackle) and Sheridan Jones (Graduate Cornerback)

5 | Barrett Carter (Sophomore Linebacker)

6 | Cade Klubnik (Freshman Quarterback)

7 | Sophomores Phil Florenzo (Long Snapper) and Bubba McAtee (Safety)

8 | Tyler Venables (Junior Safety)

P.J. SHOWCASE

Big Smiles and Personal Styles

EACH YEAR, CLEMSON’S CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

department orchestrates all Clemson Football team members to work through six stations, creating over 8,000 images, clips and deliverables to be used during the season. Additionally, Clemson and the ACC host pre-season media days for interviewing and capturing content to highlight members of the team.

These opportunities serve as a time for student leaders to enhance their personal brands using Clemson Football as a platform. In a time of heightened self-marketing and promotion permissions, P.A.W. Journey recognized a growing need to support students as they developed their individual brands.

Thus, the P.J. Showcase was started last year to promote and encourage the personal style and personalities of students. Featuring outfits, lighting and backgrounds all chosen by the students, this initiative combines creative freedom and business strategies for branding. Despite not

having university-affiliated marks and color palettes, the support of Clemson staff was in full force with multiple content capturers, photo direction and meaningful posting strategies.

In true P.A.W. Journey fashion, education, leadership and self-reflection permeated the Showcase. As students entered the Jervey Athletic Center, they were met by P.A.W. Journey staff and facilitated through a brief worksheet on personal branding. Delving into their current brands, their vision for their futures, areas of improvement and desired partnerships, students were able to frame goals and content outcomes before ever stepping in front of the camera.

With music, styles and aesthetics of choice on display, the trip down the hall to the Jervey studio set the scene for students to be both the feature and the director of the content. Our guys also stepped in to support one another, enjoying the company of their teammates, even in a time to be celebrated as an individual.

“ “

The P.J. Showcase gave me an opportunity to show more of my true personality.

- BRANNON SPECTOR (Junior Wide Receiver)

5TH QUARTER

Tigers prepare to compete in all areas of their lives, including the marketplace, in order to ultimately win in the careers of their choice. Through career and professionalism workshops, internships and shadowing and continuous opportunities to network in collegiate and corporate contexts, scholarathletes are able to explore, develop and realize their professional aspirations.

Matt Bockhorst ’21 is an ambitious scholar-athlete with a passion for the financial industry coupled with an unwavering commitment to his career and professional development. This drive earned him honors as P.A.W. JOURNEY’S 2021 5TH QUARTER PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR.

5th Quarter Partners

Worldwide Career Experiences

As the career and professional development pillar of P.A.W. Journey, 5th Quarter seeks out the best companies in the world that align with our scholar-athletes’ career and industry interests.

Partner companies play a major role in advancing the career and professional development of scholarathletes by providing a workplace environment where young professionals can learn, experience and practice their career skills. Each year, partner companies have provided internships, experiential learning experiences, corporate visit opportunities and career paths for our students and graduates.

These worldwide career experiences are essential to our vision of developing firstclass men and world-class leaders. We are grateful for the corporate partners that help enable this growth.

100% CAREER PLACEMENT

Celebrating Four Years of Full Employment

PREPARING AND MATCHING OUR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES TO THEIR FUTURE CAREERS is of utmost importance to the P.A.W. Journey program. The success of this mission is seen by our program’s fourth consecutive year of achieving 100 percent career placement for Clemson Football scholar-athletes.

From a freshman’s first day at Clemson, his journey to career placement begins. Valuable, practical experiences including micro-internships, career hiring fairs, networking events and leadership development initiatives prepare our scholar-athletes for substantial career offers and opportunities before they leave campus.

The companies who hire Clemson’s scholar-athletes report that they are eager to hire them because of their work ethic and ability to persevere and work with others. And as our former players pursue professional careers in and outside of athletics, P.A.W. Journey tracks and checks in with each one of them as they become workforce and community leaders.

4 STRAIGHT YEARS OF 100% CAREER PLACEMENT

2019–2022

2019 GRADUATES

Alex Spence, Cisco Systems

Kendall Joseph, GE Healthcare

Kvle Cote, Merrill Lynch

Pat Godfrey, Wells Fargo

J.D. Davis, Adobe Systems

Milan Richard, Chick-fil-A

Nick Rowell, D.R. Horton

Judah Davis, Sonoco

Chris Register, GE Healthcare

Justin Falcinelli, Cobec Consulting

Noah Green, Carolina Handling

Greg Huegel, PR Construction

Carson King, SNF Holding Co.

Ryan MacLain, Red Belt Solutions

Cameron Scott, Emergency MD

Cannon Smith, Secretary of Commerce Adv. Team

Austin Jackson, A.P. Planners

Ty Thomason, Supreme Nutrition

Michael Batson, XL Mediaworks inc.

Logan Tisch, Clemson University

Jallen Williams, U.S. Airforce

Zach Giella, Smith & Nephew

Mathew King, LiftOne

Seth Penner, Mitchell & Stark

Kelly Bryant, University of Missouri

Stan Jones Jr., Clemson University

Richard Yeargin, Boston College

Clelin Ferrell, Oakland Raiders

Christian Wilkins, Miami Dolphins

Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants

Trayvon Mullen, Oakland Raiders

Hunter Renfrow, Oakland Raiders

Austin Bryant, Detroit Lions

Albert Huggins, Houston Texans

Tre Lemar, Detroit Lions

Adam Choice, Seattle Seahawks

Mark Fields, Kansas City Chiefs

Mitch Hyatt, Dallas Cowboys

2020 GRADUATES

Denzel Johnson, Northwestern Mutual

Tristan Walliser, Merrill Lynch

Chandler Reeves, Chick-fil-A

Steven Sawicki, Blue Water Civil Design

Landon Holden, Holder Construction

Tyler Traynham, D1 Training

Austin Spence, Accenture

Carter Groomes, Prisma Health

Gage Cervenka, Real Estate

Logan Rudolph, Actor

IL Banks, Actor

Diondre Overton, Clemson University

Garrett Williams, University of South Florida

Chad Smith, Clemson University

Xavier Kelly, University of Arkansas

Hall Morton, Clemson University

Chase Brice, Duke University

TI Chase, Florida Atlantic University

Brian Dawkins Jr., Lake-Sumter State College

Patrick Phibbs, University of Virginia

Isaiah Simmons, Arizona Cardinals

John Simpson, Las Vegas Raiders

K'Von Wallace, Philadelphia Eagles

Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals

A.J. Terrell, Atlanta Falcons

Sean Pollard, Baltimore Ravens

Tanner Muse, Las Vegas Raiders

Tremayne Anchrum, Los Angeles Rams

2021 GRADUATES

Cade Stewart, Thompson Turner

Elijah Turner, Clemson Football

J.C. Chalk, Yella Wood

Peter Cote, Lima One

Patrick McClure, Assured Partners

Cole Renfrow, Synnex

Sylvester Mayers, New York Life/DuPont

Josh Jackson, Clemson University

Mike Jones Jr., Louisiana State University

LeAnthony Williams, Marshall University

Nyles Pinckney, University of Minnesota

Tyler Brown, Physical Therapy School Appl.

Jordan Williams, Virginia Tech

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars

Travis Etienne, Jacksonville Jaguars

Amari Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

Jackson Carman, Cincinnati Bengals

Cornell Powell, Kansas City Chiefs

Matt Bockhorst, Beacon Pointe

2022 GRADUATES

Justin Foster, Business Owner

Ty Lucas, D.R. Horton Construction

Will Brown, Globus Medical

Blake Vinson, Thornblade Capital

Matt McMahan, Piper Sandler

Michael Becker, Prisma Health

Max May, Trinity Portfolio

Zac Mcintosh, Westside High School

Ben Batson, Georgia State Football

Nick Eddis, Tiger Properties

Jack Maddox, E & J Gallo Winery

Jake Venables, Ultimate Fighting Championship

Klayton Randolph, Med School Applicant

Will Swinnev, Clemson University

Will Spiers, Clemson University

Darien Rencher, Clemson University

Frank Ladson Jr., University of Miami

Jack McCall, Clemson University

Lyn-J Dixon, Clemson University

Regan Upshaw, Clemson University

Jaelyn Lay, Alabama State University

Jacob Edwards, Clemson University

Darnell Jefferies, University of Minnesota

James Edwards, Clemson University

Andrew Booth, Minnesota Vikings

Baylon Spector, Buffalo Bills

Mario Goodrich, Philadelphia Eagles

James Skalski, Indianapolis Colts

Braden Galloway, Chicago Bears/ Adobe career offer

Nolan Turner, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Justyn Ross, Kansas City Chiefs

All careers are each student's initial placement. Career placement refers to professional careers, continued education, career opportunity and postgraduate internships within the first year post-graduation/exhausted eligility.

Jesiah Carlton (Graduate Linebacker) presenting during his micro-internship with Adobe. Carlton received a job offer at the conclusion of his time there.

Career JOURNEY Success Stories

P.A.W. Journey Lessons Continue after College

J.D. Davis ’17, M ’20

“I was hired by Adobe in August 2019 as an Inside Sales Specialist. Since then I have been promoted to outside sales, and I am now a DME Account Executive in our public sector vertical.

P.A.W Journey is one of the major factors in why I had the opportunity to be promoted so quickly. P.A.W Journey has allowed me to go from an environment with intense structure into an environment (my job) with minimal structure and compete and succeed at the highest level. P.A.W. Journey has taught me how to have a growth mindset in all areas of life, and because of that education, I can say I am proud to be where I am today, while still knowing the best is yet to come!”

Patrick Godfrey ’17, M ’19

Chris Register ’17

“I find a lot of times in the role that I am in — which is in the industry of medical device sales — that I stand out from my peers. I can definitely attribute the success that I have had in my career so far to some of the things I learned while at Clemson. Being a part of the team helped amplify things within me, giving me the confidence I have today in the workforce. And I would be crazy to not thank … [the team at] P.A.W. Journey throughout the years for developing my mindset to be ready to compete in the world I am in now.”

Milan Richard ’17, M ’19

“My four years in the Clemson Football program set me up for life in ways beyond what I could've imagined. In Tigertown, I learned how to compete, how to serve and ultimately how to be a man of God. Now working in one of the world's most competitive industries (stock trading in NYC), I know how to perform among the best of the best. I use the platform of my Clemson background to inspire N.Y.'s next generation of student-athletes. I love my wife and God with all my heart. I'm living the life of my dreams, and that wouldn't be possible without the distinct impact made on me by my Clemson Family.”

“P.A.W. Journey gave me a crucial head start in the professional world. As an executive director within Chick-fil-A of Anderson, skill sets like mentoring, communication, time-management and commitment are all things that have been critical to my success. These transferable skills were sharpened to the T during my time at Clemson and while I served as a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador.”

Nolan Turner ’20, M ’21

“P.A.W. Journey was an essential part of my development as a player and a person throughout my college career. I’ve created many close relationships with networking opportunities through P.A.W. Journey that wouldn’t have happened without them. One of my most memorable college experiences was a service trip across the world to Bangkok, Thailand. This opportunity wouldn’t have been possible without P.A.W. Journey. The perspective and knowledge I gained from serving others is what makes P.A.W. Journey special and is something I can carry with me long after football (Tampa Bay Buccaneers Safety) is over — and for that, I am grateful.”

Kendall Joseph ’17, M ’19

“As I approach 3.5 years with GE Healthcare, I can look back and appreciate my professional growth during that time span. I have received promotions and opportunities to advance my career within the company, while also making lifelong connections and relationships. The path to success in the corporate world is not much different from the football field. It just takes a little patience, hard work and consistency.”

Will Swinney ’21, M ’22

Patrick McClure ’21

“I joined AssuredPartners in June of 2021 shortly after graduating from Clemson in May. During my first 10 months with AP, I worked as a commercial lines producer before being promoted to South Carolina Sales Leader in May of this year. The four offices I oversee in S.C. are currently in the top eight out of 27 offices for sales growth this year in our region. While we are having success statistically in S.C., we are also focusing on harnessing a culture of excellence and servant leadership.”

Judah Davis ’17, M ’20

“Since finishing my MBA in August, I have been working as the development marketing manager for Pavilion Development Company. I have helped create a proven system of new client procurement, as well as assisted in the land acquisition and special project space. I am only 3 months in, but have already seen an abundance of skills that I developed as a student-athlete at Clemson translate to the working world.”

“I was hired by Sonoco in 2019 to be a commercial associate. I have since then been promoted to an account representative with a diverse sales territory. Because of P.A.W. Journey, I have been able to thrive and succeed in any environment. Furthermore, P.A.W. Journey has equipped me with skills that have allowed me to diversify my investment portfolio. This will lead to more opportunities for me in the future.”

MICRO-INTERNSHIPS WORLDWIDE

A Taste of the Marketplace

ONE OF THE RAREST COMMODITIES a collegiate scholar-athlete has is time. Understanding this limitation, P.A.W. Journey partnered with leading businesses to create a unique and valuable program to offer real-life work experiences and professional connections in a brief amount of time.

P.A.W. Journey’s 5th Quarter Micro-internship Program connects its scholarathletes with industry-leading companies to learn and explore career interests. Through micro-internships, we collaboratively create opportunities that offer our student leaders an arena to showcase their crossindustry intangibles, while also refining their skills in practical corporate settings. While brief (under two weeks), these internships offer enough time for companies to see that Clemson football scholar-athletes have a rare set of intangible skills that they want in their workforce.

P.A.W. Journey believes it has found the formula designed to turn shortduration internships into impactful outcomes. Through resume and interview preparations, along with

research, scholar-athletes take advantage of career opportunities across the country — and even abroad. The partnerships serve as mutually beneficial, as our scholarathletes experience the marketplace while top companies receive competitive, skilled interns eager to make lasting impacts.

Many students have been offered careers after completing micro-internships.

For example, Jesiah Carlton (Graduate Linebacker) and B.T. Potter (Graduate Place Kicker/Punter), who both interned with Adobe over the summer, were offered full-time positions at Adobe.

While B.T. is likely headed to the NFL and Jesiah the traditional career route, these career offers are evidence of the success of our microinternship program. These two students were able to find out what many Clemson football students discover through the 5th Quarter Micro-internship Program: that they are valued in the workplace and their work ethic, hard work and critical thinking skills transfer from the playing field to the career field!

Bryton Constantin

B.T. Potter

ET Reuben

Hunter Helms

Jesiah Carlton

Joseph Ngata

Mitchell Mayes

Ruke Orhorhoro

Sergio Allen

Kevin McNeal

Sheridan Jones

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Blackmon Huckabee

Kevin Swint Tyler Venables

Scholar-athletes completed internships in 2022.

Jake

Drew

Andrew

Hampton

Hunter

Walker

Cade

Phillip

Jonathan

Kevin

Joey

Trent Howard Holden Caspersen

ET Reuben Aidan Swanson

John Williams Mitchell Mayes

Sage Ennis Carson Donnelly

Jalyn Phillips Jeremiah Trotter

Reed Morrissey

B.T. Potter

Mac Cranford

Earle

Helms

Parks

Denhoff

Florenzo

Weitz

McNeal

Bubba McAtee

Eddis

Peter Nearn Tristen Rigby

Mason Trotter

Hamp Greene Sergio Allen

Jesiah Carlton Will Putnam

Davis Allen

Briningstool

Swinney

Roberts

Brannon Spector

Will Shipley

Beaux Collins

Marcus Tate Phil Mafah

Corporate Career Journey: Q&A with Alex Spence ’18

Cloud Infrastructure & Software Specialist at Cisco Systems

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WORK AT CISCO VERSUS OTHER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES?

I chose to work at Cisco for several reasons. The first thing I noticed was that the culture at Cisco was very similar to the culture of Clemson Football, in that you are surrounded by highly motivated people who will push you to be your best but also treat you like family. … I also love technology, so being able to work at a company that was at the forefront of some of the newest technological innovations was really exciting to me.

WHAT ARE THE KEY SKILLS YOU USE AS A CORPORATE LEADER THAT YOU FEEL YOU HONED IN YOUR COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Some key skills I use that I developed through my experiences at Clemson are time management, the ability to perform under pressure and the ability to overcome adversity. Sales can be a lot like competitive sports, and being able to rely on those past experiences has been really beneficial in my career so far.

HOW DID P.A.W. JOURNEY HELP PREPARE YOU AS A CORPORATE LEADER?

The networking events that I attended through P.A.W. Journey exposed me to a variety of influential individuals in the corporate world while I was still a student-athlete. Those experiences helped me develop the confidence to talk to anyone and be a leader in a workplace where I am still one of the youngest people on most

HOW DID P.A.W. JOURNEY HELP YOU CHOOSE YOUR PATH?

When I was at Clemson, I majored in financial management and was set on going into either banking or corporate finance. Through the P.A.W. Journey Micro-internship Program, I was introduced to Cisco and the world of technology sales. After completing the internship, I liked the idea of working at Cisco so much that I pivoted away from finance and decided to pursue a career in tech sales instead. I can say with certainty that if it were not for P.A.W. Journey, I would not have even known about Cisco and would not have been able to get the job that I have today.

WHAT AWARDS, PROMOTIONS OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS HAVE YOU OBTAINED?

I was recently selected as a member of Cisco’s Chairman’s Club, which recognizes the top 1 percent of Cisco sales people around the world.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE CURRENT SCHOLAR-ATHLETES TO HELP THEM PREPARE FOR A CORPORATE CAREER?

Everything that Coach Swinney, Jeff Davis, Rashard Hall and everyone else is preaching to you is true. If you can remember and apply even 30 percent of the lessons and advice you receive while you are at Clemson, you will already be so far ahead of most of your colleagues when you enter the workforce. The attitude of belief that Coach Swinney has instilled into the program is also something I try to carry with me on a daily basis and is something I believe is crucial to success in all aspects of life.

Alex Spence ’18 was the first scholar-athlete hired by a company as a result of his micro-internship since the program began in 2017.

Kourtnei

NFL CAREER TRANSITION WORKSHOP

Insider Advice on Preparing for a High-Stakes Career

SINCE MANY OF OUR SCHOLARATHLETES PLAN TO PURSUE CAREERS IN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL, P.A.W. Journey aims to fully prepare them for the challenges and opportunities the NFL offers. Draft-eligible NFL prospects and any other interested players are invited to attend the annual NFL Career Transition Workshop to hear from experienced former Tigers and a keynote speaker on how to best prepare for the NFL and make the most of their first years in the league.

The 2022 keynote speaker was Lionel Vital, an experienced NFL scout and former player. Vital has worked with six different franchises, including Cleveland, Baltimore, New York Jets, New England, Atlanta and Dallas. His titles have included area scout, national scout, college director and player personnel director. Vital gave valuable advice on how to prepare for the NFL Combine and All-Star games, as well as how to best prepare for

individual workouts. He advised our players on the importance of meeting and connecting with the general managers, head coaches and scouts for each team, and how to appropriately conduct themselves with each.

The Workshop also included a roundtable discussion with a group of panelists, all of whom graduated from Clemson and joined the NFL. The panelists fielded questions and gave advice on how to prepare for interviews, how to work with agents, what to expect in the draft process, and how to take care of yourself during this high-pressure process.

Kourtnei Brown ’11 told attendees that the biggest mistake he’s seen players make is not making the most of their opportunities. P.A.W. Journey is committed to helping not only create opportunities, but offer guidance for our scholar-athletes on how to seize them — in professional sports, or wherever their futures take them.

2022 Panelists

Andre Branch ’11

Defensive End

2012 38th overall pick (2nd round)

NFL Career: 2012–2019

Jarvis Jenkins ’10

Defensive Line

2011 41st overall pick (2nd round)

NFL Career: 2011–2017

Dalton Freeman ’11, ’12

Offensive Line 2013 UDFA

NFL Career: 2013–2016

Kourtnei Brown ’11

Defensive End & Linebacker

2012 UDFA

NFL Career: 2012–2017

Brown ’11 encouraged players to make the most of all their opportunities when first entering the NFL.

5th quarter

Companies Praise P.A.W.

Journey Scholar-ATHLETES

Rajeev Jindal ’92

“I was introduced to P.A.W. Journey in its initial stages, and it has been an eye-opener for me. I could not believe the respect these young men had for everyone they interacted with. They had the two key factors for success in any career: work ethic and enthusiasm. I'm not overstating this, but I have revived the belief the world will be fine knowing it is led by young men like the ones in P.A.W. Journey.”

Danielle Arrington ’13

“My experience in employee recruitment has afforded me the opportunity to interact with some really great young professionals over the course of my career. Few have been as impressive and prepared for the workforce, however, as the P.A.W. Journey scholar-athletes I have had the pleasure of working with. These scholar-athletes excel in communication, teamwork, self-awareness and leadership. There’s rarely a guarantee of quality when hiring new employees, but the P.A.W. Journey graduates are as close to a ‘sure thing’ as it gets.”

Robert Wallace

“We hired Jack Maddox from P.A.W. Journey to participate in our eight-week summer internship. Jack built a foundation in sales and sales management and prepared for a career in wine, spirits, distributor management and beyond. His peers, mentors and managers raved about his professional demeanor and attitude. At the end of the eight-week internship, Jack accepted a full-time offer to join our Eastern Area Sales Leadership Development Program.”

Anthony McKnight

“What Clemson University’s P.A.W. Journey offers its athletes in professional development is a quintessential piece in creating exceptionally well-rounded members of the working class. P.A.W. Journey delivers aweinspiring college athletes who are clearly motivated and driven to be transformational leaders in their prospective career fields. Simply put, these young professionals are ready to bring the ‘ALL IN’ doctrine at any given moment. If given the opportunity to speak to any athlete who has had the privilege of being a part of these programs, I’d take advantage of soaking in the joy and confidence they exude.”

Dave Ryan ’94

Google, Enterprise Account Executive Bridge Week; Clemson & Google Marketing eLearning Workshop & Clemson Student-Athlete Google Site Visit Participant

“Culture is everything, and finding a place to work, live and grow as a person is the most critical decision you will make to build a career and a life. The P.A.W. Journey program connects the student-athlete community with businesses to create those highperformance cultures and strong workforces. You will hear there are a million things that you need to be successful at Google or other companies. But when we are out there recruiting or building businesses, we look for overachievers — those high performers that achieve superior results through excessive effort, and may not have the most talent but have the most heart. There is no better place to find these teamwork-oriented future leaders than the P.A.W. Journey program at Clemson.”

Kathryn Stone ’11

First Rate, Inc., First Rate Living Manager

Micro-internships & Bridge Week (Internship Interviews) Participant

“First Rate and I have been honored to be a part of P.A.W. Journey’s Bridge Week and micro-internships for a few years. The scholar-athletes are so prepared for their interviews; they ask great questions, answer our questions so well and show up ready to engage with us. Their resumes are well put together as well, and this makes our interviews go really smoothly. During our micro-internships, the young professionals came every day ready to learn and ready to explore the world of financial technology. Our interns actively participated in presentations we had for them and, when visiting a client of ours, they were so professional and asked wonderful questions about how we work together. Our internship took the scholar-athletes to the U.K., a first time for both interns to visit there. They traveled so well together and had positive attitudes through the fun experience of traveling internationally. I can’t say enough great things about all the scholarathletes we’ve interviewed over the years and our interns we’ve taken around the world with us.”

Micro-internships; Bridge Week (Internship Interviews) & Career Hiring Fair Participant

Jessica Holmes

“Clemson scholar-athletes have developed professional skills through the program that allow them to demonstrate their executive presence, public speaking and leadership skills, as well as showcase their desire for continued development and feedback. At Adobe, we find that the scholar-athletes coming from P.A.W. Journey are well-suited to roles in enterprise sales, where they know the impact their role has as part of a larger team, with each member's participation and execution being critical to the overall team's success.”

Bunty LLC, Founder Micro-internships & Externships Participant

Clemson University Office of Human Resources, Director of Talent Acquisition Career Interview Prep Participant

E&J Gallo, Sales Leadership Development Program Manager Career Fair Participant

Clemson University Office of Human Resources, Talent Acquisition Partner Career Interview Preparation Participant

Adobe, Director, Adobe Sales Academy

Richard Cook

“I have enjoyed working with the student-athletes for the past two years. I've seen firsthand these young men striving to shape their lives for the future. Together, the student-athletes and I are able to look at different avenues or directions that will prepare them for success in the business world. The P.A.W. Journey experience has shown me the eagerness the studentathletes have to learn, and their politeness and manners as we develop lifelong friendships and support even after they graduate.”

Christian Groomes ’18

Micro-internships;

“I would not be where I am as a person professionally and personally if it weren’t for P.A.W. Journey. P.A.W. Journey helps our scholar-athletes be prepared for life after football. Looking back now, I am glad I didn’t take P.A.W. Journey for granted because the opportunity is worth more than these athletes can even imagine. I enjoy giving back to help make sure the next group of scholar-athletes is able to take part in what I was generously able to do. Thank you to all of the P.A.W. Journey staff for all you do.”

“The P.A.W. Journey athletes we worked with demonstrated incredible professionalism and great passion in learning more as they prepared for their next steps after college. We aimed to provide these athletes with not only a glimpse of their career potential within the financial industry, but even more importantly, we highlighted that the culture and values of the place you work can make all the difference. At Southern First, we call this enjoying the journey. It was a pleasure to welcome these young professionals to our family and to have the opportunity to enjoy the journey together.”

Dexter Robinson

“The P.A.W. Journey athletes we worked with demonstrated incredible professionalism and great passion in learning more as they prepared for their next steps after college. We aimed to provide these athletes with not only a glimpse of their career potential within the financial industry, but even more importantly, we highlighted that the culture and values of the place you work can make all the difference. It was a pleasure to welcome these young professionals to our family and to have the opportunity to enjoy the journey together.”

Goz ’66 and Pat Segars Greg Huegel ’18

“I will never be able to speak highly enough about the P.A.W. Journey program. It gives scholar-athletes the best opportunity and guidance to navigate the transitional time period of becoming a successful young man, both on and off the field. Through workshops and events like the Career Interview Prep, micro-internships and Career Hiring Fair, scholar-athletes are given a unique perspective and advantage on life after football that no other program in the nation can compete with. I will forever be grateful to the P.A.W. Journey staff who are constantly looking for ways to improve and add value to future generations of our young leaders. The best is yet to come!”

Marcez Mitchell ’01

“I graduated from Clemson in 2001, and I wish that a program like P.A.W. Journey existed to assist my fellow scholar-athletes and me in preparing for life. The 5th Quarter Career and Professional Development pillar provides these young men the catalytic opportunity to have a successful jump start to life when football-playing days are done. I know how hard it is as a scholarathlete to fathom that there will be a day when you will no longer string up those cleats or put on that helmet, but this program improves the readiness of each individual whenever that time comes. The young professionals that I have been blessed to interact with have garnered a commitment from my company to partner with this program to ensure we do our part in helping future leaders find professional homes and careers.”

Co-owners of a registered Angus cattle ranch in Montana

“We could go on for some time talking about our time with these young men, but we have not been with a group of young men that were any more disciplined, considerate of Pat and me and their teammates, willing to try anything that was asked of them, and showed a sincere interested in learning new things that they, I feel sure, had previously had no experience with. These scholar-athletes are certainly outstanding Ambassadors for the football program in particular and Clemson in general.”

Subway/Moe's Southwest Grill, Owner/Franchisee

International Paper, General Manager, Bag & Molded Fiber Business Career Hiring Fair Participant

Lima One Capital, Senior Sales Manager

Bridge Week & Career Hiring Fair Participant

CISCO, Leader, Virtual Sales Career Interview Prep Participant

Lima One Capital, Business Development Analyst

Micro-internships; Bridge Week & Career Hiring Fair Participant

Ashley Wilson ’15, M’16

Southern First Bank, Human Resources Business Partner, AVP

Micro-internships Participant

SPECIAL THANKS

CAREER HIRING FAIR

Connecting world-class leaders with industry leaders

P.A.W. JOURNEY WORKS TO CONNECT LEADING COMPANIES with scholar-athletes who offer a rare and coveted set of career skills — such as determination, teamwork, problem-solving and work ethic.

Clemson’s scholar-athletes make such high-quality new hires that many companies are eager for a seat at P.A.W. Journey’s Career Hiring Fair, held each year in December. Only companies in the industries that match our students’ interests are invited, and these companies vie to attract the top talent available at Clemson.

For this year’s Career Hiring Fair, 20 companies were invited to Clemson’s campus. Seniors and recent graduates were invited to participate — even those planning to join the NFL — so that they can have more than one choice for career paths. This is not a traditional fair of long tables and pamphlets; rather, companies work to showcase their career openings and attract applicants, and future graduates actively interview with company representatives.

Because of the ongoing success of this event over the past several years, current scholar-athletes often see familiar faces when former teammates and Football Alumni come back to Clemson representing the very companies that hired them through this event in previous years.

P.A.W. Journey prioritizes empowerment of our students, and through the Career Hiring Fair, we empower them to put in the research, make the connections and launch their commitment to purposeful employment.

Drew Swinney (Graduate Wide Receiver) signs up for interview slots during the Career Hiring Fair.

5th quarter

“One of the biggest things that sets Clemson studentathletes apart is their humbleness, along with their hunger to continue to grow.”

“I think what sets the scholarathletes apart here is just the grit and determination. [In] being a part of this program, they are naturally leaders, and that leadership will continue once they leave this program.”

The most beneficial part for me was seeing the different career opportunities that are there for us. We have to go earn it ourselves, but we have at least a foot in the door to know where we’re going to go.

Tyler Davis (Graduate Defensive Tackle) talks with Clemson alumnus Rodney Blunt, representing the DEA, at the Career Hiring Fair.

- TODD ADAIR, Commercial Manager, GE Healthcare

- JESSICA HOLMES, Sales Academy Director, Adobe

- JESIAH CARLTON (Graduate Linebacker)

OVERTIME

It is not a four-year decision to become a Clemson Tiger – it is a for-life decision with mutual commitment to and from the scholar-athletes and the program itself. Continual service, resources and access to Clemson for our football alumni has been made a priority with the creation of our newest pillar.

Clemson Football alumni enjoy fellowship during the 2022 ACC Championship victory. P.A.W. Journey provides several opportunities for alumni to remain connected to Clemson and their teammates.

Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award

Celebrating a Life of Service and Integrity

PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER

BRIAN DAWKINS roamed the Clemson secondary as a free safety from 1992-95. Dawkins earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and fanbase with his intense style of play and leadership on and off the field.

In 2013, the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award was created with its namesake's legacy and impact in mind. The purpose of this award is to honor those former scholar-athletes who embody these qualities and maintain lifestyles indicative of true champions at their best.

Candidates for the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award must be Clemson football lettermen and graduates with at least 10 years of service as alumni who show continued support of Clemson University and its vision, validated by participation in institutional involvement and community engagement. The yearly award recipient, voted on by a committee of former winners and program leaders, must display community leadership and represent the values associated with the Brian Dawkins Lifetime Achievement Award: integrity, scholarship, athletics, service, leadership, commitment, dedication, courage, resilience and spirit.

The 2021 Brian Dawkins Award recipient is Dexter Davis, a native of Sumter, S.C. While at Clemson from 1988–90, Dexter was a defensive starter on highly successful teams, including the 1988 ACC Champions. After his junior year in 1991, Davis was a fourth-round draft pick chosen by the Cardinals. He played in the NFL for six years for the Cardinals and Rams. Dexter has led a life of leadership and community service. He served as a football coach, leading teams at Morgan State College, two S.C. high schools, and in Hamburg for NFL Europe. He is now the president and CEO of Eagle Universal Services, which provides unique engineering and construction contracting services. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Dexter has also served the Atlanta Falcons as a “character coach” and has been director of football ministries in Brazil, Hungary and East Africa. He serves on the board of the Kenya Project and is vice chair of Liberty STEAM Charter School in Sumter.

Dexter has also generously given back to his alma mater as a donor and in support of Clemson’s Call Me Mister program. In his role with Liberty STEAM Charter School, Dexter has facilitated the hiring of seven Call Me Mister graduates.

CLEMSON UNIVERSITY PLAYERS ON STAFF

Mentees become mentors

P.A.W. JOURNEY IS COMMITTED TO 100 PERCENT CAREER PLACEMENT OF OUR SCHOLAR-ATHLETES. Some graduates choose professional careers, some join the NFL and others remain committed to college athletics as coaches and coordinators. Clemson University Football benefits from hiring several former Clemson players to mentor and coach current Tigers.

The 2022 Clemson Football coaching staff, support staff and P.A.W. Journey staff together include 27 former Clemson players, all dedicated to the vision of developing first-class men and world-class leaders.

Tajh Boyd ’13, offensive player development coach, leads breakout discussion with scholar-athletes during the Player Symposium.

BY THE NUMBERS

19

Tiger Trust football graduates under Coach Swinney

Ricky Sapp

May 2014

Roy Walker

May 2016

David Davis

August 2016

Brandon Thompson

August 2016

Terrence Crosby

December 2016

Jesse Adams

May 2017

Terry Allen

May 2017

Keith Jennings

May 2017

Antoine McClain

May 2017

Darius Robinson

May 2017

Harom Pringle

August 2017

Bill Spiers

May 2018

Donnell Woolford

May 2018

Kyle Parker

August 2018

Da’Quan Bowers

December 2019

C.J. Gaddis

August 2020

Tre Lamar

August 2020

Tavaghn Monts

August 2020

Isaiah Battle

August 2022

TIGER TRUST

A Promise for a Clemson Degree — At Any Time

COACH SWINNEY WANTS FOUR THINGS FOR ALL OF HIS PLAYERS:

1. Graduate

2. Be equipped with tools for life

3. Have a great college experience

4. Win a championship

Whether it be creating the experience itself, or developing the character for each scholar-athlete to accomplish the goal, P.A.W. Journey has the opportunity to have a hand in each of these four goals. Relating back to Jeff Davis’ “everything stands on your man” — your student, your athlete, your leader, your future self — P.A.W. Journey remains connected to the commitment Clemson Football makes to each of its scholar-athletes.

The Tiger Trust program is evidence of the mutual commitment between student and institution. The program offers the ability for eligible Clemson student-athletes to return for degree completion, even after leaving to pursue a professional career.

This is giving me the opportunity to not only finish school, but to cultivate my career going forward. Life always offers you second chances and in [my] story, it’s called Tiger Trust.

- ISAIAH BATTLE

While finishing his degree, Isaiah Battle assisted the program by mentoring our current Tigers.

CLEMSON ALUMNI BBQ

Great Food and Even Better Company

CLEMSON FOOTBALL HAS PLENTY OF LONG-STANDING TRADITIONS — rubbing the rock, running down the hill, and gathering at the Paw following any home game. While these all unite Tigers of past and present, there is another tradition that emulates the value of family for our program: the annual Clemson Football Alumni BBQ.

In March, more than 320 football alumni and family members gathered together in the West Zone Club to share conversation, laughter and storytelling. The desire to return home to Clemson comes with an appreciation of each former Tiger’s experience and an ownership in the continual service to the program. Opportunities like the BBQ create space to not only connect with teammates, but also to establish new relationships under the common bonds of football. Each man’s tenure at Clemson may look different, but all have contributed to the evolution and successes of this program.

“It is always our goal for alumni to want to come back,” said Antoine McClain, Director of Former Player Engagement & Development. "We want to create a space where any member of the program can return to connect, engage and support their brothers in all walks

of life.”

“

“ We want to create a space where any member of the program can return to connect, engage and support their brothers in all walks of life.

- ANTOINE McCLAIN

(Top) Former teammates Terrence Ashe ’10 (left) and Michael Wade ’10

(Below) Julian Patton ’13 (left) with Malliciah Goodman ’12

P.A.W. Journey acknowledges that Tigers are for life, and we relish these opportunities to connect Tigers young and old.

FOOTBALL REUNION WEEKEND

Tigers Are for Life

EACH YEAR, FOUR FORMER CLEMSON TEAMS ARE CELEBRATED AT P.A.W. JOURNEY’S FAMILY REUNION WEEKEND.

In 2022, Block C Club and Overtime honored the teams of 1972, 1997, 2012 and 2017 on their 50th, 25th, 10th and 5th year anniversaries, respectively.

On October 21–22, during the weekend the Tigers hosted the Syracuse Orange, all former team members, including players, coaches, managers and trainers, were invited back for a family reunionstyle celebration.

On Friday, our football alumni enjoyed a reunion celebration, coming together for fellowship, food and a chance to reconnect. Hosted at Topgolf Greenville,

the reunion allowed Tigers to enjoy golf, cocktails and great conversation with alumni of all ages.

For Game Day, everyone met up for a classic tailgate several hours before start time. The former players, leaders and supporters then joined in the excitement of Tiger Walk — a first experience for some alumni. After that, they shared in one of our program’s great traditions: running down the hill, ready to give 110 percent.

P.A.W. Journey acknowledges that Tigers are for life, and we relish these opportunities to connect Tigers young and old as they share stories of their lives after football, and the ways that we all stay connected.

Clemson Football alumni, including John Rhodes (left), enjoyed time with family and former teammates during Reunion Weekend.

Martin Jenkins ’14 (right) reunites with Rashard Hall of P.A.W. Journey.

ALUMNI RETREAT

Growth Continues after Graduation

The Alumni Retreat is a new initiative for P.A.W. Journey that was developed to bring together Clemson Football alumni for fellowship as well as personal development. To deliver compelling programming and quality resources to alumni in their years after football, P.A.W. Journey brought in two speakers to give presentations on relevant topics to our graduates.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: FINANCIAL LITERACY

Brandon Williams is a former collegiate athlete who now works as a financial adviser. He shared that research shows that 85 percent of athletes end up broke or bankrupt within four years after ending their football careers. Brandon offered helpful, actionable advice on making smart financial decisions after football.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: MENTAL HEALTH & RELATIONSHIPS

Kheri Corbin is a Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in Sports Counseling. She said that within 3-4 years of retiring from sports, 85 percent of former athletes are divorced and report struggling with their mental health and well-being. Kheri covered the importance of self-care, not being afraid to ask for help and what asking for help looks like. She gave tips on how to have healthy conversations with your spouse, how to use transferable skills and the importance of prioritizing your mental health.

Brandon Ford ’12 joined the 2022 Alumni Retreat events.

Coty Sensabaugh ’11 engages in discussion with fellow alumni.

Letter from a Graduate

By B.T. Potter ‘21, M ‘22

Those dreams consisted of me becoming a great football player, but not much other than that. As I got onto campus and started trying to reach these goals, things did not go exactly as planned. Football was going well, and I was living a life that I dreamed of as a kid, but I was not excelling as a student or a man.

After my sophomore year, COVID-19 struck, and my goals and dreams changed. My previous football-related goals were still in reach, but for the first time in my life, I realized there is so much more out there for me than just football. During the pandemic, I began to grow in all aspects of life and used all my extra time away from campus to explore career opportunities.

Once we were able to return to our normal lives, I took the lessons I learned and connections I made and began to network and search for internship opportunities. I

was not completely sure what career I wanted to chase, but after talking with the P.A.W. Journey staff, I knew sales was the avenue I wanted to go down. I later interviewed for an internship with Adobe focusing on sales, and I enjoyed it so much. I learned that the same things that made me successful as an athlete will set me apart in the workforce.

After completing the internship with Adobe, I was offered a post-graduate job as a business development representative. When this happened, I felt like all the discipline and commitment I put towards becoming a successful man had paid off. My professional football aspirations are still a top goal of mine, but I now have the assurance that I can be successful in another career path.

Knowing I have a great job opportunity after graduation has really taken a lot of pressure off me and freed me

up to become the best football player I can be while I am still at Clemson. As my time here at Clemson University comes to an end, I am proud of how I competed and performed as a football player, but I am even more proud of how I battled to

get the job that I want. I am so appreciative that P.A.W. Journey has equipped me and every scholar-athlete with tools that will make us great fathers, husbands and employees.

“In June of 2018, I enrolled as a student-athlete at Clemson with huge dreams.

ELEVATED TAILGATE Honor

Your Legacy

BEFORE THE OPENING FOOTBALL GAME AGAINST GEORGIA

TECH, Clemson Football alumni gathered together in Atlanta for a tailgate unlike any other — the Elevated Tailgate. Hosted by Clemson Football alumnus and former NFL player Coty Sensabaugh and his wife Dominique, in partnership with IPTAY, the Elevated Tailgate featured incredible food, Clemson-themed cocktails and a festive opportunity for the Clemson Football family to celebrate, reminisce and connect.

In 2021, the first Elevated Tailgate was held in Charlotte, N.C., at Merchant and Trade. This year, the Sensabaughs added Georgia Tech as a co-host and held the tailgate at the Four Seasons Atlanta. Alumni from both teams gathered for the stylish event that honored P.A.W. Journey and its current and former scholar-athletes.

The theme of the event was “Honor Your Legacy.” The party celebrated the legacy of the Clemson Football Program and its players, as well as the legacy being created now by each P.A.W. Journey graduate.

We created this tailgate as a moment to honor the legacy [Jeff Davis and his wife, Joni] created during their time at Clemson,” wrote Dominique Sensabaugh.

It offers “a moment to reunite in brotherhood and fellowship, and connect with prolific leaders, near and far, with a common goal of supporting the scholarathlete at Clemson.”

After two successful years, the Elevated Tailgate is now set as an annual event. The Sensabaughs’ sophisticated style combined with the love that Clemson Football alumni share with each other ensures that this event will always be the best tailgate of the season.

Clemson alumni Coty and Dominique Sensabaugh cohosted the Elevated Tailgate with Overtime and IPTAY.

“[This event is] a moment to reunite in brotherhood and fellowship, and connect with prolific leaders, near and far, with a common goal of supporting the scholarathlete at Clemson.

“- DOMINIQUE SENSABAUGH

FOREVER TIGERS

1 | Braden Galloway and Mario Goodrich (alumni Ambassadors) at Clemson's Pro Day

2 | Christian Wilkins (alumni Ambassador) serves as a guest host on College Gameday

3 | Shaq Smith (alumni Ambassador), Tee Higgins and Isaiah Simmons return to Clemson for the Spring Game

4 | Drew Swinney celebrates his graduation

5 | Jeff and Joni Davis, Dominique and Coty Sensabaugh at Elevated Tailgate

6 | Football alumni at Elevated Tailgate

7 | Julian Patton with Henry Guess at Football Alumni BBQ

8 | Andrew Booth Jr. getting draft call from Minnesota Vikings

9 | Football Alumni Retreat

2022 Ball-2-B.A.G. Panelists

Tavaris Barnes

Clemson Football DE (2010–13)

NFL/Professional Football 2015–21 Customer Associate, Bank of America

Phillip Fajgenbaum

Clemson Football LS (2009–13)

Law Degree, Campbell University

Financial Restructuring and Insolvency, Parker Poe

Patrick Godfrey

Clemson Football OL (2015–18)

Business Development, IEX

Leroy Hill

Clemson Football LB (2001–04)

NFL 2005–12

Commercial Real Estate and Investor

Tamara Stocks

University of Florida WBB (1997–2001)

WNBA/Professional Basketball 2001–06

Sports Psychologist

BALL-2-B.A.G.

Sharing the Art of How to Transition Well

TRANSITIONING FROM COLLEGIATE ATHLETICS into adulthood and professional careers can be tough. P.A.W. Journey understands this challenge and prepares its students to begin with the end in mind. When transitioning from “FootBALL-2-Business After the Game,” P.A.W. Journey connects support systems and learned experiences shared throughout former players’ lives.

P.A.W. Journey hosts a keynote speaker and a diverse panel to lead an engaging session on the reality of this transition from Ball-2-B.A.G. The diversity represented ranges from smooth and seamless evolutions to transitions filled with struggles and mental health challenges. The sharing of best practices, challenges and testimonies gives our scholar-athletes access to rarely shared perspectives from alumni of collegiate athletics and professional sports.

The keynote speaker and moderator for this year was Richard Yeargin ’17,

Football or sport will not last forever. Being an athlete is only an experience. We will be who we are as people far longer than our playing days, so we want to provide scholar-athletes with opportunities, resources and tools to thrive in life far past their days of being collegiate or professional athletes.

- ANTOINE MCCLAIN, P.A.W. JOURNEY

M ’19, a successful defensive lineman for the Tigers and Brian Piccolo Award-winner who recovered from a broken neck injury after a car accident to reach his goals and more. He inspired students to invest in hard work, determination and humble servitude.

The panelists, who all played collegiate sports, shared their honest, personal stories of career and life transition. After discussion and Q&A, the scholar-athletes were given the speakers’ contact information and encouraged to introduce themselves and stay in touch with these mentors.

As Coach Swinney regularly reminds his team and staff, P.A.W. Journey needs to focus on what is best for the 30-year-old version of each scholarathlete. Programs like Ball-2-B.A.G. ensure that Clemson helps its scholarathletes be prepared to transition from college sports before they ever have to.

Richard Yeargin ’17, M ’19, BALL-2B.A.G. Moderator, inspires by sharing his life story.

AGENT EDUCATION DAY

Smart Preparation for Going Pro

THE ANNUAL SPRING GAME brings much buzz for the upcoming season, showcasing the talents and hard work of the team following their spring training. While ESPN and other media outlets were taking the field to prepare to capture the plays of the scrimmage, our juniors and seniors were preparing in a different way. Beyond their football-ready routines, the upperclassmen within the team participated in P.A.W. Journey’s annual Agent Education Day.

This educational program brings together a member of Clemson’s compliance department, a professional from a sports agency and a former Tiger, who all address the group and their invited parents. Discussions of rules, best practices and personal experiences provide in-depth information

to the families and leaders to make upcoming decisions on building their future teams for their professional aspirations. After Antoine McClain's summary of agent selection and NFL preparation best practices, Kevin Conner, agent for Universal Sports & Entertainment Management, offered his industry perspective on the do's and don'ts of agent selection.

Before the 2021 Spring Game, our juniors, seniors, and their families were able to virtually join a panel with the National Football League Players Association. In this year’s session, we discussed the business side of being a professional athlete, agent regulation processes, the NFL Draft process and the support the NFLPA provides. P.A.W. Journey is also committed to continually serving our

37 Former Clemson Tigers currently on NFL rosters

professional athletes, not only through these preparatory sessions, but also from support of our Overtime pillar, specifically for our former players. Through these opportunities, P.A.W. Journey is able to provide

holistic education and implementation. From learning the process and considerations to applying those skills in organized meetings, our student leaders are prepared to make informed decisions about their futures.

Kevin Conner, agent for Clemson Football alumni Trayvon Mullen and Austin Bryant, speaks to scholarathletes interested in entering the NFL draft.

HALL OF FAME & DONOR APPRECIATION DINNER

Celebrating Awards and Giving Thanks

WHENEVER WE HONOR AN ACHIEVEMENT, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THE PATH THAT LED US THERE. This pause for gratitude was the cornerstone of the Donor Appreciation Dinner, in which we honored our latest Hall of Famers while thanking donors who helped make their success possible.

During P.A.W. Journey Week in late September, P.A.W. Journey hosted a dinner to honor Clemson Football alumni who were inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame 2022 Class, as well as to show appreciation for the donors who helped these honorees and other scholar-athletes reach their potential.

The dinner, held in the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex, recognized three football alumni for their induction into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame: Jacoby Ford ’09, Da’Quan Bowers ’10 and Dwayne Allen ’11. Dwayne gave a moving keynote speech, telling the audience that he would not be where he is today — and may not have even stayed on the Clemson team — were it not for P.A.W. Journey, including his mentorship meetings with Jeff Davis.

“P.A.W. Journey’s Overtime went over and beyond to ensure my family and I had a special weekend back home in Clemson,” said inductee Da’Quan Bowers. “It was truly a special time.”

The event also allowed P.A.W. Journey and our scholar-athletes to share our appreciation with the donors who help make P.A.W. Journey possible. P.A.W. Journey Ambassadors thanked our donors for the experiences this program has created and the opportunities it has facilitated.

After the event, inductee Jacoby Ford remarked, “P.A.W. Journey made my Hall of Fame experience weekend a memorable one! Thank you to P.A.W. Journey’s Overtime and our donors!”

Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame

Inductees

Class of 2022

Clemson Football

Jacoby Ford ’09

Da’Quan Bowers ’10

Dwayne Allen ’11

P.A.W. Journey made my Hall of Fame experience weekend a memorable one! Thank you to P.A.W. Journey’s Overtime and our donors!

- JACOBY FORD

Ken Ham (L) chats with Jordan Roper from IPTAY before the dinner.

Dwayne Allen ’11 spoke about his personal transformation from his freshman to his redshirt junior year, and the many crossroads and breakthroughs he encountered throughout his journey at Clemson. He then thanked donors for their contribution to P.A.W. Journey and its initiatives.

P.A.W. Journey Week

A Public Celebration of a Game-Changing Program

THE SUCCESS AND JOY OF THE P.A.W. JOURNEY PROGRAM IS HIGHLIGHTED EACH YEAR DURING THE ANNUAL P.A.W. JOURNEY WEEK.

During this time, P.A.W. Journey promotes its initiatives and informs the nation of the narrativechanging efforts on holistic development of our scholar-athletes. The week includes social media features and marketing campaigns that reach fans, potential employers and Clemson newcomers alike.

The goal of the week is not only to gain exposure for the program, but more importantly, to celebrate the young men, staff, pillars, partners and donors who make P.A.W. Journey come alive every day.

This year included themes for each day to highlight aspects of the program and its pillars. We were also grateful to be able to bring back the Donor Appreciation Dinner on Thursday night after a twoyear break due to the pandemic.

From celebratory tweets from former players to inspiring videos produced by Clemson’s Creative Solutions, as well as Take Part Branding and Advertising, the features and conversation held online and in person helped showcase the true spirit of P.A.W. Journey and its success in developing first-class men and world-class leaders.

Brannon Spector (Junior Wide Receiver) films content for P.A.W. Journey Week.

48 1.2M 43,956

SOCIAL MEDIA BY THE NUMBERS posts impressions engagements

P.A.W. JOURNEY WEEK 2022 THEMES

Sunday What is P.A.W. Journey? Who Is It For?

Monday P.A.W. Journey’s Ambassadors

Tuesday Striped & C.U. in Life

Wednesday 5th Quarter & Overtime

Thursday “College” & Appreciation

Friday First-Class Men, World-Class Leaders

LEADERSHIP

P.A.W. JOURNEY STAFF

The P.A.W. Journey staff are committed to serving, educating and challenging our young leaders to win in excellence daily. Establishing a true culture of invitation, each staff member builds individual relationships with our scholar-athletes, using their own personalities, styles and experiences. Collectively, our diverse team supports our students, and each other, day in and day out.

gifts for the WestZone Club at Memorial Stadium. He also served as field director from 1999–2003 for Clemson University’s Call Me MISTER Program.

Davis was an All-American linebacker from 1978–81 and captained the Tigers during their 1981 national championship run. That same season, he became the third defensive player in ACC history to be named league MVP.

A fifth-round draft pick by Tampa Bay in 1982, Davis went on to play six seasons in the NFL. While playing professionally, he also graduated from Clemson in 1984, completing his bachelor’s in industrial education.

In 1995, he became the fourth member of the Clemson Ring of Honor and was named to Clemson’s Centennial Team in 1996. In 2002, he was named to the ACC’s 50-Year Anniversary team. In 2007, Davis was accorded the highest honor attainable for a college player when he was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame.

JEFF DAVIS

As part of his 19 years with Clemson’s football program and 23 years with the university, Jeff Davis is in his 14th year as Assistant Athletic Director of Football Player Relations and External Affairs. Davis oversees P.A.W. Journey, the player-relations arm of Clemson Football. A natural outgrowth of his spirit of leadership, Davis founded P.A.W. Journey to cultivate Clemson’s football scholar-athletes into first-class men and worldclass leaders.

During the six years prior to his current position, Davis served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Major Gifts, where he helped fundraise major

In 1999, he returned to Clemson as Field Director of Call Me MISTER, a program that seeks to increase the pool of available teachers from broader, more diverse backgrounds, particularly among South Carolina’s lowest performing elementary schools. In 2001, during his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, he was awarded $100,000 for Call Me MISTER from Oprah Winfrey’s Angel Network.

Davis is also an ordained pastor currently leading FreeWay Church of Clemson with his wife, Joni. He and Joni, who he met while attending Clemson, are the proud parents of Jeneé, Jourdan, Judea, Jeuel, Jedidiah (“JD”) and Judah, and the couple is blessed with one grandchild, Doren. All obtained

(L to R): Antoine McClain, Karli Welch, Jeuel Davis, Emily Moore, Jeff Davis and Rashard Hall.

degrees from Clemson, bringing the total of Clemson degrees in the Davis Family to 10. Continuing his legacy in Clemson athletics, Judea, played forward for the Clemson Women’s Soccer Team, and his twin sons, JD and Judah, were also linebackers on Clemson’s 2016 and 2018 national championship teams.

JEUEL DAVIS

As of April 2022, Jeuel Davis is the newest member of the P.A.W. Journey Staff. Hailing from Tampa, Florida, Jeuel experienced adversity in her transition to Clemson, S.C., which became the catalyst for her passion for education, equity, empowerment and leadership. Thus, she answered the call to educate, and after graduating from Vanderbilt University with her bachelor’s in secondary education and English, she taught English to grades 7–12 in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

With the Jeff Davis Spirit of Leadership being instilled in her as Jeff and Joni’s fourth daughter, Jeuel always embraced the role and responsibility of leadership, which she exhibited as a grade-level and subjectlevel lead at every school at which she taught. She also demonstrated

her passion for developing young people holistically through her work as a middle school basketball coach, mentor, FCA adviser and more. After seven years of teaching, Jeuel obtained her Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Clemson University in 2020 before serving in a school leadership role as the Dean of Instruction for Literacy. After her tenure in Tennessee, Jeuel moved into her role as the Director of Life Skills and Community Service for P.A.W. Journey.

Although Jeuel’s role with P.A.W. Journey just began in 2022, she has been contributing to college football’s premier player-relations program since she was in college. Thus, she has hit the ground running leading P.A.W. Journey’s C.U. in Life pillar, which has included organizing and facilitating civic engagement for Clemson’s football scholar-athletes, spearheading annual P.A.W. Journey initiatives like the Player Symposium, and building relationships with each young man on the team in order to learn how to best support and mentor them. Jeuel gets the most joy from integrating her training and expertise in education, empowerment and leadership into her day-to-day. Whether she is adding Mental Health Moments to the calendar during Fall Camp, emphasizing the establishment and execution of P.A.W. Journey’s curriculum or contributing to P.A.W. Journey defining its vision, mission and values, Jeuel is passionate about the

supremely important work that P.A.W. Journey models for the industry of student-athlete development.

Above all else, Jeuel is passionate about her relationship with Christ and walking worthy of her calling in every aspect of her life. In her free time, you can find her spending time with her beloved family, leading FreeWay Church of Clemson’s Praise and Worship Team or advising Rho Zeta, her sorority’s chapter at Clemson.

“I live the dream every day by empowering our scholar-athletes to transfer the skills they master in football into all other arenas of their lives, and recognize that this is the holistic development that will propel them to lead and positively influence themselves and others for the rest of their lives.”

- JEUEL DAVIS

LEADERSHIP

RASHARD HALL

Rashard Hall serves as Director of Career and Professional Development for Clemson Football, helping its scholarathletes prepare for and obtain career success. Rashard’s passion for empowering scholar-athletes began from his own experience as a student-athlete and his professional journey that led to where he is today.

Rashard attended Clemson University and became a standout student and athlete from 2008–2012. “I aimed to be successful on and off the field.” Rashard was able to achieve just that, earning his undergraduate degree in business marketing in three years and becoming a fixture in Clemson's secondary.

role and becoming a certified academic adviser for Clemson athletics. Rashard completed his MBA and professionalcommunications coursework in 2016, earning his master’s degree. Post-graduation, Rashard found himself back working in the corporate world as a PMD with Merrill Lynch as a financial and wealth management adviser.

Coupling his athletic and corporate experiences, Rashard invests in the development of Clemson football’s students on a daily basis. Through one-on-one professional sessions and career programming, Rashard is able to help his students approach career opportunities with the same confidence and preparedness they approach the field with.

“It’s a blessing to empower young professionals and offer the resources they need to be successful. They truly have rare sets of intangibles that set them apart in the workplace. I have the pleasure of showing them how to convert and transfer those skills into successful careers.”

Antoine McClain, who played in the NFL from 2012–2017, has worked in student-athlete development and academic services at the collegiate level, and player engagement and relations at the National Football League for the past three years.

Professionally, Rashard started his career as a professional football player, signing a contract with the St. Louis Rams in 2013. Following his time in the NFL, Rashard joined Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedic medical-sales division for two years before accepting a graduate-assistant

Rashard’s professional journey continues in a new and more frequent way. Each semester, 135 new journeys begin for each Clemson football scholar-athlete. Freshmen start their entry-level professional journeys while seniors are polishing their resumes to apply for entry-level careers.

Behind his passion for developing scholar-athletes, the St. Augustine, Florida, native is a proud husband and role model, sharing his faith and optimistic attitude through his nonprofit and community foundations.

He comes from UNC Charlotte, where he has served as the Director of Student-Athlete Development ensuring that the 49ers’ studentathletes had the opportunity to develop life and leadership skills while charting a path towards their career goals. McClain also oversaw the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and helped provide student-athletes with the resources and tools necessary to excel in each aspect of their collegiate life.

Prior to his role with the Charlotte 49ers, McClain spent nine months at the University of Tennessee as a Student-Athlete Development Coordinator, and a year and a half in the Player Engagement and Relations office of the National Football League. He also served as a counselor with

ANTOINE McCLAIN

“It’s a blessing to empower young professionals and offer resources they need for success. They have rare sets of intangibles that set them apart in the workplace. I have the pleasure of showing them how to convert and transfer those skills into successful careers.”

- RASHARD HALL

Grand Canyon University athletics, monitoring academic progress and total wellness.

KARLI WELCH

Karli Welch serves as the Player Relations Coordinator, assisting in the daily operations and initiatives of the P.A.W. Journey program. A native of Clover, South Carolina, Karli graduated from Clemson University in May of 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. She began her work with Clemson Football as a student worker in the recruiting and operations departments. Both in and out of season, she assisted in the planning of recruiting events, operations of the football building, and was involved with transitioning in the 2019 freshman class. Notably, she played a large role in the planning and success of the National Championship parade in January 2019.

where she has continued to help grow the department’s impact on our young men. Above all, Karli takes the most pride in what she does behind the scenes, the relationships she has built and the way she truly embodies what our program stands for.

- ANTOINE

He played offensive line for the Tigers from 2008–2011, earning thirdteam all-ACC honors and a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. In his college career, he played in 54 games while making 41 starts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2012 and spent time with the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Arizona Cardinals during his professional career.

McClain earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology with a minor in athletic leadership from Clemson in 2017. He completed his Athlete Development Specialist Certification from the University of Florida in 2020.

Following graduation, Karli transitioned into a post-graduate internship position where she continued to have her hands in numerous projects and events. Working in the football facility, Karli quickly recognized her passion for player development and had a quick understanding for the student behind the uniform. She joined the P.A.W. Journey team in 2019 and became the Player Relations Coordinator,

“I believe in our scholar-athletes, this program, and above all, God’s plan, which empowers me to serve as a mentor and resource to our team. The foundation of my impact is built on my desire to see those around me succeed and to foster meaningful relationships.”

- KARLI WELCH

EMILY MOORE

P.A.W. JOURNEY

INTERN, 2021–2022

Hometown: Mound, Minnesota

Major: Marketing

Minor: Sports Communication

Year: Junior

“I think at a place like Clemson, it’s easy to get caught up in stats, but in P.A.W. Journey, we’re able to help students reach their goals off the field. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to witness that firsthand.”

“One of the things I miss about playing at Clemson is the camaraderie in the locker room. Now, I get to experience moments like that as we continue to celebrate and serve Clemson Football alumni.”

McCLAIN

AMBASSADORS

42 84 L aVONTA BENTLEY DAVIS ALLEN

80

19 46

BEAUX COLLINS

MALCOLM GREENE

DeMONTE CAPEHART*

HUNTER JOHNSON

HUNTER HELMS

SHERIDAN JONES TRISTAN LEIGH*

K.J. HENRY TYE HERBSTREIT TRENT HOWARD

BLACKMON HUCKABEE

JESIAH CARLTON

0 BARRETT CARTER

13 TYLER DAVIS

11 SAGE ENNIS

45 PHIL FLORENZO*

83 HAMPTON EARLE

26 PHIL MAFAH

58 HOLDEN CASPERSEN 36 QUINN CASTNER*

27 CARSON DONNELLY

24 HAMP GREENE

WILL BLACKSTON* 43

TRÉ WILLIAMS LANNDEN ZANDERS

*indicates new Ambassadors in Fall 2022

p.a.w. Journey

P.A.W. Journey recognizes December 2022 graduates at the last team meeting of the year.

Jordan McFadden (Graduate Offensive Lineman), DeMonte Capehart (Sophomore Defensive Tackle) and ET Reuben (Graduate Defensive Tackle) (top) share the P.J. Showcase spotlight.

TIGER VETERANS

13

27 TYLER DAVIS CARSON DONNELLY

48 DAVID COTE

HAMP GREENE SHERIDAN JONES

TYE HERBSTREIT 5 K.J. HENRY 75 TRENT HOWARD 18 HUNTER HELMS

21 MALCOLM GREENE

11 SAGE ENNIS

52 JOEY EDDIS

83

24

HAMPTON EARLE

36 QUINN CASTNER 58 HOLDEN CASPERSEN 80 BEAUX COLLINS

60 MAC CRANFORD 82 JACKSON CROSBY

44 CADE DENHOFF

51 COLBY DOOLITTLE

43 RIGGS FAULKENBERRY 45 PHIL FLORENZO 62 CONNOR GRAHAM

37 JACOB HENDRICKS 25 BLACKMON HUCKABEE JR.

89 ZACH JACKSON 12 HUNTER JOHNSON

70 TRISTAN LEIGH 53 RYAN LINTHICUM 26 PHIL MAFAH

TIGER VETERANS

55 PAYTON PAGE

90 JABRIEL ROBINSON 31 TRISTEN RIGBY

64 WALKER PARKS 91 ZAIRE PATTERSON 59 DIETRICK PENNINGTON 25 JALYN PHILLIPS 44 BANKS POPE 29 B.T. POTTER

40 LUKE PRICE 56 WILL PUTNAM 32 ET REUBEN

97 ANDREW ROBERTS

7 JUSTIN MASCOLL

77 MITCHELL MAYES 34 ARMON MASON

39 BUBBA M cATEE

58 EVAN McCUTCHEN 71 JORDAN McFADDEN 34 KEVIN McNEAL 9 R.J. MICKENS 56 REED MORRISSEY 47 HOGAN MORTON

1 ANDREW MUKUBA 98 MYLES MURPHY 38 PETER NEARN 10 JOSEPH NGATA

33 RUKE ORHORHORO

49 MATTHEW MALONEY

30 KEITH MAGUIRE

32

15 WISE SEGARS JR TROY STELLATO

16

WILL TAYLOR NATE WIGGINS

JEREMIAH TROTTER JR

74 MARCUS TATE

35 ELIJAH RODGERS 1 WILL SHIPLEY

22 TRENTON SIMPSON 13 BRANNON SPECTOR

39 AIDAN SWANSON 81 DREW SWINNEY

3 XAVIER THOMAS

54 MASON TROTTER 73 BRYN TUCKER 5 DJ UIAGALELEI

24 TYLER VENABLES

41 JONATHAN WEITZ 99 GREG WILLIAMS 8 TRÉ WILLIAMS 76 JOHN WILLIAMS

TIGER ROOKIES

46 50

MCCLOUD BLAKE MILLER

CHAPMAN

14 TRENT PEARMAN

GRIFFIN BATT TORIANO PRIDE JR.

PITTS

37

LIAM BOYD ADAM RANDALL

36 10 87 92 2 15 JADEN

KINARD

T.J. DUDLEY

93

88 22

CADEN STORY

CLAY SWINNEY

COLE TURNER

89 JACK SMITH

17 WADE WOODAZ

0 ANTONIO WILLIAMS

23 DAVIAN SULLIVAN

20 DOMONIQUE THOMAS

Coach Swinney welcomes 2022's midyear freshmen with dinner at his home.

FRESHMAN ORIENTATION

A Warm Welcome to Future Leaders

NEAR THE CONCLUSION OF FALL CAMP in late August, our newest Tigers (summer enrollees) gathered for a welcome orientation to the P.A.W. Journey program.

All 24 freshmen attended the orientation for the opportunity to learn about all that P.A.W. Journey has to offer — not just for a few players, but for anyone who desires to pursue first-class manhood and worldclass leadership.

Members of the P.A.W. Journey staff introduced themselves and led an icebreaker to get the attendees talking. They then reviewed the history of Clemson Football’s Player Relations Program from 2008 to the present.

Freshmen learned the vision, mission, values and belief statements of P.A.W. Journey, as well as the new curriculum that was launched this year. Staff then walked through the four pillars of P.A.W. Journey — Striped, C.U. in Life, 5th Quarter and Overtime — and the types of initiatives that each pillar emphasizes.

Finally, the scholar-athletes each created a S.M.A.R.T. goal centered on their personal growth as an early introduction to the Striped pillar and an intentional start to what P.A.W. Journey will empower them to do for the entirety of their time at Clemson: be the Example as men and leaders, not just football players.

What I learned at Freshman Orientation is that man makes the brand. Good character will make or break me.

- BOSTON MILLER (Freshman Safety)

Freshman Linebacker Kobe McCloud got involved in P.A.W. Journey as soon as he enrolled in Summer 2022.

Journey

K.J. HENRY (GRADUATE DEFENSIVE END) AND WILL SHIPLEY (SOPHOMORE RUNNING BACK) in coordination with P.A.W. Journey/Overtime, IPTAY and Clemson University’s Division of Inclusion & Equity, announced in late November that they have established the “1 CLEM5ON” endowment to help provide resources to Clemson University students, including fellow scholar-athletes.

For the first five years, the endowment from five-figure donations by Henry and Shipley will benefit Clemson University’s Harvey and Lucinda Gantt Multicultural Center and Clemson Athletics’ Hear Her Roar campaign, and every year thereafter will support P.A.W. Journey.

“This extraordinary commitment by K.J. Henry and Will Shipley to give back to Clemson and support future generations of students is yet another example of their leadership and selflessness,” said Clemson University President Jim Clements. “Just like K.J. and Will, the 1 CLEM5ON endowment is a game-changer, and I couldn’t be more proud of these remarkable young men and the way they represent our University.”

The Gantt Center supports and advocates for the needs of all students, challenges students to think critically about themselves and their communities, provides engaging experiential learning opportunities and empowers students to be positive change agents. Funding from the 1 CLEM5ON endowment will support Clemson University’s stated intent to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds.

Clemson Athletics and IPTAY launched the Hear Her Roar fundraising campaign in June to raise awareness and financial support specifically for Clemson’s women student-athletes. The fundraising campaign has allowed Clemson to strengthen its commitment to opportunities and access for its 12 NCAA Division I women’s programs and the women that comprise them.

“Will Shipley and K.J. Henry embody everything that is right about intercollegiate athletics and student-athletes in particular,” IPTAY Chief Executive Officer Davis Babb said. “To my knowledge, these are the first such major gifts from current student-athletes to have ever been made to their schools in this country, and their philanthropy and selflessness speak volumes

about the type of young people they are.”

Since their respective arrivals at Clemson in the recruiting classes of 2018 and 2021, Henry and Shipley have been paragons of the scholar-athlete ideal.

Henry, a three-time ACC Honor Roll selection, earned an undergraduate degree in sports communication and added a master’s degree in athletic leadership in December 2021. He has continued his postgraduate education in his final year of eligibility at Clemson this season and was a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, presented annually to the nation’s top scholar-athlete.

P.A.W. Journey named Henry as its 2021 P.A.T. Man of the Year. An Ambassador in the program, he completed microinternships with Bunty and Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has been a frequent inperson supporter of other Clemson Athletics squads throughout his Clemson tenure.

“P.A.W. Journey was a big reason why I wanted to come to Clemson — to benefit from this program’s focus on the growth of the man, not just the athlete,” Henry said. “I saw a chance to give that opportunity to students who don’t play sports . . . and allow them to receive these same tools that we are equipped with. … And then seeing Clemson’s female athletes and how hard they work, as well as seeing the platform that Clemson Softball launched from beginning, Will and I wanted to help these new programs coming in as well as the athletes and programs we have here now. We want to raise the bar for all of our student-athletes.

“With Will and I being men of God and men of faith, we know that money is short-term. There is a lot of love we can spread with it with the platform we have, so it is a blessing to be granted this opportunity to give back to our fellow athletes and students.”

Shipley arrived at Clemson as an instant leader, immediately garnering the respect of players, coaches and the entire university community upon his arrival in January 2021. The second-year management major is also a P.A.W. Journey Ambassador. He completed a micro-internship at National Football League headquarters last Spring and is a CSC Academic All-District selection and Academic AllAmerica selection this season with a 4.0 cumulative GPA.

The 1 CLEM5ON initiative further extends Shipley’s philanthropic outreach. Within the last year, he has also raised and donated five figures to a children’s

hospital in his home metro area of Charlotte.

“I have been so blessed here at Clemson University to be associated with P.A.W. Journey and everyone involved in it,” Shipley said. “They’ve given me opportunities and tools I’ll be able to carry with me for a lifetime. At an older age, looking back, I’m really going to appreciate the journey and how much I’ve learned throughout my time here.

“I’m just so pumped to have this platform and be able to give back to people that are the reason why I’m here today and give back to other students and studentathletes, including female athletes, to be able to support what they’re doing. It is so important to me to make sure that everyone benefits, and to be able to do that and have that platform means a lot to me.”

“Once again our young leaders are on the cutting edge of scholarathlete leadership,” said Jeff Davis, P.A.W. Journey’s founder. “What K.J. and Will are doing is a small representation of their commitment and bright future. When the impact of NIL is one of the focal points of college athletics, these two leaders are The Example of how empowering our scholar-athletes has immeasurable dividends, from supporting their fellow scholar-athletes’ and students’

endeavors to promoting their love for Clemson University.”

“It says a lot about a person’s leadership when they choose to use their influence to empower their fellow scholar-athletes, peers and students by providing them with necessary resources to be successful,” added Antoine McClain, Director of Former Player Engagement & Development.

“What K.J. and Will are doing with 1 CLEM5ON exemplifies ‘First-Class Men and World-Class Leaders.’”

Will Shipley and K.J. Henry embody everything that is right about intercollegiate athletics and student-athletes in particular.

- DAVIS BABB (IPTAY Chief Executive Officer)

“What K.J. and Will are doing is a small representation of their commitment and bright future. When the impact of NIL is one of the focal points of college athletics, these two leaders are The Example of how empowering our scholar-athletes has immeasurable dividends.”

- JEFF DAVIS, Founder, P.A.W. Journey

A NOTE TO OUR DONORS

P.A.W. Journey would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our donors. Your philanthropy is essential to the power and reach of P.A.W. Journey, and thus, its impact on so many of Clemson’s football scholar-athletes, Clemson University and the scholar-athlete development industry. Because of your contributions, P.A.W. Journey continues to be the model program in the country for scholarathlete development, as evidenced by the first-class men and world-class leaders who have graduated and gone on to be successful men, leaders, husbands, citizens, fathers and professionals.

P.A.W. Journey is committed to securing its $11 million endowment in order to provide a permanent source of support for Clemson’s football scholar-athletes that is solely dedicated to their holistic development. We are profoundly grateful for the $6 million that has already been donated, and we ask that you consider donating as well to make an interminable mark on every Clemson football scholar-athlete who will be a part of this program and give them the opportunity to passionately pursue first-class manhood and worldclass leadership.

Cade Klubnik (Freshman Quarterback) tosses footballs during practice with students from ClemsonLIFE.

The primary purpose of college is to obtain your degree. P.A.W. Journey aims to ensure that scholar-athletes have a fulfilling college experience along the way.

More on pages 3–5.