Clemson Football: 10 Best Defensive Players – Of the 80’s
By Ben Greeson
3. Jeff Davis
When your nickname is The Judge, people expect you to hold court. And that’s exactly what Jeff Davis did at Clemson.
Again, all you have to do is look on the facades of Death Valley to see his name in the Ring of Honor.
While the Greensboro, NC native set many Clemson records, his stats pale in comparison to the legacy he’s left off the field.
While sporting Orange, Davis started 35 games, amassed 469 tackles, 4 interceptions, and sacked the quarterback four times. Davis registered a then Clemson record 175 tackles in leading a 1981 defense that set a school record for turnovers forced (41) in a season.
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He still holds the Clemson football career record for caused fumbles (10) and recovered fumbles (8). His 24 tackles against North Carolina and All-American Lawrence Taylor in 1980 is still the Clemson record for tackles in an ACC game.
He was a model of consistency, registering at least double figures in tackles in 22 of his last 23 games. Overall, he had 30 double figure tackle games in his 40-game career and led the Clemson team in tackles in 25 different games.
At the conclusion of the season, Davis was named a first-team All-American by United Press International, the Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association, the Walter Camp Foundation and the Football News. He was named the national Lineman of the Year by the Atlanta Touchdown Club.
Davis was a fifth-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1982, but proved the NFL scouts wrong by posting impressive numbers in a six-year NFL career. The inside linebacker
played in 83 games, 72 as a starter between 1982-87.
He led Tampa Bay in tackles three of the six years, including a career high 165 stops in 1984, and served as the team captain for four seasons. He still ranks eighth in Bucs history in career tackles with 662.
Since the end of his playing career Davis has been inducted in the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1989 and to the school’s Ring of Honor in Memorial Stadium in 1995.
He was inducted into the state of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001 and was named to the ACC’s 50-Year Anniversary team in 2002.
Davis gained national acclaim when he was the Field Director of the Call Me Mister Program in South Carolina.
The program raises money for scholarships for African American males in the state of South Carolina who are pursuing secondary education as a career. In 2001, he received the “Use Your Life Award” from Oprah’s Winfrey’s Angel Network.
He was presented the award on Winfrey’s program and she also contributed $100,000 to the Call Me Mister program.
Davis is now an assistant athletic director for fund raising in the Clemson Athletic Department and he remains active in the Call Me Mister program as a consultant.
Next: Michael Dean Perry